Commission Regulation (EC) No 1206/2004 of 29 June 2004 opening and providing for the administration of an import tariff quota for frozen beef intended for processing (1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005)
Date: 2004-06-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: CCT duties, agro-industry, beef, frozen product, import, import licence, tariff quota

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1206/2004

of 29 June 2004

opening and providing for the administration of an import tariff quota for frozen beef intended for
processing (1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17
May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef
and veal (1), and in particular Article 32(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The WTO schedule CXL requires the Community to open
an annual import tariff quota of 50 700 tonnes of frozen
beef intended for processing. Implementing rules should
be laid down for the quota year 2004/2005, starting on
1 July 2004.

frozen beef under the tariff quota is
The import of
subject to customs import duties and to the conditions
laid down under serial number 13 of Annex 7 to Part
three of Annex I
to Council Regulation (EEC) No
2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical
nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (2).
The breakdown of
the
arrangements referred to above should be made taking
into account the experience gained in respect of similar
imports in the past.

the tariff quota into each of

(4)

(5)

December 1976 on health problems affecting intra-
Community trade in meat products (3), or, in respect of
processors in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia,
to those who have been approved for export into the
Community of processed meat products in accordance
with Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12 December
1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems
upon importation of bovine animals and swine and
fresh meat from third countries (4).

of

licence

an import

Commission

to presentation of

Imports into the Community under the tariff quota are
subject
in
accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 29(1)
of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999. It should be possible
to issue licences following allocations of import rights on
the basis of applications from eligible processors. The
provisions
(EC) No
1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common
detailed rules
the system of
import and export licences and advance fixing certificates
for agricultural products (5) and of Commission Regu-
lation (EC) No 1445/95 of 26 June 1995 on rules of
application for import and export licences in the beef
sector and repealing Regulation (EEC) No
and veal
2377/80 (6) should apply to import
licences issued
under this Regulation.

the application of

Regulation

for

In order to prevent speculation, import licences should
be issued to processors solely for the quantities for which
they have been allocated import rights. Moreover, for the
same reason, security should be lodged together with the
application for import rights. The application for import
licences corresponding to the allocated rights should be a
primary requirement within the meaning of Commission
Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85 of 22 July 1985 laying
down common detailed rules for the application of the
system of securities for agricultural products (7).

(3)

So as to avoid speculation, access to the quota should be
allowed only to active processors carrying out processing
in a processing establishment approved in accordance
with Article 8 of Council Directive 77/99/EEC of 21

(3) OJ L 26, 31.1.1977, p. 85. Directive as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 807/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 36).

(4) OJ L 302, 31.12.1972, p. 28. Directive as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 807/2003.

(5) OJ L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 21. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 636/2004 (OJ L 100, 6.4.2004, p. 9).

lation (EC) No 1782/2003 (OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1. Regulation as

(EC) No 2344/2003 (OJ

last amended by
L 346,

Commission Regulation
31.12.2003, p. 38).

(6) OJ L 143, 27.6.1995, p. 35. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 360/2004 (OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 13).

(7) OJ L 205, 3.8.1985, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 673/2004 (OJ L 105, 14.4.2004, p. 17).

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(6) With a view to using up quota quantities completely, a
closing date should be set for the submission of import
licence applications and provision should be made for a
further allocation of quantities not covered by licence
application submitted by that date. In the light of the
experience obtained, that allocation should be limited to
processors who have converted all their import rights
initially allocated into import licences.

The collagen content shall be considered to be the hydroxy-
proline content multiplied by the factor 8. The hydroxyproline
content shall be determined according to ISO method 3496-
1994.

The lean bovine meat content excluding fat shall be determined
in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Annex to
Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2429/86 (1).

(7)

(8)

the

tariff quota

application of

The
strict
surveillance of imports and effective checks as to their
use and destination. The processing should therefore be
authorised only in the establishment referred to in the
import licence.

requires

feet,

tails, hearts, udders,

Offal includes the following: heads and cuts thereof (including
livers, kidneys, sweetbreads
ears),
(thymus glands and pancreas), brains,
thick
skirts, spleens, tongues, caul, spinal cords, edible skin, repro-
ductive organs (i.e. uteri, ovaries and testes), thyroid glands,
pituitary glands.

throats,

lungs,

A security should be lodged in order to ensure that the
imported meat is used according to the tariff quota speci-
fications. The amount of that security should be fixed
taking into account the difference between the customs
duties applicable within and outside the quota.

The product shall be subjected to a heat treatment sufficient to
ensure the coagulation of meat proteins in the whole of the
product which may not show any traces of a pinkish liquid on
the cut surface when the product is cut along a line passing
through its thickest part.

(9)

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

For the purposes of this Regulation, a B-product shall

2.
mean a processed product containing beef, other than:

a)

the products specified in Article 1(1)(a) of Regulation (EC)
No 1254/1999, or

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

b) the products referred to under paragraph 1.

Article 1

An import tariff quota of 50 700 tonnes, bone-in equivalent of
frozen beef falling within CN code 0202 20 30, 0202 30 10,
0202 30 50, 0202 30 90 or 0206 29 91 and intended for
processing in the Community (hereinafter referred to as ‘the
quota’) is hereby opened for the period from 1 July 2004 to
30 June 2005 subject to the conditions laid down in this Regu-
lation.

a processed product

falling within CN code
However,
0210 20 90 which has been dried or smoked so that
the
colour and consistency of the fresh meat has totally disappeared
and with a water/protein ratio not exceeding 3.2 shall be
considered to be a B-product.

Article 3

The overall quantity referred to in Article 1 shall be

1.
divided into two quantities:

Article 2

1.
For the purposes of this Regulation, an A-product shall
mean a processed product falling within CN code 1602 10,
1602 50 31, 1602 50 39 or 1602 50 80, not containing meat
other than that of animals of
the bovine species, with a
collagen/protein ratio of no more than 0,45 and containing
by weight at least 20 % of lean meat excluding offal and fat
with meat and jelly accounting for at least 85 % of the total net
weight.

a) 40 000 tonnes of frozen beef intended for the manufacture

of A-products;

b) 10 700 tonnes of frozen beef intended for the manufacture

of B-products.

(1) OJ L 210, 1.8.1986, p. 39.

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2.

The quota shall bear the following order numbers:

competent national

is
The
acceptable documentary evidence of compliance with those
conditions.

shall decide what

authority

— 09.4057 for the quantity referred to in paragraph 1(a),

Article 5

— 09.4058 for the quantity referred to in paragraph 1(b).

Each application for import rights for production of A-
expressed in bone-in

shall be

1.
products or B-products
equivalence.

3.
The customs import duties to apply on frozen beef under
the quota are fixed under serial number 13 of Annex 7 to Part
three of Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87.

For the purpose of this paragraph 100 kilograms of bone-in
beef equals 77 kilograms of boneless beef.

Article 4

The application for import rights under the quota may
the following

1.
only be lodged by, or on behalf of, one of
processing establishments:

a) processing establishments approved under Article 8 of
Directive 77/99/EEC and which have been active
in
production of processed products containing beef at least
once since 1 July 2003;

b) processing establishments in the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia
or Slovakia approved under Chapters 4 and 5 of Directive
72/462/EEC to export to the Community and which have
been active in production of processed products containing
beef at least once since 1 July 2003.

For each quantity referred to in Article 3(1) only one appli-
cation for import rights which shall not exceed 10% of each
quantity available may be accepted in respect of each approved
processing establishment.

2.
Each application for import rights for production of either
A-products or B-products shall reach the competent authority
no later than the second Friday following the date of publi-
cation of the present regulation in the Official
Journal of the
European Union by 13.00 Brussels time at the latest.

3. Member States shall forward to the Commission no later
than the fourth Friday following the date of publication in the
Journal of the European Union a list of applicants and
Official
the two categories
quantities applied for under each of
together with the approval numbers of the processing estab-
lishments concerned.

All communications, including nil returns, shall be sent by fax
or e-mail using the forms set out in Annexes I and II.

The Commission shall decide as soon as possible to what
a

4.
extent
percentage of the quantity applied for.

accepted, where necessary

applications

are

as

Article 6

Any import of frozen beef for which import rights have
to

to Article 5(4) shall be subject

1.
been allocated pursuant
presentation of an import licence.

Applications for import rights may be presented only in the
Member State in which the processor is registered for VAT
purposes.

As to the security referred to in Article 4(2) the appli-
2.
cation for import licences corresponding to the allocated import
rights shall be a primary requirement within the meaning of
Article 20(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85.

A security of EUR 6 per 100 kg shall be lodged together

2.
with the application for import rights.

Where in application of Article 5(4) the Commission fixes a
reduction coefficient the security lodged shall be released in
respect of
the import rights applied for which exceed the
allocated import rights.

3.
The evidence of compliance with the conditions laid down
in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 shall be submitted
together with the application for import rights.

3. Within the allocated import rights a processor may apply
for import licences until 18 February 2005 at the latest.

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Import

rights allocated to processors entitle them to
4.
import licences for quantities equivalent to the rights allocated.

Licence applications may be lodged solely:

a)

in the Member State in which the application for import
rights has been lodged;

b) by processors or on behalf of processors to whom import

rights have been allocated.

5.
A security shall be lodged with the competent authority at
the time of import ensuring that the processor having been
allocated import rights processes the entire quantity of meat
imported into the required finished products in his estab-
lishment
specified in the licence application, within three
months of the day of import.

The amounts of the security are fixed in Annex III.

In application of Article 50(1) of Regulation (EC) No
3.
1291/2000, the full Common Customs Tariff duty applicable
on the date of release for free circulation shall be collected in
respect of all quantities imported in excess of those shown on
the import licence.

Article 9

1.
Quantities for which applications for import rights have
not been lodged by the deadline referred to in Article 5(2) and
quantities for which import licence applications have not been
lodged by 18 February 2005 shall be subject to a new allo-
cation of import rights.

To that end, by 25 February 2005 at the latest, Member States
shall forward to the Commission details of the quantities for
which no applications have been received.

2.
The Commission shall decide as soon as possible on the
breakdown of the quantities referred to in paragraph 1 into A-
products and B-products. In doing so, the actual utilisation of
the import rights allocated pursuant to Article 5(4) under each
of the two categories may be taken into account.

Article 7

Regulations (EC) No 1291/2000 and (EC) No 1445/95 shall
apply, except otherwise provided in this Regulation.

The allocation of the remaining quantities shall be limited
3.
to processors who have applied for import licences in respect of
all the import rights granted to them in application of Article 5
(4).

Article 8

Articles 4 to 8 shall apply to the import of the remaining

4.
quantities.

The licence application and the licence shall contain the

1.
following information:

a)

in box 8, the country of origin;

b) in box 16, one of the eligible CN codes referred to in Article

1;

c)

in box 20, at least one of the entries listed in Annex IV.

However,
in this case the date for application referred to in
Article 5(2) shall be 18 March 2005 and the date for commu-
nication referred to in Article 5(3) shall be 25 March 2005.

Article 10

Member States shall set up a system of physical and docu-
mentary checks to ensure that, within three months of the
date of import, all meat is processed in the processing estab-
lishment and into the category of product specified on the
import licence concerned.

2.
Import licences shall be valid for 120 days from the actual
date of issue within the meaning of Article 23(1) of Regulation
(EC) No 1291/2000. However, no licence shall be valid after 30
June 2005.

The system shall include physical checks of quantity and quality
at the start of the processing, during the processing and after
the processing operation is completed. To this end, processors
shall at any time be able to demonstrate the identity and use of
the imported meat through appropriate production records.

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Technical verification of
competent authority may,
allowance for drip losses and trimmings.

the production method by the
to the extent necessary, make

the finished product and
In order to verify the quality of
establish its conformity with the processor’s formula for the
composition of the product, Member States shall take represen-
tative samples and analyse those products. The costs of such
operations shall be borne by the processor concerned.

