Council Regulation (EC) No 530/2007 of 8 May 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process

15.5.2007 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 125/1
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 530/2007
of 8 May 2007
amending Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 (1) provides for unlimited duty-free access to the Community market for nearly all products originating in the countries and territories benefiting from the Stabilisation and Association process.
(2) A Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, was signed in Luxembourg on 12 June 2006. Pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force, an Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part (2), was signed and concluded and entered into force on 1 December 2006.
(3) The Stabilisation and Association Agreements and the Interim Agreements establish a contractual trade regime between the Community and each of the beneficiary countries. The bilateral trade concessions on the Community side are equivalent to the concessions applicable within the unilateral autonomous trade measures under Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000.
(4) It is therefore appropriate to amend Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 to take into account these developments. In particular, it is appropriate to remove the Republic of Albania from the list of beneficiaries of the tariff concessions granted for the same products under the contractual regime. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the global tariff quota volumes for specific products for which tariff quotas have been granted under the contractual regimes.
(5) The Republic of Albania, the Republic of Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will remain beneficiaries of Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 insofar as that Regulation provides for concessions which are more favourable than the concessions existing under the contractual regimes,