Proposal for a Council Regulation opening and providing for the management of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain fishery products for the period 2004-2006
Date: 2003-12-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: common commercial policy, fishery product, tariff quota

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 29.12.2003
COM(2003) 832 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

opening and providing for the management of autonomous Community tariff quotas for
certain fishery products for the period 2004-2006

(presented by the Commission)

EN

  EN

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.

2.

3.

As  part  of  the  reform  of  the  common  organisation  of  the  markets  in  fishery  and
aquaculture  products,  autonomous  tariff  quotas  for  a  number  of  fishery  products
were opened for the period 2001 to 2003. In order to ensure continuation of supplies
for user industries after 2003, a successor quota regime should be established

The tariff quotas to be opened are restricted to certain products for processing which
satisfy the conditions pertaining to the reference prices fixed or to be fixed.

This  proposal  provides  for  the  opening  of  tariff  quotas  as  of  1  January  2004  for
periods  up  to  and  including  31  December  2006.  These  quotas  will  allow  user
industries  to  plan  the  supplies  they  need  without  disrupting  the  revenues  of
Community producers.

This is the purpose of the proposed regulation, which the Council is asked to adopt.

2

 
Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION

opening and providing for the management of autonomous Community tariff quotas for
certain fishery products for the period 2004-2006

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article
26 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

1

2

Community  supplies  of  certain  fishery  products  currently  depend  on  imports  from
third  countries.  It  is  in  the  Community's  interest  to  suspend  in  part  or  in  whole  the
customs duties  for  those  products,  within  Community  tariff  quotas  of  an  appropriate
volume. In order not to jeopardise the development prospects of those products in the
Community  and  to  ensure  an  adequate  supply  to  satisfy  user  industries,  such  quotas
should be opened, applying variable customs duties in accordance with the sensitivity
of the product in question on the Community market.

Equal and uninterrupted access to those quotas should be ensured for all Community
importers and the rates laid down for the quotas should be applied without interruption
to all imports of the products concerned into all Member States until the quotas have
been used up.

To  ensure  the  efficiency  of  a  common  management  of  the  quotas,  Member  States
should  be  permitted  to  draw  from  the  quota  amount  the  necessary  quantities
corresponding to their actual imports. Since that method of management requires close
cooperation  between  the  Member  States  and  the  Commission,  the  latter  should  in
particular  be  able  to  monitor  the  rate  at  which  the  quotas  are  used  up  and  should
inform the Member States accordingly.

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for
the  implementation  of  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2913/92  establishing  the
Community Customs Code2 provides for a system of tariff quota management which
follows  the  chronological  order  of  the  dates  of  acceptance  of  the  declarations  of
release  for  free  circulation.  The  tariff  quotas  opened  by  this  Regulation  should  be
managed by the Community authorities and the Member States in accordance with that
system,

OJ C […] […], p. […]
OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1335/2003 (OJ L 187,
26.7.2003, p .16).

3

 
                                                
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1.

2.

Import  duties  on  the  products  listed  in  the  Annex  shall  be  suspended,  within  tariff
quotas, at the rates for the periods, and up to the amounts, indicated therein.

Imports of the products listed in the Annex shall be covered by the quotas referred to
in  paragraph  1  only  if  the  declared  customs  value  is  at  least  equal  to  the  reference
price  fixed,  or  to  be  fixed,  in  accordance  with  Article  29  of  Regulation  (EEC)  No
104/2000.3

The tariff quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be managed by the Commission in accordance
with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

Article 2

The Member States and the Commission shall cooperate closely to ensure that this Regulation
is complied with.

Article 3

Article 4

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2004.

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

3

OJ L 17, 21.1.2000, p. 22.

4

 
                                                
Order
No

CN code

TARIC
code

09.2758

ex 0302 70 00

20

09.2765

ex 0305 62 00

ex 0305 69 10

09.2785

ex 0307 49 59

ex 0307 99 11

09.2786

ex 0307 49 59

09.2788

ex 0307 99 11

ex 0302 40 00
ex 0303 50 00
ex 0304 10 97
ex 0304 90 22

09.2790

ex 1604 14 16

09.2792

ex 1604 12 99

20
25
29
10

10
10

20
20

10
10
20
10

20
30
95

10

09.2794

ex 1605 20 99

45

09.2759

09.2760

ex 0302 50 10
ex 0302 50 90
ex 0303 60 11
ex 0303 60 19
ex 0303 60 90

ex 0303 78 11
ex 0303 78 12
ex 0303 78 13
ex 0303 78 19

ex 0303 78 90

20
10
10
10
10

10
10
10
11
81
10

ANNEX

Description

Cod  livers  (Gadus  morhua,  Gadus
ogac,  Gadus  macrocephalus)  and  fish
liver  of  the  species  Boreogadus  saida,
fresh or chilled, for processing (a)(b)

Cod  (Gadus  morhua,  Gadus  ogac,
Gadus  macrocephalus)  and  fish  of  the
species  Boreogadus  saida,  salted  or  in
brine,  but  not  dried  or  smoked,  for
processing (a)(b)

Tubes  of  squid  (Ommastrephes  spp.  –
excluding  Ommastrephes  sagittatus  –,
Nototodarus  spp.,  Sepioteuthis  spp.)
and  Illex  spp.,  frozen,  with  skin  and
fins, for processing (a)(b)

