Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1257/2011 of 23 November 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas for high-quality fresh, chilled and frozen beef and for frozen buffalo meat

3.12.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 320/12
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1257/2011
of 23 November 2011
amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas for high-quality fresh, chilled and frozen beef and for frozen buffalo meat
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1095/96 of 18 June 1996 on the implementation of the concessions set out in Schedule CXL drawn up in the wake of the conclusion of the GATT XXIV.6 negotiations (1), and in particular Article 1(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 (2) opened yearly tariff quotas for high-quality fresh, chilled or frozen meat of bovine animals covered by CN codes 0201 and 0202, for products covered by CN codes 0206 10 95 and 0206 29 91 and for frozen boneless buffalo meat covered by CN code 0202 30 90.
(2) Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 allocates 28 000 tonnes of boneless beef covered by CN codes 0201 30 00 and 0206 10 95 to selected beef cuts meeting a precise definition.
(3) The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Argentina pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union (3) approved by Council Decision 2011/769/EU (4), provides for an addition of 1 500 tonnes in the country allocated (Argentina) EU tariff quota ‘boneless meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled’. For the four first years of implementation the increase is to be 2 000 tonnes annually. That Agreement also provides for the creation of a country allocation (Argentina) of 200 tonnes under the EU tariff quota ‘Boneless buffalo meat, frozen’, the allocation of Argentina also covering ‘fresh and chilled’.
(4) For the sake of clarity it is appropriate to specify the country where the buffalo meat is originating in.
(5) Article 2(e) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 allocates 1 300 tonnes of meat covered by CN codes 0201 20 90, 0201 30, 0202 20 90, 0202 30, 0206 10 95 and 0206 29 91 to high quality beef cuts meeting a precise definition.
(6) The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and New Zealand pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union (5) approved by Council Decision 2011/767/EU (6), provides for a change in the definition of the EU tariff quota of 1 300 tonnes ‘high quality beef’.
(7) Regulation (EC) No 810/2008 should be amended accordingly.
(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,