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 144(1) and Article 148(c), in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

Section 1 of Chapter III of Title 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 of 14 December 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards the import arrangements for milk and milk products and opening tariff quotas^f2 sets out the rules on the management of import quotas by certain third countries listed in Annex III.B to that Regulation. Those rules provide for the issuing of an import licence upon presentation of a corresponding inward-monitoring arrangement (IMA 1) certificate.

The experience as regards the management of the tariff quotas for New Zealand cheese (quota numbers 09.4514 and 09.4515) proved that an equally efficient management of those quotas could also be achieved through a system which entails less administrative burden for importers and the licences issuing bodies of the Member States. Under that system the functions of the IMA1 certificate to prove the origin and the eligibility of the goods at import are kept but the issuing of import licences is no longer subject to the presentation of that certificate. It is therefore appropriate to submit those quotas to the rules of Chapter I of Title 2 of Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001.

With the view to prevent speculation while ensuring a maximum utilisation of the tariff quotas for New Zealand cheese, licence applications should be limited to 25 % of the relevant quota available.

Taking into account the seasonality of the dairy production in New Zealand, the evolution of the prices and the time necessary to ship the products concerned to the Union, it is appropriate to provide for a third allocation round of import licences in September for the quotas referred to in Part K of Annex I and Part A of Annex III.

Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly.

In order to give sufficient time to the applicants, the competent authorities and the Member States to comply with the new rules, it is appropriate that those rules apply from the quota year 2014.

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: