Council Regulation (EC) No 70/97 of 20 December 1996 concerning the arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of products originating in the Republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and to imports of wine originating in the Republic of Slovenia

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 70/97 of 20 December 1996 concerning the arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of products originating in the Republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and to imports of wine originating in the Republic of Slovenia
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas Regulations (EC) No 3355/94 (1), (EC) No 3356/94 (2) and (EC) No 3357/94 (3), setting out the arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of products originating in the Republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, expire on 31 December 1996;
Whereas these arrangements will eventually have to be replaced by provisions contained in bilateral agreements to be negotiated with the countries in question;
Whereas account should be taken of the fact that the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, was signed on 10 June 1996 and that the Interim Agreement will be applied on 1 January 1997;
Whereas account should be taken of the fact that the Republic of Slovenia is now covered by the provisions of the aforementioned bilateral agreement and that the autonomous arrangements no longer apply to it;
Whereas, consequently, the trade concessions provided for in respect of the other countries formerly part of Yugoslavia should be adapted in an appropriate manner, taking into account the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union;
Whereas the preferential trade concessions applicable to the countries formerly part of Yugoslavia are based on those set out in the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia signed on 2 April 1980 and denounced on 25 November 1991;
Whereas these preferential concessions comprise exemption from duties and the abolition of quantitative restrictions for industrial products, except for certain products subject to tariff ceilings, and special concessions (exemption from duties, reduction of the agricultural components, tariff quotas) for various agricultural products;
Whereas Community monitoring may be achieved by means of an administrative procedure based on charging imports of the products in question against the tariff ceilings at Community level as and when those products are entered with the customs authorities for free circulation; whereas this administrative procedure must make provision for the possibility of reintroducing customs duties as soon as the ceilings are reached at Community level;
Whereas this administrative procedure requires close and particularly rapid cooperation between the Member States and the Commission, which must in particular be able to follow the progress of quantities charged against the ceilings;
Whereas the arrangements applicable to imports of textile products from the Republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are governed by the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 (4);
Whereas the agreement on 'wines and spirits` envisaged by the Europe Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Slovenia has yet to be concluded and whereas certain concessions should be granted on an autonomous and transitional basis pending conclusion of the aforementioned agreement;
Whereas it is appropriate, in view of the current difficult market situation, to limit the previous concessions for 'baby beef`, without prejudice to future bilateral negotiations with the countries concerned;
Whereas it is necessary, in particular, to ensure for all Community importers equal and uninterrupted access to the said tariff quotas and to ensure uninterrupted application of the rates laid down for the quotas to all imports of the products concerned into all Member States until the quotas have been used up;
Whereas the decision for the opening of tariff quotas should be taken by the Community in the execution of its international obligations; whereas, to ensure the efficiency of a common administration of these quotas, there is no obstacle to authorizing the Member States to draw from the quota-volumes the necessary quantities corresponding to actual imports; whereas, however, this method of administration requires close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission and the latter must in particular be able to monitor the rate at which the quotas are used up and inform the Member States;
Whereas, for the sake of rationalization and simplification, it is appropriate to provide that the Commission may, having consulted the Customs Code Committee, and without prejudice to the specific procedures provided for in Article 10 of this Regulation, make any necessary changes and technical amendments necessary to this Regulation;
Whereas the import arrangements are renewed on the basis of the conditions established by the Council in relation to the development of the relations between the Community and each of the countries concerned, including the regional approach; whereas it is appropriate, therefore, to limit the duration of these arrangements to one year in order to permit a regular review of compliance, without prejudice to the possibility of modifying the geographical coverage of this Regulation at any other time,