Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 31 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

In order to ensure the sufficient and uninterrupted supply of certain goods insufficiently produced in the Union and to avoid any disturbances on the market for certain agricultural and industrial products, autonomous tariff quotas were opened by Council Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013^f1. Products within those tariff quotas can be imported into the Union at reduced or zero duty rates. For those reasons it is necessary to open, with effect from 1 July 2017, tariff quotas at zero duty rates for an appropriate volume as regards seven new products.

In the case of five additional products, the tariff quota volumes should be increased, as this increase is in the interest of economic operators and of the Union.

Moreover, for one product the increase in tariff quota volume should only apply to the second half of the year 2017, while the existing tariff quota for that product should be given an end date of 31 December 2017.

Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly.

As the changes regarding the tariff quotas for the products concerned provided for in this Regulation have to apply from 1 July 2017, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: