Commission Regulation (EC) No 697/2000 of 31 March 2000 concerning the increase and opening of tariff quotas applicable to the importation into the European Community of certain processed agricultural products originating in Switzerland

Commission Regulation (EC) No 697/2000
of 31 March 2000
concerning the increase and opening of tariff quotas applicable to the importation into the European Community of certain processed agricultural products originating in Switzerland
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3448/93 of 6 December 1993 laying down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products(1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2491/98(2), and in particular Article 7(2) thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2000/239/EC of 13 March 2000 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other part, on Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation(3), and in particular Article 2 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The annual quotas provided for in section III(1) and (3) of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other part, on Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation, should be opened for the year 2000. In view of the fact that the annual quota for soft drinks can only be opened as from 1 April 2000, it should be reduced on a pro rata basis for the period elapsed.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 215/2000 of 24 January 2000 renewing for 2000 the measures laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1416/95 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas in 1995 for certain processed agricultural products(4), has already independently opened part of the quotas provided for in the Agreement. These quotas should therefore be increased in accordance with the Agreement concluded with Switzerland.
(3) 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(5), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1662/1999(6), codified the provisions for the management of the tariff quotas to be used in the chronological order of the dates of acceptance of the declarations for release for free circulation.
(4) The measures laid down in this Regulation comply with the opinion of the Management Committee on horizontal questions concerning trade in processed agricultural products not listed in Annex I,