Commission Regulation (EC) No 2294/2003 of 23 December 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 1503/96 on the detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 with regards to import duties on rice
Date: 2003-12-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: customs duties, import, rice, tariff reduction

L 340/12

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.12.2003

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2294/2003

of 23 December 2003

amending Regulation (EC) No 1503/96 on the detailed rules for the application of Council
Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 with regards to import duties on rice

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 of 22
December 1995 on the common organisation of the market in
rice (1), and in particular Article 11(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Article 4a of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1503/
96 (2) provides for an import duty reduction for Basmati
rice under CN code 1006 20 17 and 1006 20 98 of
EUR 250 per tonne.

Quantities of rice imported under this regime have
increased in significant quantities without information
being given of the varieties that are being imported. This
makes it necessary for the Commission to define in a
very precise way which varieties should qualify for the
reduction.

Basmati rice imported into the EU from India and Paki-
stan should comply with specific requirements in order
to maintain the high quality of the product and limit the
imported quantities to Basmati pure line varieties.

Checks should be reinforced to counter the risk of fraud
linked to the origin of the rice as well as to the varieties
imported.

It is also necessary to specify which Basmati rice varieties
should be considered to be eligible for the reduction,
after consultation of and examination of the matter with
Indian and Pakistani authorities.

In view of the high level of demand for Basmati Rice
from India and Pakistan and of the experience in the
management of
the regime, controls should be laid
down to guarantee the quality of the imported product.

(1) OJ L 329, 30.12.1995, p. 18. Regulation as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 411/2002 (OJ L 6, 5.3.2002, p.
27); it is repealed by Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 (OJ L 270,
21.10.2003, p. 96) with effect from the day of applicability of that
Regulation.

(2) OJ L 189, 30.7.1996, p. 71. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1298/2002 (OJ L 189, 18.7.2002, p. 8).

In that respect Member States may establish appropriate
monitoring programmes which may include the use of
DNA analysis.

(7)

The Management Committee for Cereals has not deliv-
ered an opinion within the time limit laid down by its
chairman,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1503/96 is amended as follows:

1. In Article 4a, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.
Basmati Rice as defined in Annex IV, falling within
the CN codes ex 1006 20 17 and ex 1006 20 98, may
benefit from an import duty reduction of EUR 250 per
tonne.

This amount may be revised in response to market trends,
in particular as regards the quantities imported.

The checks necessary to apply the present article should be
undertaken on the basis of the certificates of authenticity
delivered by the competent authorities from India and Paki-
stan listed in Annex III.’

2. Annex II is replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this

Regulation.

3. A new Annex IV is added as set out in Annex II to this

Regulation.

Article 2

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2004.

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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

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Official Journal of the European Union

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ANNEX I

‘ANNEX II

MODEL B

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Official Journal of the European Union

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ANNEX II

‘ANNEX IV

Regions

It has to be from the Indian and Pakistani specific areas of the Indo Gangetic Plains, which includes the Punjab, Haryana,
Uttaranchal and Western Uttar Pradesh regions.

Traditional varieties (commonly referred to as "Basmati pure line varieties" in India and Pakistan)

Varieties

Pakistan

Kernel (Basmati Pakistan)

Basmati 370

India

Basmati 370

Basmati 386

Type-3 (Dehradun)

Taraori Basmati (HBC-19)

Basmati 217

Ranbir Basmati’