Commission Regulation (EEC) No 688/78 of 6 April 1978 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1393/76 laying down detailed rules for the importation of products in the wine-growing sector originating in certain third countries

COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 688/78  of 6 April 1978  amending Regulation (EEC) No 1393/76 laying down detailed rules for the importation of products in the wine-growing sector originating in certain third countries
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation No 129 on the value of the unit of account and the exchange rates to be applied for the purposes of the common agricultural policy (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2543/73 (2), and in particular Article 3 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2506/75 of 29 September 1975 laying down special rules for the importation of products in the wine-growing sector originating in certain third countries (3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1166/76 (4), and in particular Article 5 (1) thereof,
Whereas certain wines imported in bulk from non-member countries qualify for conventional tariff preferences, provided that the free-at-frontier reference price is respected;
Whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1393/76 of 17 June 1976 laying down detailed rules for the importation of products in the wine-growing sector originating in certain third countries (5) lays down inter alia the factors to be taken into consideration in order to permit the necessary comparison between the offer price and the free-at-frontier reference price;
Whereas the free-at-frontier references prices are fixed in units of account ; whereas Article 1 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 878/77 of 26 April 1977 on the exchange rates to be applied in agriculture (6), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 179/78 (7), provides that they must be converted into national currency at the representative rates;
Whereas this provision results in prices expressed in national currency which, because of the real value of these currencies, do not have the same economic significance and often show marked discrepancies ; whereas, moreover, in the case of liqueur wines no monetary compensatory amount, which could compensate for discrepancies of this kind, applies;
Whereas, consequently, under the present system of free-at-frontier reference prices, products originating in non-member countries, while complying with these prices, arrive in the Community at different prices ; whereas this situation results in distortion of competition and deflection of imports of the wines in question from non-member countries, except in the case of certain liqueur wines, which because of their special economic situation can be marketed in two Member States only;
Whereas the most appropriate solution would be the introduction of a rule that the free-at-frontier reference price must be converted into national currency at a rate corresponding to the real value of the currencies concerned;
Whereas, however, it is impossible to use for this purpose the daily market rates because of the administrative difficulties which this would cause ; whereas it is therefore necessary to establish a system for the fixing of rates which correspond to economic reality but do not require too frequent adjustment;
Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1393/76 should be supplemented accordingly;
Whereas the Monetary Committee will be consulted ; whereas, in view of the urgency of the situation, the proposed measures should be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 3 (2) of Regulation No 129;
Whereas the Management Committee for Wine has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,