Article 11

1.
The security referred to in Article 6(5) shall be released in
proportion to the quantity for which, within seven months of
the day of import, proof has been furnished to the satisfaction
of the competent authority that all or part of the imported meat
has been processed into the relevant products within three
months following the day of import in the designated estab-
lishment.

However, if processing took place after the three-month time
limit referred to in the first subparagraph, the security shall be
released minus a 15 % reduction plus 2 % of the remaining
amount
for each day by which the time limit has been
exceeded.

If proof of processing is established within the seven-month
time limit referred to in the first subparagraph and produced
within 18 months following those seven months the amount
forfeited, less 15 % of the security amount, shall be repaid.

2.
The amount not released of the security referred to in
Article 6(5), shall be forfeited and retained as a customs duty.

Article 12

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

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

Done at Brussels, 29 June 2004.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER
Member of the Commission

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— EC Fax: (32 2) 299 85 70
— e-mail: Agri-Bovins-Import@cec.eu.int

ANNEX I

Application of Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1206/2004
A-product — Order No 09.4057

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— EC Fax: (32 2) 299 85 70
— e-mail: Agri-Bovins-Import@cec.eu.int

ANNEX II

Application of Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1206/2004
B-product — Order No 09.4058

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ANNEX III

AMOUNTS OF SECURITY (1)

Product
(CN code)

For manufacture of A products

For manufacture of B products

(in EUR/1 000 kg net)

0202 20 30
0202 30 10

0202 30 50

0202 30 90
0206 29 91

1 414
2 211

2 211

3 041
3 041

420
657

657

903
903

(1) The exchange rate to be applied shall be the exchange rate on the day preceding the lodging of the security.

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ANNEX IV

Entries referred to in Article 8(1)(c)
— in Spanish: Certificado válido en … (Estado miembro expedidor) / carne destinada a la transformación … [productos
A] [productos B] (táchese lo que no proceda) en … (designación exacta y número de registro del establecimiento en el
que vaya a procederse a la transformación) / Reglamento (CE) no 1206/2004

— in Czech: Licence platná v … (vydávající členský stát) / Maso určené ke zpracování … [výrobky A] [výrobky B]
(nehodící se škrtněte) v (přesné určení a číslo schválení zpracovatelského zařízení, v němž se má zpracování usku-
tečnit) / nařízení (ES) č. 1206/2004

— in Danish: Licens gyldig i … (udstedende medlemsstat) / Kød bestemt til forarbejdning til (A-produkter) (B-produkter)
(det ikke gældende overstreges) i … (nøjagtig betegnelse for den virksomhed, hvor forarbejdningen sker) / forordning
(EF) nr. 1206/2004

— in German: In … (ausstellender Mitgliedstaat) gültige Lizenz / Fleisch für die Verarbeitung zu [A-Erzeugnissen] [B-
in dem die Verarbeitung

in … (genaue Bezeichnung des Betriebs,

Erzeugnissen] (Unzutreffendes bitte streichen)
erfolgen soll) / Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1206/2004

— in Estonian: Litsents on kehtiv … (välja andev liikmesriik) / Liha töötlemiseks … [A toode] [B toode] (kustuta

mittevajalik) … (ettevötte asukoht ja loanumber, kus toimub töötlemine / määrus (EÜ) nr. 1206/2004

— in Greek: Η άδεια ισχύει … (κράτος μέλος έκδοσης) / Κρέας που προορίζεται για μεταποίηση … [προϊόντα Α] [προϊόντα Β]
(διαγράφεται η περιττή ένδειξη) … (ακριβής περιγραφή και αριθμός έγκρισης της εγκατάστασης όπου πρόκειται να πραγ-
ματοποιηθεί η μεταποίηση) / Κανονισμός (ΕΚ) αριθ. 1206/2004

— in English: Licence valid in … (issuing Member State) / Meat intended for processing … [A-products] [B-products]
(delete as appropriate) at … (exact designation and approval No of the establishment where the processing is to take
place) / Regulation (EC) No 1206/2004

— in French: Certificat valable … (État membre émetteur) / viande destinée à la transformation de … [produits A]
[produits B] (rayer la mention inutile) dans … (désignation exacte et numéro d’agrément de l’établissement dans lequel
la transformation doit avoir lieu) / règlement (CE) no 1206/2004

— in Italian: Titolo valido in … (Stato membro di rilascio) / Carni destinate alla trasformazione … [prodotti A] [prodotti
B] (depennare la voce inutile) presso … (esatta designazione e numero di riconoscimento dello stabilimento nel quale
è prevista la trasformazione) / Regolamento (CE) n. 1206/2004

— in Latvian: Atļauja derīga … (dalībvalsts, kas izsniedz ievešanas atļauju) / pārstrādei paredzēta gaļa … [A produktu] [B
produktu] ražošanai (nevajadzīgo nosvītrot) … (precīzs tā uzņēmuma apzīmējums un apstiprinājuma numurs, kurā
notiks pārstrāde) / Regula (EK) Nr. 1206/2004

— in Lithuanian: Licencija galioja … (išdavusioji valstybė narė) / Mėsa skirta perdirbimui … [produktai A] [produktai B]
(ištrinti nereikalingą) … (tikslus įmonės, kurioje bus perdirbama, pavadinimas ir registracijos Nr.) / Reglamentas (EB)
Nr. 1206/2004

— in Hungarian: Az engedély … (kibocsátó tagállam) területén érvényes. / Feldolgozásra szánt hús … [A-termék][B-
termék] (a nem kívánt törlendő) … (pontos rendeltetési hely és a feldolgozást végző létesítmény engedélyezési száma)
/ 1206/2004/EK rendelet

— in Dutch: Certificaat geldig in … (lidstaat van afgifte)

/ Vlees bestemd voor verwerking tot [A-producten] [B-
producten] (doorhalen wat niet van toepassing is) in … (nauwkeurige aanduiding en toelatingsnummer van het
bedrijf waar de verwerking zal plaatsvinden) / Verordening (EG) nr. 1206/2004

— in Polish: Pozwolenie ważne w … (wystawiające Państwo Członkowskie) / Mięso przeznaczone do przetworzenia …
[produkty A] [produkty B] (niepotrzebne skreślić) w … (dokładne miejsce przeznaczenia i nr zatwierdzenia zakładu,
w któreym ma mieć miejsce przetwarzanie) / rozporządzenie (WE) nr 1206/2004

— in Portuguese: Certificado válido em … (Estado-Membro emissor) / carne destinada à transformação … [produtos A]
[produtos B] (riscar o que não interessa) em … (designação exacta e número de aprovação do estabelecimento em que
a transformação será efectuada) / Regulamento (CE) n.o 1206/2004

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— in Slovak: Licencia platná v … (vydávajúci členský štát) / Mäso určené na spracovanie … [výrobky A] [výrobky B]
(nehodiace sa prečiarknite) v … (presné určenie a číslo schválenia zariadenia, v ktorom spracovanie prebehne) /
nariadenie (ES) č. 1206/2004

— in Slovenian: Dovoljenje velja v … (država članica, ki ga je izdala) / Meso namenjeno predelavi … [proizvodi A]
[proizvodi B] (črtaj neustrezno) v … (točno namembno območje in št. odobritve obrata, kjer bo predelava potekala) /
Uredba (ES) št. 1206/2004

— in Finnish: Todistus on voimassa … (myöntäjäjäsenvaltio) / Liha on tarkoitettu [A-luokan tuotteet] [B-luokan tuotteet]
(tarpeeton poistettava) jalostukseen …:ssa (tarkka ilmoitus laitoksesta, jossa jalostus suoritetaan, hyväksyntänumero
mukaan lukien) / Asetus (EY) N:o 1206/2004

— in Swedish: Licensen är giltig i … (utfärdande medlemsstat) / Kött avsett för bearbetning … [A-produkter] [B-
produkter] (stryk det som inte gäller) vid … (exakt angivelse av och godkännandenummer för anläggningen där
bearbetningen skall ske) / Förordning (EG) nr 1206/2004