Squid (Ommastrephes spp. – excluding
–,
Ommastrephes 
Nototodarus  spp.,  Sepioteuthis  spp.)
and  Illex  spp.,  frozen  whole,  tentacles
and fins, for processing (a)(b)

sagittatus 

Herrings  (Clupea  harengus,  Clupea
pallasii),  of  a  weight  exceeding  140  g
per  piece  or 
flaps  of  a  weight
exceeding  80  g  per  piece,  excluding
livers and roes, for processing (a)(b)

Filets  known  as  ‘loins’  of  tunas  and
skipjack, for processing (a)(b)

Herrings,  spiced  and/or  vinegar-cured,
in brine, preserved in barrels of at least
70  kg  net  drained  weight, 
for
processing (a)(b)

Shrimps  and  prawns  of  the  species
Pandalus  borealis,  cooked  and  peeled,
for processing (a)(b)

Cod  (Gadus  morhua,  Gadus  ogac,
Gadus  macrocephalus), 
excluding
livers and roes, fresh, chilled or frozen,
for processing (a)(b)

(Merluccius 

excluding
Hake 
Merluccius  merluccius,  Urophycis
spp.), frozen, for processing (a)(b)

spp. 

Annual
amount of
quota (tons)

Quota
duty
(%)

Quota
period

300

10 000

0

0

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

30 000

3.5

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1 500

20 000

4 000

6 000

7 000

50 000

20 000

3

0

6

6

6

0

0

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.11.2004 –
31.12.2004

1.11.2005 –
31.12.2005

1.11.2006 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

5

 
09.2761

ex 0304 20 91
ex 0304 20 94

ex 0304 90 97

09.2762

ex 0306 11 10

09.2766

ex 0306 11 90

ex 0304 20 94
ex 0304 90 97

09.2768

ex 0303 79 55

10
41
81
60
86

10
10

70

88

31

09.2770

ex 0305 63 00

10

Blue  grenadier 
(Macruronus  spp.),
frozen  fillets  and  other  meat,  for
processing (a)(b)

15 000

lobster 

Rock 
spp.,
Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.), frozen, for
processing (a)(b)

(Palinurus 

Southern  blue  whiting  (Micromesistius
australis), frozen fillets and other meat,
for processing (a)(b)

pollack 

Alaska 
(Theragra
chalcogramma),  frozen,  for  processing
(a)(b)

Anchovies (Engraulis anchoita), salted
or in brine, but not dried or smoked, for
processing (a)(b)

1 500

2 000

10 000

2 000

09.2772

0304 90 05

10

Surimi, frozen, for processing (a)(b)

30 000

0

6

0

0

0

0

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

1.1.2004 –
31.12.2006

a

b

Control  of  the  use  for  this  special  purpose  shall  be  carried  out  pursuant  to  the
relevant Community provisions.

This  quota  is  available  for  products  intended  to  undergo  any  operation,  unless  it  is
solely for one or more of the following operations:

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

cleaning, gutting, tailing, heading,

cutting  (excluding  dicing,  filleting,  production  of  flaps  or  cutting  of  frozen
blocks or splitting of frozen interleaved fillet blocks),

sampling, sorting,

labelling,

packing,

chilling,

freezing,

deep freezing,

thawing, separation.

The quota is not available for products intended, in addition, to undergo treatment (or
operations)  which  gives  quota  entitlement,  where  such  treatment  (or  operations)  is
(are)  carried  out  at  retail  or  catering  level.  The  reduction  of  customs  duties  shall
apply only to fish intended for human consumption.

6

 
FINANCIAL STATEMENT

1.

TITLE OF OPERATION

Proposal  for  Council  Regulation  opening  and  providing  for  the  management  of
autonomous  Community  tariff  quotas  for  certain  fishery  products  for  the  period
2004-2006.

2.

BUDGET HEADING INVOLVED

Chap. 12 Art. 120 (1210 + 1060)

3.

LEGAL BASIS

Art. 26 of the Treaty

4.

4.1

5.

5.1

Order
No

09.2758
09.2765
09.2785
09.2786
09.2788
09.2790
09.2792
09.2794
09.2759
09.2760
09.2761
09.2762
 09.2766
09.2768
09.2770
09.2772

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION

General objective

To ensure an adequate supply for Community user industries.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

Method  of  calculating  total  cost  of  operation  (relation  between  individual  and
total costs)

Quantities
(Tons)

Estimated price
(€/tons)

300
10.000
30.000
1.500
20.000
4.000
6.000
7.000
50.000
20.000
15.000
1.500
2.000
10.000
2.000
30.000

3.070
5.213
1.591
902
536
3.406
1.977
5.236
2.371
1.933
2.631
20.465
2.246
1.412
1.751
1.938

Normal duty
rate
(%)
10
13
8
8
15
24
20
20
12
15
7,5
12,5
15(7,5)
15
10
15

Quota duty
(%)

Duty loss against the annual
quota period (€)

0
0
3,5
3
0
6
6
6
0
0
0
6
0
0
0
0

92.100
6.776.900
2.147.850
67.650
1.608.000
2.452.320
1.660.680
5.131.280
14.226.000
5.799.000
2.959.875
1.995.338
673.800
2.118.000
350.200
8.721.000

Total  duty  loss  against  the  annual  quota  period:  (56.779.993  –  14.194.998)
42.584.995 € net.

7

 
6.

FRAUD PREVENTION MEASURES

Provisions on the management of these tariff quotas include the measures necessary
for preventing frauds and irregularities and protecting against them.

8