Council Regulation (EC) No 2287/2002 of 16 December 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products

Council Regulation (EC) No 2287/2002
of 16 December 2002
amending Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 26 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) On 20 December 1996 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2505/96(1) opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products. Community demand for the products in question should be met under the most favourable conditions. New Community tariff quotas should therefore be opened at reduced or zero rates of duty for appropriate volumes, and extended in the case of certain existing tariff quotas, while avoiding any disturbance to the markets for these products.
(2) It is no longer in the Community's interest to maintain a Community tariff quota on some of the products and those products should therefore be removed from the table in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96.
(3) In view of the large number of amendments coming into effect on 1 January 2003 and in order to clarify matters for the user, the table in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 should be replaced by the table in Annex I to this Regulation.
(4) The quota amount for certain autonomous Community tariff quotas is insufficient to meet the needs of the Community industry for the current quota period. Consequently, these quota amounts should be increased with effect from 1 January 2002 or 1 July 2002 depending on the starting date of these quotas and therefore the immediate entry into force of this Regulation should be envisaged.
(5) Tariff quotas for certain iron and steel products which have been covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community are subject, from the expiry date of that Treaty, to the Treaty establishing the European Community. A separate Annex, comprising these quotas, has consequently to be added to Regulation (EC) No 2505/96.
(6) Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 should therefore be amended,