Article 4

Import licence applications shall be presented to the competent body in the importing Member State concerned.

Licences may be issued only within the limits of the delivery obligations referred to in Article 9 and the quotas referred to in Articles 16 and 22.

The security for the licences shall be, per 100 kg of the quantity of sugar shown in box 17 of the licence,

• 0,30 EUR for special preferential sugar and CXL concessions sugar,

• 2 EUR for preferential ACP-India sugar.

The period during which import licence applications may be presented shall start three weeks before the first day of the marketing year concerned.

Notwithstanding the first subparagraph, where the limit on the quantity of ACP-India preferential sugar that must be delivered in a given delivery period is reached in relation to one of the exporting countries, the period during which import licence applications for the subsequent delivery period may be presented in relation to that country shall start eight weeks before the first day of the marketing year concerned.

Import licences issued following applications presented during the period referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 3 shall be valid from their date of issue within the meaning of Article 23(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, or from the date of commencement of the marketing year concerned where it is later. Import licences issued following applications presented during the period referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 3 shall be valid from their date of issue within the meaning of Article 23(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000. Licences shall be valid to the end of the third following month in the case of ACP-India preferential sugar, or to the end of the marketing year for which they are issued in the case of special preferential sugar and CXL concessions sugar.

By way of derogation from Article 35(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000:

Notwithstanding the quantity limitations on delivery obligations laid down in Article 9 and on quotas as laid down in Articles 16 and 22, the quantities set out in the licences returned in accordance with paragraph 5 may be reallocated. When notifying the weekly quantity referred to in Article 5(1), the Member States shall simultaneously notify the Commission of the quantities for which licences have been returned since the date of their previous notification to this effect.