When products originating in Iceland listed in the Annex are put into free circulation in the European Union, they shall be eligible for exemption of customs duties within the limits of the tariff quotas, during the periods and in accordance with the provisions set out in this Regulation.
Council Regulation (EC) No 499/96 of 19 March 1996 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas of the Union for certain fish and fishery products originating in Iceland
Council Regulation (EC) No 499/96 of 19 March 1996 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas of the Union for certain fish and fishery products originating in Iceland
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 an Agreement was concluded between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland(1);
Whereas, following the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, the abovementioned Agreement should be adjusted to take into account, in particular, the existing trade arrangements for fishery products between Austria, Finland and Sweden, of the one part, and Iceland, of the other part;
Whereas to that end an Additional Protocol to the above Agreement, approved by Decision 96/147/EC(2) as well as an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters approved by Decision 95/582/EC(3) have been concluded between the Community and Iceland; whereas by virtue of those instruments the Community has undertaken to open, subject to certain conditions, from 1 January to 31 December each year Community tariff quotas at zero duty for a number of products originating in Iceland;
Whereas the tariff quotas in question relate to an indefinite period and accordingly, for reasons of efficiency and in order to simplify implementation of the measures concerned, it appears appropriate to provide for the application of this Regulation to be placed on a multiannual footing;
Whereas, for reasons of simplification, provision should be made to empower the Commission to give effect, following receipt of the opinion of the Customs Code Committee, to necessary amendments and technical adaptations of this Regulation arising from amendments to the combined nomenclature and Taric codes, extensions of tariff measures, necessary adaptations following the conclusion of protocols or exchanges of letters, amendments to this Regulation for the implementation of any other instrument in the framework of the abovementioned Agreement as well as adaptations of volume, periods and quota rates arising from decisions by the Council;
Whereas all Community importers should be ensured equal and continuous access to the said quota and the duty rate laid down for the quota should be applied without interruption to all imports of the product in question into all Member States until the quota is exhausted, during the whole period of the validity of the agreements with Iceland;
Whereas the decision for the opening, in execution of its international obligations, of tariff quotas should be taken by the Community; whereas, to ensure the efficiency of a common administration of these quotas, there is no reason why the Member States should not be authorized to draw from the quota volumes the necessary quantities corresponding to actual imports; whereas 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 being used up and inform the Member States accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1.
2.
Imports of the fish and fishery products listed in the Annex shall qualify for the tariff quotas referred to in paragraph 1 only if the declared customs value is at least equal to the reference price fixed, or to be fixed, in accordance with Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17 December 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products(4).
3.
Protocol 3 of the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland defining the concept of originating products and setting out the arrangements for administrative cooperation, as last amended by Decision No 2/2005 of the EC-Iceland Joint Committee of 22 December 2005(5) shall apply.
4.
The benefit of the tariff quotas with order numbers 09.0792 and 09.0812 shall not be granted for goods declared for release for free circulation during the period 15 February to 15 June.
Article 2
The tariff quotas set out in this Regulation shall be managed in accordance with Articles 308a, 308b and 308c of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.
However, Article 308c(2) and (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 shall not apply to the tariff quotas with order numbers 09.0810, 09.0811 and 09.0812.
Article 3
Where the tariff quotas with order numbers 09.0810, 09.0811 and 09.0812 will not be fully exhausted for the tariff quota period from 1 March 2011 to 30 April 2011, the remaining volume shall be carried over to the corresponding tariff quotas for the period 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012.
For this purpose drawings on the tariff quotas applicable from 1 March 2011 to 30 April 2011 shall be stopped on the second working day in the Commission following 1 September 2011. On the following working day, the unused balances of these tariff quotas shall be made available under the corresponding tariff quota applicable from 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012.
From the second working day in the Commission following 1 September 2011 no retroactive drawings and no returns shall be possible on the particular tariff quotas applicable from 1 March 2011 to 30 April 2011.
Article 4
Each Member State shall guarantee importers of the products in question equal and continuous access to the quotas as long as the balance of the corresponding quota volume allows.