Commission Regulation (EC) No 1456/2007 of 10 December 2007 amending Regulations (EC) No 2058/96, (EC) No 2375/2002, (EC) No 2377/2002, (EC) No 2305/2003, (EC) No 955/2005, (EC) No 969/2006 and (EC) No 1964/2006 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas for imports of rice and cereals
Date: 2007-12-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: cereals, data transmission, import, import licence, rice, tariff quota

L 325/76

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

11.12.2007

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1456/2007

of 10 December 2007

amending Regulations
No 2305/2003,

(EC) No 955/2005,

(EC) No 2058/96,

(EC)
(EC) No 969/2006 and (EC) No 1964/2006 opening and

(EC) No 2377/2002,

(EC) No 2375/2002,

providing for the administration of tariff quotas for imports of rice and cereals

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3491/90 of 26
November
in
Bangladesh (1), and in particular Article 3 thereof,

originating

imports

1990

rice

on

of

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1095/96 of 18
June 1996 on the implementation of the concessions set out in
Schedule CXL drawn up in the wake of the conclusion of the
GATT XXIV.6 negotiations (2), and in particular Article 1
thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29
September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in
cereals (3), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 of 29
September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in
rice (4), and in particular Articles 10(2) and 13(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

for

and

providing

(EC) No 2058/96 of 28
Commission Regulations
October
the
opening
1996
management of a tariff quota for broken rice of CN
code 1006 40 00 for production of food preparations
of CN code 1901 10 (5),
(EC) No 2375/2002 of 27
December 2002 opening and providing for the adminis-
tration of Community tariff quotas for common wheat of
a quality other than high quality from third countries and
(EEC) No
from Council
derogating
1766/92 (6),
(EC) No 2377/2002 of 27 December
2002 opening and providing for the administration of
a Community tariff quota for malting barley from third
countries and derogating from Council Regulation (EC)

Regulation

for

quota

imports

of maize

No 1766/92 (7), (EC) No 2305/2003 of 29 December
2003 opening and providing for the administration of
a Community tariff quota for imports of barley from
third countries (8), (EC) No 955/2005 of 23 June 2005
opening a Community import quota for rice originating
in Egypt (9), (EC) No 969/2006 of 29 June 2006 opening
and providing for the administration of a Community
tariff
from third
countries (10) and (EC) No 1964/2006 of 22 December
2006 laying down detailed rules for the opening and
administration of an import quota for rice originating
to Council Regulation (EEC)
in Bangladesh, pursuant
No 3491/90 (11) provide for different measures
for
certain matters
the
relating to the management of
quotas concerned.
In order to rationalise and simplify
the procedures for operators in the rice and cereals
sectors, as well as to improve the management of these
quotas by the Member States and the Commission, these
Regulations should be amended.

(2)

(3)

(4)

To this end, common, harmonised rules should be laid
down for all these quotas with regard to the deadline for
submitting import licence applications, stating that this
deadline must always be Friday at 13:00, as well as
detailed rules concerning the communication of infor-
mation by Member States to the Commission.

As regards quotas in the rice sector, the possibility should
be provided,
in a harmonised way, for an operator to
give up quantities below 20 tonnes when this has been
allocated to him following application of an allocation
coefficient.

Regarding Regulation (EC) No 955/2005 in particular, it
should be specified that
the rules applicable to the
transport document and the proof of preferential origin
on release for free circulation of the product are set out
in Protocol IV to Council Decision 2004/635/EC of 21
April 2004 on the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean
Association Agreement between the European Commu-
nities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part (12).

(1) OJ L 337, 4.12.1990, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 146, 20.6.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 78. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 735/2007 (OJ L 169, 29.6.2007, p. 6).

(7) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 95. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2022/2006 (OJ L 384, 29.12.2006, p. 70).

(8) OJ L 342, 30.12.2003, p. 7. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2022/2006.

(4) OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 96. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

(9) OJ L 164, 24.6.2005, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 797/2006 (OJ L 144, 31.5.2006, p. 1).

lation (EC) No 2019/2006.

(5) OJ L 276, 29.10.1996, p. 7. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

(10) OJ L 176, 30.6.2006, p. 44. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2019/2006 (OJ L 384, 29.12.2006, p. 48).

(6) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 88. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 932/2007 (OJ L 204, 4.8.2007, p. 3).

lation (EC) No 2022/2006.
(11) OJ L 408, 30.12.2006, p. 19.
(12) OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, p. 38.

11.12.2007

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 325/77

(5)

(6)

Regulations (EC) No 2058/96, (EC) No 2375/2002, (EC)
No 2377/2002, (EC) No 2305/2003, (EC) No 955/2005,
(EC) No 969/2006 and (EC) No 1964/2006 should
therefore be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2058/96 is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 2(1) is replaced by the following:

Applications

‘1.
import
quantity of at least 5 tonnes and at most 500 tonnes.

licences

shall

for

relate to a

Each licence
kilograms (whole numbers).

application shall

indicate

a quantity in

Applications for import licences shall be lodged with the
competent authorities of the Member States no later than
13:00 (Brussels time) every Friday.’

2. Article 3 is replaced by the following:

3. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 4

The Member States shall send the Commission, by electronic
means:

(a) on the Monday following the

final day for

the
submission of licence applications, no later than 18:00
(Brussels time), the information on the import licence
applications as referred to in Article 11(1)(a) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1301/2006, with the total quantities
covered by those applications;

(b) no later than the second working day following the issue
of the import licences, the information on the licences
issued as referred to in Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation
(EC) No 1301/2006, with the total quantities
for
which import licences have been issued and the quan-
tities for which licence applications have been withdrawn
in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 3(1)
of this Regulation;

(c) no later than the last day of each month, the total quan-
tities actually released for free circulation under this
quota during the previous month but one. If no quan-
tities have been released for free circulation during one
these months, a “nil” notification shall be sent.
of
However, this notification shall no longer be required
in the third month following the final day of validity
of the licences.’

‘Article 3

Article 2

the

quota,

quantity

available under

1. Where the quantities applied for in a given week
exceed the
the
Commission shall fix the allocation coefficient for the quan-
tities applied for during that week, pursuant to Article 7(2)
of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, no later than the fourth
working day following the last day for the submission of
applications for that week, as referred to in the third sub-
paragraph of Article 2(1) of
this Regulation, and shall
suspend the submission of new licence applications until
the end of the quota period.

Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 is hereby amended
as follows:

(a) paragraph 1 is amended as follows:

(i) in the second subparagraph,

‘Friday’;

‘Monday’

is replaced by

Applications submitted in respect of the current week shall
be considered inadmissible.

(ii) the third subparagraph is deleted;

Member States shall allow operators to withdraw, within two
working days following the date of publication of the Regu-
lation fixing the allocation coefficient, applications for which
the quantity for which the licence is to be issued is less than
20 tonnes.

The import

2.
licence shall be issued on the eighth
working day following the final day for the submission of
applications.’

(b) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

the

‘3.
No later than 18:00 (Brussels time) on the Monday
following the week in which the licence application was
lodged,
the
Commission, by electronic means, a notification showing,
by serial number, each application with the origin of the
product and the quantity applied for, including “nil” notifi-
cations.’;

competent

authorities

send

shall

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(c) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4.
Licences shall be issued on the fourth working day
following the deadline for the notification referred to in
paragraph 3.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission, by
electronic means, on the day of issue of the import licences,
the information on the licences issued as referred to in
Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, with
the total quantities for which import licences have been
issued.’

Article 3

Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 2377/2002 is hereby amended
as follows:

(a)

in the second subparagraph of paragraph 1,
replaced by ‘Friday’;

‘Monday’

is

(b) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3.
No later than 18:00 (Brussels time) on the Monday
following submission of
the
the
competent authorities shall send the Commission, by elec-
tronic means, a notification showing each application with
the quantity applied for, including “nil” notifications.;’

application,

licence

(c) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4.
Licences shall be issued on the fourth working day
following the deadline for the notification referred to in
paragraph 3.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission, by
electronic means, on the day of issue of the import licences,
the information on the licences issued as referred to in
Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, with
the total quantities for which import licences have been
issued.’

‘3.
No later than 18:00 (Brussels time) on the Monday
following the week in which the licence application was
lodged,
the
Commission, by electronic means, a notification showing
including
each application with the quantity applied for,
“nil” notifications.’;

competent

authorities

send

shall

the

(c) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4.
Licences shall be issued on the fourth working day
following the deadline for the notification referred to in
paragraph 3.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission, by
electronic means, on the day of issue of the import licences,
the information on the licences issued as referred to in
Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, with
the total quantities for which import licences have been
issued.’

Article 5

Regulation (EC) No 955/2005 is hereby amended as follows:

1. In Article 2(1) the following second subparagraph is added:

‘Each licence
kilograms (whole numbers).’

application shall

indicate

a quantity in

2. Article 3(4) is replaced by the following:

Release for

free circulation as part of

‘4.
the quotas
referred to in Article 1 of this Regulation shall be subject
to the presentation of a transport document and proof of
issued in Egypt and relating to the
preferential origin,
consignments in question,
in accordance with Protocol 4
of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.’

3. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

Article 4

‘Article 4

Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2305/2003 is hereby amended
as follows:

(a) paragraph 1 is amended as follows:

(i) in the second subparagraph,

‘Friday’;

‘Monday’

is replaced by

(ii) the third subparagraph is deleted;

(b) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

1.
Import licence applications shall be lodged with the
competent authorities of the Member States no later than
each Friday at 13:00 (Brussels time).

the

quota,

quantity

available under

2. Where the quantities applied for in a given week
exceed the
the
Commission shall fix the allocation coefficient for the quan-
tities applied for during that week, pursuant to Article 7(2)
of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, no later than the fourth
working day following the last day for the submission of
applications for that week, as referred to in paragraph 1 of
this Article, and suspend the submission of new licence
applications until the end of the quota period.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Applications submitted in respect of the current week shall
be considered inadmissible.

