Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95 of 22 December 1995 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreements to take account of the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade Negotiations

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 3066/95
of 22  December 1995
establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain  agricultural products and providing for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure,  of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreements to take account of the  Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade Negotiations
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113  thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas the Europe Agreements between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one  part, and the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic,  Romania and the Republic of Bulgaria, respectively, of the other part (1), provide for concessions  for certain agricultural products originating in those countries; whereas those concessions involve  reductions in the variable levies under tariff quotas and reductions in customs duties;
Whereas, pursuant to the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral  Trade Negotiations (2), the Community undertook to turn all variable agricultural levies and other  non-tariff barriers into their tariff equivalent and to replace them by fixed customs duties from 1  July 1995;
Whereas the replacement of variable levels and other barriers by customs duties affects the  concessions granted pursuant to the aforementioned Europe Agreements and could reduce the  possibilities for preferential access to the Community market granted to the associated countries  of Central Europe;
Whereas, as a result of the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in accordance with  Articles 76, 102 and 128 of the Act of Accession, those concessions should be adjusted to take into  account also, in particular, the arrangements for trade in agricultural products which existed  between Austria, Finland and Sweden, of the one part, and Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech  Republic, Romania and Bulgaria, of the other part;
Whereas, to that end, transitional autonomous measures are provided for in Regulations (EC) Nos  3379/94 (3), 1767/95 (4) and 2179/95 (5); whereas these measures apply until 31 December 1995;
Whereas, in accordance with the Directives concerning agricultural products adopted by the Council  on 6 March 1995, negotiations are currently under way with the countries concerned for the  conclusion of Additional Protocols to the Europe Agreements; whereas 'interim' Additional Protocols  will cover solely the trade-related aspects of the Additional Protocols; whereas, because of the  excessively tight deadlines, however, the interim Additional Protocols cannot enter into force on 1  January 1996;
Whereas it is therefore advisable to provide for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional  measure, of the agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreements; whereas the  adjustment should apply from 1 January 1996,