Commission Regulation (EC) No 1678/2004 of 24 September 2004 on the suspension of tariff quotas applicable to the importation into the Community of certain processed agricultural products originating in Bulgaria
Date: 2004-09-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, common tariff policy, originating product, suspension of customs duties, tariff quota

L 301/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.9.2004

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1678/2004

of 24 September 2004

on the suspension of tariff quotas applicable to the importation into the Community of certain
processed agricultural products originating in Bulgaria

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3448/93 of 6
December 1993 laying down the trade arrangements applicable
to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural
products (1), and in particular Article 7(2) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 1999/278/EC of 9 March
1999 relating to the conclusion of a Protocol adjusting trade
aspects of
the Europe Agreement between the European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and
the Republic of Bulgaria, of
to take into
account the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic
of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union
and the outcome of the agricultural negotiations of the Uruguay
including improvements to the existing preferential
Round,
arrangements (2), and in particular Article 2 thereof,

the other part,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

and Bulgaria,

Protocol 3 to the Europe Agreement between the
approved by
European Communities
the Council
Decision 94/908/EC, ECSC, Euratom of
and the Commission of 19 December 1994 on the
conclusion of
the Europe Agreement establishing an
association between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic
of Bulgaria, of the other part (3),
lays down the trade
arrangements
the processed agricultural products
for
which are listed therein.

Protocol 3 was amended by the Protocol adjusting trade
aspects of the Europe Agreement between the European
Communities and Bulgaria (4), approved by Decision
1999/278/EC and amended by Decision No 2/2002 of
the EU-Bulgaria Association Council. (5).

The annual quotas provided for in Annex I to Protocol 3
have been adopted by Commission Regulation (EC) No
1446/2002 of 8 August 2002 on the suspension and
opening of tariff quotas applicable to the importation
into the Community of certain processed agricultural
products originating in Bulgaria and amending Regu-

lation (EC) No 1477/2000 (6). Article 2 to that Regu-
lation provides
those tariff quotas are to be
opened annually from 1 January to 31 December.

that

economic

New trade arrangements have recently been negotiated
which aim to improve
in
to the
preparation for
European Union. Concessions have been agreed in the
form of complete or progressive liberalisation of trade for
certain processed agricultural products and duty free
quotas for others.

accession of Bulgaria

convergence

the

The concessions granted by the Community entered into
force in the form of autonomous measures and transitory
measures on 1 October 2004 pursuant to Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 1676/2004 of 24 September 2004
adopting
transitional measures
and
concerning the importation of certain processed agri-
cultural products originating in Bulgaria and the expor-
tation of certain processed agricultural products
to
Bulgaria (7).

autonomous

It is therefore necessary to suspend the application of the
tariff quotas, opened for the year 2004 for imports into
the Community of products originating in Bulgaria by
Regulation (EC) No 1446/2002.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for horizontal questions concerning trade in
processed agricultural products not listed in Annex I,

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The application of
for goods originating in
Bulgaria, opened by Regulation (EC) No 1446/2002, shall be
suspended with effect from 1 October 2004.

tariff quotas

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following
the European
that of
Union.

its publication in the Official

Journal of

(1) OJ L 318, 20.12.1993, p. 18. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2580/2000 (OJ L 298, 25.11.2000, p. 5).

(2) OJ L 112, 29.4.1999, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 358, 31.12.1994, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 112, 29.4.1999, p. 3.
(5) OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 21.

It shall apply from 1 October 2004.

(6) OJ L 213, 9.8.2002, p. 3.
(7) See page 1 of this Official Journal.

28.9.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 301/39

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

Done at Brussels, 24 September 2004.

For the Commission

Olli REHN
Member of the Commission