Commission Regulation (EC) No 2296/2003 of 23 December 2003 derogating, for 2004, from Regulation (EC) No 327/98 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas for imports of rice and broken rice
Date: 2003-12-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: derogation from EU law, import, rice, tariff quota

24.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 340/35

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2296/2003

of 23 December 2003

derogating, for 2004, from Regulation (EC) No 327/98 opening and providing for the administra-
tion of tariff quotas for imports of rice and broken rice

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1095/96 of 18 June 1996 on the implementation of the
concessions set out in Schedule CXL drawn up in the wake of the conclusion of the GATT XXIV(6) nego-
tiations (1), and in particular Article 1 thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 96/317/EC of 13 May 1996 concerning the conclusion of the results of
the consultations with Thailand pursuant to GATT Article XXIII (2), and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland,
Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union on 1 May 2004 should enable those countries to
qualify for the tariff quotas for imports of rice and broken rice introduced by Commission Regu-
lation (EC) No 327/98 (3) under fair conditions compared with those applicable to the existing
Member States. Economic operators in those countries must be given the possibility therefore of
participating fully in those quotas upon accession.

In order not to create disturbance on the market before and after 1 May 2004, the timetable for the
tranches provided for in 2004 must be altered and the allocation of quantities adjusted without,
however, altering the overall quantities provided for in the international agreements concluded in
accordance with GATT Articles XXIII and XXIV(6), i.e. annual tariff quotas for imports of 63 000
tonnes of semi-milled and wholly milled rice covered by CN code 1006 30 at zero duty, 20 000
tonnes of husked rice covered by CN code 1006 20 at a fixed duty of EUR 88 per tonne and
80 000 tonnes of broken rice covered by CN code 1006 40 with a reduction of EUR 28 per tonne
in the import duty.

The alterations and adjustments provided for in this Regulation must replace for 2004 the measures
laid down in Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 327/98.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management
Committee for Cereals,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

In derogation from Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 327/98 the annual tariff quotas referred to in Article
1 of that Regulation shall be opened, for 2004, for imports into the Community subject to the following
conditions:

(1) OJ L 146, 20.6.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 122, 22.5.1996, p. 15.
(3) OJ L 37, 11.2.1998, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2458/2001 (OJ L 331, 15.12.2001, p.

10).

L 340/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.12.2003

(a) 63 000 tonnes of semi-milled and wholly milled rice covered by CN code 1006 30 (quota serial No

09.4076) shall be allocated according to country of origin and tranches as follows:

United States of America

Thailand

Australia

Other countries of origin

January

9 681

10 727

—

—

Total

20 408

May

19 360

5 364

1 019

1 805

27 548

July

9 680

5 364

—

—

15 044

September

—

—

—

—

—

(b) 20 000 tonnes of husked rice covered by CN code 1006 20 (quota serial No 09.4077) shall be allo-

cated according to country of origin and tranches as follows:

Australia

United States of America

Thailand

Other countries of origin

January

2 608

1 911

—

—

May

5 214

3 821

1 812

117

July

2 607

1 910

—

—

Total

4 519

10 964

4 517

September

—

—

—

—

—

(c) 80 000 tonnes of broken rice covered by CN code 1006 40 (quota serial No 09.4078) shall be allo-

cated according to country of origin and tranches as follows:

Thailand

Australia

Guyana

United States of America

Other countries of origin

January

13 866

4 304

2 834

2 427

3 234

26 665

May

27 734

8 609

5 669

4 854

6 469

53 335

Total

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal
of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January to 31 December 2004.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 December 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission