Commission Regulation (EC) No 2623/98 of 4 December 1998 amending Regulation (EC) No 1555/96 on rules of application for additional import duties on fruit and vegetables and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1556/96

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2623/98 of 4 December 1998 amending Regulation (EC) No 1555/96 on rules of application for additional import duties on fruit and vegetables and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1556/96
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables (1), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2520/97 (2), and in particular Articles 31(2) and 33(4) thereof,
Whereas Commission Regulation (EC) No 1555/96 (3) provides for imports of the products listed in its Annex to be subject to surveillance; whereas that surveillance is based on the import licences issued under the arrangements introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1556/96 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2306/98 (5); whereas those arrangements were introduced subject to their being replaced by a rapid and computerised procedure for recording imports once the latter could be legally and practically set up; whereas such a procedure has been successfully tested;
Whereas, therefore, the import surveillance scheme laid down in Article 308d of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (6), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1677/98 (7), should be extended to the products listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1555/96; whereas in order for the additional import duties system to operate correctly the information should be notified to the Commission every week; whereas, in addition, provisions should be adopted permitting Member States to obtain the information necessary for surveillance purposes at the time the products in question are put into free circulation under the simplified procedures laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93; whereas as a result of the introduction of the surveillance system Regulation (EC) No 1555/96 should be adjusted and Regulation (EC) No 1556/96 should be repealed with effect from 1 December 1998;
Whereas Article 5(4) of the Agreement on Agriculture (8) lays down criteria for determining the volumes which trigger additional duties; whereas Article 5(6) of that Agreement permits the triggering periods to be set according to the specific characteristics of perishable and seasonal products; whereas, in application of those criteria, the volumes triggering additional duties should be set as indicated in the Annex to this Regulation;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,