Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2008 of 26 June 2008 temporarily suspending customs duties on imports of certain cereals for the 2008/2009 marketing year
Date: 2008-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: cereals, customs duties, import, marketing, suspension of customs duties, third country

27.6.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 166/19

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 608/2008

of 26 June 2008

temporarily suspending customs duties on imports of certain cereals for the 2008/2009 marketing
year

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

(3)

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of
22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agri-
cultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agri-
cultural products (Single CMO Regulation) (1), and in particular
Article 187 in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,

cereals to the Community market, the measure should be
extended to products falling under CN codes 1008 10 00
and 1008 20 00.

However, it must be possible to lift this suspension of
duties without delay in the event of disruption or
threatened disruption on the Community market,
notably due to imported quantities or if cereals from
the new harvest are available on the Community
market in sufficient quantities to ensure market equi-
librium. To this end, provision should be made for the
Commission to take appropriate steps to reintroduce
customs duties immediately should the market situation
so warrant, and to lay down the criteria whereby this
situation should be considered as such.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

1/2008

Council

(EC) No

Regulation

In order
to the
to promote the supply of cereals
Community market during the 2007/2008 marketing
of
year,
20 December 2007 temporarily suspending customs
duties on imports of certain cereals for the 2007/2008
marketing year (2) suspended those duties until 30 June
2008, whilst providing for the possibility of reintro-
ducing them in the event of disruption or threatened
disruption on the Community market. The market
situation since that measure was adopted and the likely
short-term trends are not expected to result in the duties
being reintroduced, given the price
situation. The
suspension of duties should, on the basis of that text,
therefore continue
the
to apply until
2007/2008 marketing year.

the end of

The outlook for the cereals market for the start of the
next marketing year (2008/2009) would suggest
that
prices will remain high, given the low stock levels and
current estimates from the Commission regarding the
quantities which will actually be available under the
2008 harvest. In order to make it easier to maintain a
flow of imports which will help maintain market equi-
librium, there is a need to ensure continuity in cereal
imports policy by maintaining the temporary suspension
of customs duties on imports during the 2008/2009
to which this measure
marketing year
currently
to apply
equivalent conditions to the supply of certain other

cereals
Furthermore,

in order

applies.

for

(4)

The Management Committee for the Common Organisa-
tion of Agricultural Markets has not delivered an opinion
within the time limit set by its Chairman,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1005 90 00,

1.
The application of customs duties on imports of products
falling under CN codes 1001 90 99, 1001 10, 1002 00 00,
1003 00,
and
1008 20 00 is hereby suspended in respect of the 2008/2009
marketing year, for all imports at the normal rate carried out in
accordance with Article 130 of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007
or within the context of tariff quotas at reduced rate opened in
accordance with Article 144 of that Regulation.

1007 00 90,

1008 10 00

2.
The customs duties may be reintroduced by a Commission
Decision under the procedure provided for in Article 195(2) of
Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 at the levels and under the
conditions provided for in Article 136 of
that Regulation,
notably in one of the following cases:

(a) where,

for one or more of

the products referred to in
Article 1(1) above, the fob price recorded in Community
ports is below 180 % of
the reference price given in
Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007;

(1) OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 510/2008 (OJ L 149, 7.6.2008,
p. 61).

(2) OJ L 1, 4.1.2008, p. 1.

(b) where the quantities available on the Community market are

sufficient to ensure market equilibrium.

L 166/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.6.2008

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

Article 2

It shall apply from 1 July 2008.

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

Done at Brussels, 26 June 2008.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission