Article 1

Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 596/2004 is hereby amended as follows:

1. 1..

   Paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

   ‘4.

   Where the issue of export licences would or might result in the available budgetary amounts being exceeded or in the maximum quantities which may be exported with a refund being exhausted during the period concerned, in view of the limits referred to in Article 8(12) of Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75, or would not allow exports to continue during the remainder of the period, the Commission may:

   (a)

   set a single acceptance percentage for the quantities applied for;

   (b)

   reject applications for which licences have not yet been granted;

   (c)

   suspend the lodging of licence applications for a maximum period of five working days, extendable by the procedure specified in Article 17 of Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75.

   Licence applications made during the suspension period shall be invalid.

   The measures provided for in the first subparagraph may be implemented or modulated by category of product and by destination.’

2. 2..

   The following paragraph 4a is inserted:

   ‘4a

   The measures provided for in paragraph 4 may also be adopted where export licence applications relate to quantities which exceed or might exceed the normal disposable quantities for one destination and issuing the licences requested would entail a risk of speculation, distortion of competition between operators, or disturbance of the trade concerned or the Community market.’