(i) in the second subparagraph,

‘Friday’;

‘Monday’

is replaced by

Member States shall allow operators to withdraw, within two
working days following the date of publication of the Regu-
lation fixing the allocation coefficient, applications for which
the quantity for which the licence is to be issued is less than
20 tonnes.

(ii) the third subparagraph is deleted;

(b) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

The import

3.
licence shall be issued on the eighth
working day following the final day for the lodging of
licence applications.

‘3.
No later than 18:00 (Brussels time) on the Monday
following the week in which the licence application was
lodged,
the
Commission, by electronic means, a notification showing
each application, with the origin of the product and the
quantity applied for, including “nil” notifications.’;

competent

authorities

send

shall

the

Notwithstanding Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No
1342/2003, import licences shall be valid until the end of
the month following that in which they were issued.’

(c) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

4. Article 5 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 5

The Member States shall send the Commission, by electronic
means:

(a) on the Monday following the week in which the licence
application was submitted, no later than 18:00 (Brussels
time), the information on the import licence applications
as referred to in Article 11(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No
1301/2006, with a breakdown by eight-digit CN code of
the total quantities covered by those applications;

(b) no later than the second working day following the issue
of the import licences, the information on the licences
issued as referred to in Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation
(EC) No 1301/2006, with a breakdown by eight-digit
CN code of
for which import
licences have been issued and the quantities for which
licence applications have been withdrawn in accordance
with the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) of this Regu-
lation;

the total quantities

(c) no later than the last day of each month, the total quan-
tities actually released for free circulation under this
quota during the previous month but one, broken
down by eight-digit CN code.
If no quantities have
been released for free circulation during one of these
months, a “nil” notification shall be sent. However, this
notification shall no longer be required in the third
month following the final day of validity of the licences.’

Article 6

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 969/2006 is hereby amended as
follows:

(a) paragraph 1 is amended as follows:

‘4.
Licences shall be issued on the fourth working day
following the deadline for the notification referred to in
paragraph 3.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission, by
electronic means, on the day of issue of the import licences,
the information on the licences issued as referred to in
Article 11(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, with
the total quantities for which import licences have been
issued.’

Article 7

Regulation (EC) No 1964/2006 is hereby amended as follows:

(a) Article 4(3) is replaced by the following:

‘3.
Import licence applications shall be lodged with the
competent authorities of the Member States no later than
each Friday at 13:00 (Brussels time).

Each licence
kilograms (whole numbers).’;

application shall

indicate

a quantity in

(b) Article 5 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 5

the quota,

available under

1. Where the quantities applied for in a given week
exceed the quantity
the
Commission shall fix the allocation coefficient for the quan-
tities applied for during that week, pursuant to Article 7(2)
of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, no later than the fourth
working day following the last day for the submission of
applications for that week, as referred to in the first sub-
paragraph of Article 4(3) of
this Regulation, and shall
suspend the submission of new licence applications until
the end of the quota period.

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Applications submitted in respect of the current week shall
be considered inadmissible.

CN code of
covered by those applications;

the total quantities (in product weight)

Member States shall allow operators to withdraw, within
two working days following the date of publication of the
Regulation fixing the allocation coefficient, applications for
which the quantity for which the licence is to be issued is
less than 20 tonnes, whereas the licence application was for
a greater quantity.

The import

2.
licence shall be issued on the eighth
working day following the final day for the submission of
applications.

3.
The import licence, issued for a quantity not exceeding
that entered on the certificate of origin referred to in Article
2, shall oblige the importer to import from Bangladesh.’

(c) Article 7 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 7

The Member States shall send the Commission, by elec-
tronic means:

(a) on the Monday following the week in which the licence
application was submitted, no later than 18:00 (Brussels
licence appli-
time),
cations as referred to in Article 11(1)(a) of Regulation
(EC) No 1301/2006, with a breakdown by eight-digit

the information on the import

(b) no later than the second working day following the
issue of the import licences, the information on the
licences issued as referred to in Article 11(1)(b) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1301/2006, with a breakdown by eight-
digit CN code of the total quantities (in product weight)
for which import licences have been issued and the
quantities for which licence applications have been
withdrawn in accordance with the third subparagraph
of Article 5(1) of this Regulation;

(c) no later than the last day of each month, the total
quantities (in product weight) actually released for free
circulation under this quota during the previous month
but one, broken down by eight-digit CN code. If no
quantities have been released for
circulation
during one of these months, a “nil” notification shall
be sent. However, this notification shall no longer be
required in the third month following the final day of
validity of the licences.’

free

Article 8

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

its publication in the Official

Journal of

It shall apply from 1 January 2008.

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

Done at Brussels, 10 December 2007.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission