Article 1

This Regulation opens and provides for the administration of tariff rate quotas for the import of the following quantities of rice falling within CN code 1006, hereinafter called ‘tariff quotas’:

The tariff quotas are opened on an annual basis for the period from 1st January to 31st December.

The provisions of Regulations (EC) No 1342/2003, (EC) No 1301/2006 and (EC) No 376/2008 shall apply, except as otherwise provided for in this Regulation.

The tariff quotas are administered according to the simultaneous examination method referred to in Chapter II of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006.

The customs duty for imports under the tariff quotas shall be nil. This rate shall be shown in Section 24 of the import license application and the import license in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006.

The import tariff quota periods shall be divided in 3 subperiods as set out in Annex I.

The quantities referred to in Article 7(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 and available for the following subperiod shall be communicated by the Commission before the 25th day of the last month of a given subperiod.

Where, for the September subperiod, the quantities covered by applications for the tariff quota referred to in paragraph 1(b) of this Article do not reach the total quantity available, the remaining quantity may be used to import products originating in the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba.

Unless otherwise specified, the quantities indicated in this Regulation shall be expressed in husked-rice equivalent.

Quantities of rice at stages of processing other than husked rice shall be converted at the rates laid down in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1312/2008.

For the purposes of this Regulation, quantities of broken rice shall be converted into quantities of husked rice on the basis of product weight.