Commission Regulation (EC) No 1401/2002 of 31 July 2002 laying down detailed rules for the opening and administration of the tariff quotas for rice, originating in the least developed countries, for the marketing years 2002/03 to 2008/09

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1401/2002
of 31 July 2002
laying down detailed rules for the opening and administration of the tariff quotas for rice, originating in the least developed countries, for the marketing years 2002/03 to 2008/09
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 of 10 December 2001 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004(1), and in particular Article 9(6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 9(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 lays down that, until Common Customs Tariff duties are entirely suspended as from 1 September 2009, a global tariff quota at zero duty is to be opened for every marketing year for products of CN code 1006, originating in a country that according to Annex I of that Regulation, benefits from the special arrangements for least developed countries. The tariff quota for the marketing year 2002/03 is to be equal to 2895 tonnes, husked rice equivalent, for products of CN code 1006. For each of the following marketing years, the quotas shall be increased by 15 % over the quotas of the previous marketing year.
(2) Those provisions have to be implemented within the framework of the common trading system established by Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 of 22 December 1995 on the common organisation of the market in rice(2), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 411/2002(3).
(3) The detailed rules governing the opening and administration of the quota should be valid for the seven marketing years.
(4) The quantities of rice benefiting from the global tariff quota should be imported under the fairest possible conditions of competition and in order to avoid disturbances on the Community market.
(5) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2305/2001 of 27 November 2001 on opening a tariff quota for rice, originating in the least developed countries, for the marketing year 2001/02(4), was valid for only one marketing year. Its fourth recital specifies that at the end of that period, and in the light of the experience gained in the first year, rules for a longer period may subsequently be established.
(6) The provisions concerning the proof of origin set out in Articles 67 to 97 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code(5), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 444/2002(6), establish the definition of the concept of originating products to be used for the purposes of generalised tariff preferences.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Generalised Preferences Committee,