Commission Regulation (EC) No 361/2004 of 27 February 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 laying down procedures for applying in the poultrymeat sector the arrangements provided for in the Association Agreement and the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the State of Israel
Date: 2004-02-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: CCT duties, Israel, association agreement (EU), import licence, poultrymeat, tariff quota

28.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 63/15

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 361/2004

of 27 February 2004

amending Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 laying down procedures for applying in the poultrymeat
sector the arrangements provided for in the Association Agreement and the Interim Agreement
between the European Community and the State of Israel

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 2003/917/EC of 22
December 2003 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the
form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Com-
munity and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisa-
tion measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the
EC-Israel Association Agreement (1), and in particular Article 2
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Decision 2003/917/EC provides for a greater liberalisa-
tion of trade in agricultural products within the Associa-
tion Agreement between the EC and Israel, replaces
Protocols 1 and 2 to the Association Agreement, and in
particular extends concessions for trade in poultrymeat.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 (2) should be
adapted to take account of extended concessions for
trade in poultrymeat within the EC-Israel Association
Agreement approved by Decision 2003/917/EC.

Decision 2003/917/EC was published only on the last
day of December 2003 which did not allow operators to
apply for new import concessions applicable from 1
January 2004 in the normal application period laid
down in the Regulation (EC) No 2497/96, and the
licence application period under the new import conces-
sions should be set for March 2004.

Accession to the European Union, on 1 May 2004, of
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania,
Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia should
allow those countries to benefit from the tariff quotas in
the sector of the poultrymeat referred to in Regulation
(EC) No 2497/96, under equal conditions with those
applicable to the current Member States. The possibility
should therefore be given to the operators in those
States to fully take benefit of these quotas after their
accession.

(5)

In order not to create a market distortion before and
after 1 May 2004, the trade periods have to be modified,
for year 2004, without however modifying the total

quantities provided for by Decision 2003/917/EC. It is
also appropriate to adapt the implementing measures
with regard to the applications lodging date.

As licence application periods under the new import
concessions for periods 1 January to 31 March 2004
and 1 April to 30 April 2004 coincide for reasons of
simplicity, the quantities relevant for each period should
be merged.

Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 should therefore be
amended accordingly.

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

(6)

(7)

(8)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 is amended as follows:

1.

in Article 1, the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘All imports into the Community under the arrangements
provided for in Protocol 1 to the Association Agreement
between the Community and Israel of products in groups
IL1 and IL2 referred to in Annex I to this Regulation shall
be subject to the presentation of an import licence.’;

2.

in Article 2 the following paragraph is added:

‘However, in year 2004, the quotas referred to in Article 1
shall be staggered as follows:

— 33 % in the period 1 January to 30 April,

— 17 % in the period 1 May to 30 June,

— 25 % in the period 1 July to 30 September,

— 25 % in the period 1 October to 31 December.’;

3.

in Article 4(1) the following subparagraph is added:

‘However, for the period of 1 January to 30 April 2004 and
1 May to 30 June 2004 licence applications shall be lodged,
respectively during the first seven days of March and May
2004.’;

(1) OJ L 346, 31.12.2003, p. 65.
(2) OJ L 338, 28.12.1996, p. 48. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1043/2001 (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 24).

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

Regulation.

L 63/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.2.2004

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 March 2004.

Article 2

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

Done at Brussels, 27 February 2004.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

28.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 63/17

Group
number

Order
number

CN code

Description (1)

ANNEX

‘ANNEX I

Reduction
of the MFN
customs
duty (2)
(%)

Tariff quotas
(tonnes)

1.1.-31.12.
2004

1.1.-31.12.
2005

1.1.-31.12.
2006

1.1.-31.12.
2007

and
following
years

IL1

09.4092

0207 25

Turkeys, not cut in pieces,
frozen

100

1 442,0

1 484,0

1 526,0

1 568,0

1 568,0

0207 27 10

Boneless turkeys cuts, frozen

0207 27 30/40/
50/60/70

Turkeys cuts with bone in,
frozen

IL2

09.4091

ex 0207 32

ex 0207 33

ex 0207 35

ex 0207 36

Meat of ducks and geese, not
cut in pieces, fresh or chilled

Meat of ducks and geese, not
cut in pieces, frozen

Other meat and edible offal
of ducks and geese, fresh or
chilled

Other meat and edible offal
of ducks and geese, frozen

100

515,0

530,0

545,0

560,0

560,0

(1) Notwithstanding the rules for the interpretation of the combined nomenclature, the wording for the description of the products is to be considered as having no more
than an indicative value, the preferential scheme being determined, within the context of this Annex, by the coverage of the Combined Nomenclature codes. Where
“ex” Combined Nomenclature codes are indicated, the preferential scheme is to be determined by the application of the Combined Nomenclature codes and
corresponding description taken together.

(2) Duty reduction applies to “ad valorem” customs duties and in the case of code 0207 also to specific customs duties.’