Council Regulation (EEC) No 1721/87 of 16 June 1987 opening, allocating and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for deep-frozen fillets and minced blocks of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) and certain species of hake falling within subheadings ex 03.01 B I n) 2, ex 03.01 B II b) 17, ex 03.01 B I t) 2 and ex 03.01 B II b) 9 of the Common Customs Tariff

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 1721/87
of 16 June 1987
opening, allocating and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for deep-frozen fillets and minced blocks of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) and certain species of hake falling within subheadings ex 03.01 B I n) 2, ex 03.01 B II b) 17, ex 03.01 B I t) 2 and ex 03.01 B II b) 9 of the Common Customs Tariff
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 28 thereof,
Having regard to the draft Regulation presented by the Commission,
Whereas Community supplies of deep-frozen fillets and minced blocks of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) and of certain species of hake currently depend on imports from third countries; whereas it is in the Community's interest to suspend partially the Common Customs Tariff duty for the products in question, within Community tariff quotas of an appropriate volume; whereas, in order not to jeopardize the development prospects of this production in the Community and to ensure an adequate supply to satisfy user industries, it is advisable to open these quotas for the period until 31 December 1987, at a duty rate of 8 %, and to fix the volume thereof at 15 000 and 20 000 tonnes, respectively;
Whereas, in particular, equal and continuous access to the quotas should be ensured for all Community importers and the rate of duty for the tariff quotas should be applied consistently to all imports until the quotas are exhausted; whereas, in the light of these principles, arrangements for the utilization of the tariff quotas based on an allocation among Member States would seem to be consistent with the Community nature of the quotas; whereas, to correspond as closely as possible to the actual trend in the market in the products in question, allocation of the quotas should be in proportion to the requirements of the Member States as calculated by reference to statistics of imports from third countries during a representative reference period and to the economic outlook for the quota period in question;
Whereas, in the case in point, there are no statistical data broken down by quality of products in question; whereas the quotas are autonomous Community tariff quotas intended to cover import needs arising in the Community, and so the quota volumes may be allocated on the basis of the temporary requirements as regards imports from third countries expressed by each of the Member States; whereas these arrangements for allocation will also ensure the uniform application of the Common Customs Tariff;
Whereas, to take account of possible import trends for the products concerned, the quota volumes should be divided into two instalments, the first being allocated among certain Member States and the second held as a reserve to meet subsequent requirements of Member States which have used up their initial shares and any additional requirements which might arise in the other Member States; whereas, to give importers of the Member States some degree of certainty, the first instalment of the Community tariff quotas should be set at a relatively high level, which in this case could be 80 % of the quota volumes;
Whereas initial shares may be used up at different rates; whereas, to avoid disruption of supplies on this account, it should be provided that any Member State which has almost used up one of its initial shares should draw an additional share from the corresponding reserve; whereas, each time its additional share is almost used up, a Member State should draw a further share, and so on as many times as the reserve allows; whereas the initial and additional shares must be valid until the end of the quota period; whereas this form of administration requires close collaboration between the Member States and the Commission, and the latter must be in a position to keep account of the extent to which the quotas have been used up and to inform the Member States accordingly;
Whereas, since the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are united within and jointly represented by the Benelux Economic Union, any measure concerning the administration of the shares allocated to that economic union may be carried out by any one of its members,