Council Regulation (EC) No 764/96 of 22 April 1996 amending Regulation (EC) No 1808/95 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas bound in GATT for certain agricultural, industrial and fisheries products and establishing the detailed provisions for adapting these quotas

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 764/96 of 22 April 1996 amending Regulation (EC) No 1808/95 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas bound in GATT for certain agricultural, industrial and fisheries products and establishing the detailed provisions for adapting these quotas
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 in Regulation (EC) No 1808/95 (1), the Community decided to open, each year, within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and subject to certain conditions, annual Community tariff quotas at reduced or zero duty for a certain number of agricultural, industrial and fisheries products;
Whereas, in accordance with the offer it made within the United National Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in the light of the special nature of the trade in jute and coconut-fibre products, the Community introduced tariff preferences in 1971 for such products from certain developing countries; whereas these preferences took the form of a gradual reduction in Common Customs Tariff duties, without quantitative limits, culminating in the complete suspension of these duties in 1978;
Whereas the new scheme of generalized preferences applicable since 1 January 1995 provides for the graduation of duties; whereas this change threatens the continuation and development of traditional trade flows between the countries supplying the products in question and the Community; whereas the Community should therefore open autonomous zero-duty quotas for determined quantities of products manufactured from jute and coconut fibres for the period from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1998; whereas, in view of the fact that, for the year in course, this Regulation will apply only from 1 July, provision should be made for quotas to be opened from that date to 31 December 1995 for the entire annual quota volume;
Whereas, in the framework of the negotiations of the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union, it was agreed, in order to maintain traditional trade flows of those countries, to increase by 5 % the quotas for the products appearing in Annex IV, parts A and B, to Regulation (EC) No 1808/95;
Whereas that Regulation should therefore be amended,