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

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
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in cereals(1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1666/2000(2), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof,
Having regard to the Council Decision of 19 December 2002 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the United States of America, with a view to the modification of concessions with respect to cereals provided for in schedule CXL annexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)(3), and in particular Article 2 thereof,
Having regard to the Council Decision of 19 December 2002 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Canada pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), with a view to the modification of concessions with respect to cereals provided for in EC schedule CXL annexed to the GATT(4), and in particular Article 2 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) 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(5) on rules of application (cereal sector import duties) for Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1900/2002(6), by creating an import quota from 1 January 2003.
(2) This import quota relates to a maximum annual quantity of 2981600 tonnes, including 572000 tonnes for imports originating in the United States and 38000 tonnes for imports originating in Canada.
(3) The opening of this quota means that Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 has to be adapted. In order to enable the quota to be opened on 1 January 2003, provision should be made to derogate from Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 during a transitional period expiring on the date of entry into force of the amendment to that Regulation, but until 30 June 2003 at the latest.
(4) 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. The licences are to be issued, within the quantities set, at the request of the interested parties, subject where appropriate to the fixing of a reduction coefficient in respect of the quantities applied for.
(5) 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.
(6) To take account of supply conditions, a derogation should be made concerning the period of validity of the licences.
(7) With a view to the sound management of the quotas, provision should be made to derogate from Commission Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance fixing certificates for agricultural products(7), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2299/2001(8), as regards the transferable nature of the licences and the tolerance relating to the quantities released into free circulation.
(8) To ensure sound management of the quotas, the security on the import licences should be set at a relatively high level, notwithstanding Article 10 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1162/95 of 23 May 1995 laying down special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences for cereals and rice(9), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1322/2002(10).
(9) Rapid two-way communication should be established between the Commission and the Member States regarding the quantities applied for and imported.
(10) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Cereals,