Commission Regulation (EC) No 1067/2008 of 30 October 2008 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for common wheat of a quality other than high quality from third countries and derogating from Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 (Codified version)

31.10.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 290/3
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1067/2008
of 30 October 2008
opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for common wheat of a quality other than high quality from third countries and derogating from Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007
(Codified version)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) (1), and in particular Article 144(1), in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2006/333/EC of 20 March 2006 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the United States of America pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of their accession to the European Union (2), and in particular Article 2 thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2007/444/EC of 22 February 2007 on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada on the conclusion of GATT Article XXIV:6 Negotiations (3), and in particular Article 2 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 of 27 December 2002 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for common wheat of a quality other than high quality from third countries and derogating from Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 (4) has been substantially amended several times (5). In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Regulation should be codified.
(2) Following trade negotiations, the Community has changed the conditions for the import of common wheat of low and medium quality, that is common wheat of a quality other than high quality, as defined in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1249/96 of 28 June 1996 on rules of application (cereal sector import duties) for Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 (6), by creating an import quota.
(3) This import quota relates to a maximum annual quantity of 2 989 240 tonnes, including 572 000 tonnes for imports originating in the United States and 38 853 tonnes for imports originating in Canada.
(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 of 31 August 2006 laying down common rules for the administration of import tariff quotas for agricultural products managed by a system of import licences (7) applies to import licences for tariff quota periods starting from 1 January 2007.
(5) Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 applies without prejudice to additional conditions or derogations which might be laid down by this Regulation.
(6) To ensure that imports of the common wheat covered by these tariff quotas are orderly and not speculative, they should be made subject to the issue of import licences.
(7) To ensure the proper management of these quotas, deadlines for the lodging of licence applications should be laid down and the information to be included in applications and licences should be specified.
(8) To take account of supply conditions, a derogation should be made concerning the period of validity of the licences.
(9) To ensure sound management of the quotas, the security on the import licences should be set at a relatively high level, notwithstanding Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1342/2003 of 28 July 2003 laying down special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences for cereals and rice (8).
(10) Rapid two-way communication should be established between the Commission and the Member States regarding the quantities applied for and imported.
(11) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,