Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 of 30 November 2009 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process^f2, and in particular Article 7(a) and (b) thereof,

Whereas:

Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 provided for unlimited duty free access to the Union market for nearly all products originating in the countries and territories benefiting from the Stabilisation and Association process to the extent and until such time as bilateral agreements with those countries and territories were concluded.

The last of such bilateral agreements, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo, of the other part, was signed^f3 and concluded^f4. It entered into force on 1 April 2016.

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement establishes a contractual trade regime between the Union and Kosovo. The bilateral trade concessions on the Union side are comparable to the unilateral preferences granted by Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009.

Pursuant to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts to introduce the necessary amendments and technical adjustments to Annexes I and II of that Regulation, following amendments to the Combined Nomenclature codes and to the TARIC subdivisions, as well as the necessary adjustments following the granting of trade preferences under other arrangements between the Union and the countries and territories referred to in that Regulation.

The continuation of the unilateral preference granted to all the Western Balkan countries and territories in the form of the suspension of all duties for products covered by Chapters 7 and 8 of the Combined Nomenclature and their access to the global wine tariff rate quota of 30 000 hl should be ensured. Moreover, since the baby-beef tariff-rate quota granted to Kosovo is included in the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo, Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 should be amended accordingly.

In addition, since Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1821^f5 made changes to the Combined Nomenclature for certain fishery and wine products covered by Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009, Annex I to that Regulation should be amended and adjusted accordingly, for reasons of clarity.

Regulation (EC) No 1215/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: