Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2529/2001 of 19 December 2001 on the common organisation of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat^f1, and in particular Article 16(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1994/2006^f2 provides for the opening of Community tariff quotas for sheep, goats, sheepmeat and goatmeat for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2007.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Iceland concerning additional trade preferences in agricultural products undertaken on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area^f3, as approved by Council Decision 2007/138/EC^f4, provides for the granting of an additional annual tariff quota quantity of 500 tonnes (carcase weight) of fresh, chilled, frozen or smoked sheepmeat for Iceland. However, as the Agreement is applicable as from 1 March 2007, the annual quantity for 2007 should be adjusted accordingly.

The Agreement specifies that the opening of the tariff quota is to be made as from 1 July, on the basis of nine months for 2007. This Regulation should therefore apply as from 1 July 2007.

Regulation (EC) No 1994/2006 should be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: