Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (‘Single CMO’ Regulation)^f1, and in particular Article 187 in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

In order to promote the supply of cereals on the Community market during the first few months of the 2012/13 marketing year, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 569/2012^f2 suspended until 31 December 2012 customs duties for the import tariff quota for common wheat of low and medium quality opened by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1067/2008^f3.

The outlook for the cereals market of the European Union for the end of the 2012/13 marketing year would suggest that prices will remain buoyant, given the low stock levels and the Commission’s current estimates regarding the quantities which will actually be available from the 2012 harvest. In order to make it easier to maintain a flow of imports conducive to EU market equilibrium, there is a need to ensure continuity in cereal imports policy by keeping the temporary suspension of customs duties on imports during the 2012/13 marketing year until 30 June 2013 for the import tariff quota to which this measure currently applies. For the same reasons, the measure should be extended to cover the import tariff quota for feed barley opened by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2305/2003^f4.

Moreover, traders should not be penalised in cases where cereals are en route for importation into the Union. Therefore, the time required for transport should be taken into account and traders allowed to release cereals for free circulation under the customs-duty suspension arrangements provided for in this Regulation, for all products whose direct transport to the Union has started at the latest on 30 June 2013. The evidence to be provided showing direct transport to the Union and the date on which the transport commenced should also be established.

In order to ensure sound management of the procedure for issuing import licences as from 1 January 2013, this Regulation should enter into force on the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: