Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 96/317/EC of 13 May 1996 concerning the conclusion of the results of consultations with Thailand under GATT Article XXIII^f1, and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1095/96 of 18 June 1996 on the implementation of the concessions set out in Schedule CXL drawn up in the wake of the conclusion of the GATT XXIV.6 negotiations^f2, and in particular Article 1(1) thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2286/2002 of 10 December 2002 on the arrangements applicable to agricultural products and goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products originating in the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP States) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1706/98^f3, and in particular Article 5 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in cereals^f4, and in particular Articles 9(2) and 12(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 of 31 August 2006 laying down common rules for the administration of import tariff quotas for agricultural products managed by a system of import licences^f5 applies to import licences for tariff quota periods starting from 1 January 2007.

The common rules adopted by Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, in particular the detailed rules for applications for import licences, the status of applicants and the issue of licenses, limiting the period of validity of import licences to the final day of the tariff quota period, apply without prejudice to additional conditions or derogations laid down by the sectoral regulations. To avoid a situation whereby differing rules continue to exist in certain sectoral regulations, Commission Regulations (EC) No 2402/96 of 17 December 1996 opening and setting administrative rules for certain annual tariff quotas for sweet potatoes and manioc starch^f6, (EC) No 2449/96 of 18 December 1996 opening and providing for the administration of certain annual tariff quotas for products covered by CN codes 0714 10 91, 0714 10 99, 0714 90 11 and 0714 90 19 originating in certain third countries other than Thailand^f7 and (EC) No 2390/98 of 5 November 1998 (EC) No 1706/98 as regards the arrangements for importing certain cereal substitute products and processed cereal and rice products originating in the African, Caribbean and Pacific States or in the overseas countries and territories and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2245/90^f8 should be amended with a view to specifying the serial numbers of each quota and subquota and redefining the specific rules which apply, in particular to the drawing-up of licence applications, their issue, their period of validity and the notification of information to the Commission.

These measures should be applied from 1 January 2007, which is the date from which the measures provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 apply.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: