Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

Following the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia to the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation agreed at the bilateral Summit on 19 May 2004 on the principle that the trade flows in accordance with the preferences granted previously under the bilateral arrangements between the new Member States and Switzerland should be maintained after the enlargement of the European Union. Parties therefore agreed to proceed with the adaptation of tariff concessions within the framework of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products^f1 (hereinafter called the Agreement), which entered into force on 1 June 2002. The adaptation of these concessions, which are listed in Annexes 1 and 2 of the Agreement, include notably the opening of a Community tariff quota for the import of live bovine animals of a weight exceeding 160 kg.

It has been agreed with the Swiss Confederation that there should be no trade discontinuity. The procedures for adopting bilaterally a decision to amend Annexes 1 and 2 of the Agreement will not be completed immediately. In order to ensure that quota benefit is available until the entry into force of the said decision and for reasons of simplification, it is appropriate to open this tariff-quota concession on an autonomous and transitional basis.

Detailed rules for the implementation of this Regulation and, in particular, the provisions required for quota management should be adopted in accordance with the provisions laid down in Article 32 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal^f2.

To be eligible for the benefit of these tariff quotas, products should originate in Switzerland in conformity with the rules referred to in Article 4 of the Agreement,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: