Council Regulation (EEC) No 1909/91 of 28 June 1991 opening and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota for rum, tafia and arrack originating in the overseas countries and territories (OCT) associated with the European Economic Community (1990/91)

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 1909/91  of 28 June 1991  opening and providing for the administration of a Communiy tariff quota for rum, tafia and arrack originating in the overseas countries and territories (OCT) associated with the European  Economic Community (1990/91)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Decision 86/283/EEC of 30 June 1986 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Economic Community (1), as extended by Decision 91/312/EEC (2) and in particular Articles 3 and 4 of Annex V  thereto,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas Annex V to Decision 86/283/EEC provides that rum, tafia and arrack shall be imported into the Community free of customs duties within the limits of a Community tariff quota;
Whereas the Community has established by Decision 86/47/EEC (3), as last extended by Decision 90/669/EEC (4), arrangements for trade between the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic on the one hand and the overseas countries and territories  (OCT) on the other; whereas this Decision lays down provisions concerning the quota duties to be applied by those two Member States on imports of products originating in the OCT;
Whereas the annual size of the quota is to be fixed on the basis of a basic annual quantity, calculated in hectolitres of pure alcohol, equal to the amount of imports during the best of the past three years for which statistics are available and to  which quantity a growth rate equal to 27 % is applied; whereas the quota period ranges from 1 July to 30 June;
Whereas Community statistics for these products and the trend for the years 1988 to 1990 show that the highest volume of imports into the Community of the products in question originating in the OCT, namely 1 126,49 hectolitres of pure alcohol, occurred  in 1989, whereas, on that basis, the quota volume should therefore be fixed at 1 430,64 hectolitres of pure alochol;
Whereas by application of the provisions of Article 3 (3) of Annex V to Decision 86/283/EEC the quota volume in question should however be increased to 15 000 hectolitres of pure alcohol;
Whereas it is in particular necessary to ensure for all Community importers equal and uninterrupted access to the abovementioned quota and uninterrupted application of the rates laid down for that quota to all imports of the products concerned into all  Members States until the quota has been used up; whereas it is appropriate to take the necessary measures to ensure effective Community administration of this tariff quota while offering the Member States the opportunity to draw from the quota volume  the necessary quantities corresponding to actual imports; whereas this method of administration requires close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission;
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 operation concerning the administration of the quota may be carried  out by any one of its members,