Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2698/93 of 30 September 1993 laying down detailed rules for the application in the pigmeat sector of the arrangements provided for in the Interim Agreements between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Hungary and the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 2698/93 of 30 September 1993 laying down detailed rules for the application in the pigmeat sector of the arrangements provided for in the Interim Agreements between the European Economic Community and the Republic of  Poland, the Republic of Hungary and the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 518/92 of 27 February 1992 on certain rules for applying the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community of the one  part, and the Republic of Poland of the other part (1), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2233/93 (2), and in particular Article 1 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 519/92 of 27 February 1992 on certain rules for applying the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community of the one  part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part (3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2234/93 (4), and in particular Article 1 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 520/92 of 27 February 1992 on certain rules for applying the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community of the one  part, and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, of the other part (5), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2235/93 (6), and in particular Article 1 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in pigmeat (7), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1249/89 (8), and in particular Article 22 thereof,
Whereas the Association Agreements between the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community of the one part, and the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Hungary and the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic of the other part,  were signed on 16 December 1991; whereas, pending the entry into force of those Agreements, the Community has decided to apply with effect from 1 March 1992 the Interim Agreements concluded with the above countries;
Whereas the Interim Agreements referred to above provide for a reduction in the import levy for live swine and meat of domestic swine, fresh, chilled or frozen, falling within CN codes 0103 9219 and 0203 within certain quantity limits; whereas, in order  to ensure that the imports are regular, those quantities should be staggered over the year;
Whereas Additional Protocols to the abovementioned Interim Agreements have been initialled, the provisional application of which from 1 July 1993 has been adopted by Council Decision 93/421/EEC (9), in order to improve access to the Community market for  products originating in the countries concerned and in particular for certain agriculture products listed in Annexes X b (Poland and Hungary) and XIII b (the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic) to the Interim Agreements;
Whereas the Additional Protocols referred to above provide that the live swine and meat of domestic swine, fresh, chilled or frozen, falling within CN codes 0103 9219 and 0203 listed, respectively, in Annexes X b and XIII b to the Interim Agreements are  to be subject to a levy reduction of 60 % from 1 July 1993 and that the quantities in tonnes set for 1994 are to apply from 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994;
Whereas certain categories of products in the pigmeat sector have already been allocated for the period 1 July 1993 to 30 September 1993 by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2032/93 of 26 July 1993 determining the extent to which applications lodged in  July 1993 for import licences for certain pigmeat products under the regime provided for by the Intermediate Agreements concluded by the Community with the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (10) can be  accepted;
Whereas, while bearing in mind the provisions of the Interim Agreements intended to guarantee the origin of the product, the administration of the said arrangements should be based on import licences; whereas, to that end, the detailed rules for  submission of the applications and the information which must appear on the applications and licences, by derogation from Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3719/88 of 16 November 1988 laying down common detailed rules for the application of  the system of import and export licences and advance-fixing certificates for agriculture products (11), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1963/93 (12), should be laid down; whereas, in addition, provision should be made for the certificates and  licences to be issued after a period of consideration, applying, where necessary, a single percentage reduction;
Whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 564/92 (13), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1826/93 (14), should be repealed with effect from 1 July 1993, which is the date of application of the Additional Protocols; whereas, however, import licences for  the quantities available for the period 1 July to 30 September 1993 have already been issued on the basis of the abovementioned Regulation; whereas in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new provisions and in particular to ensure that all the  quantities covered by the said licence, regardless of whether they have been imported already or not, benefit from the increase to 60 % in the rate of reduction of the levy, those quantities should be made subject to the provisions of this Regulation  and provision should be made for amounts overpaid to be reimbursed;
Whereas, in order to ensure proper administration of the system, the guarantee for import licences under the said system should be fixed at ECU 30 per 100 kg; whereas, in view of the likelihood of speculation inherent in the system in the pigmeat sector  precise conditions governing access by operators to the said system should be laid down;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Pigmeat,