Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93^f1 of 13 February 1993 on the common organisation of the market in bananas, and in particular Article 20 thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Regulation (EC) No 896/2001 lays down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 as regards the arrangements for importing bananas into the Community^f2. It is necessary to determine the quantities available for imports during the last quarter of 2004 in the framework of the import tariff quotas A/B and C provided for in Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93.

The quantities available for import under the A/B and C tariff quotas for the fourth quarter of 2004 should be determined, having regard, on the one hand, to the volume of tariff quotas provided for in Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 and, on the other hand, to the import licences issued for the first three quarters of 2004. For traditional operators, however, these quantities are determined on a provisional basis in accordance with Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2036/2003 of 19 November 2003 derogating from Regulation (EC) No 896/2001 as regards the fixing of adjustment coefficients to be applied to the reference quantity for each traditional operator under the tariff quotas for banana imports for 2004^f3.

Since this Regulation must apply before the beginning of the period for the submission of licence applications in respect of the fourth quarter of 2004, it should enter into force immediately.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Bananas,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: