Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/355 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2017 on certain procedures for applying 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^f2, and in particular Article 2 thereof,

Whereas:

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^f3 (‘the SAA’) was signed on 27 October 2015 and entered into force on 1 April 2016.

Article 31 of the SAA and the Annex IV to the SAA lay down the arrangements applicable to the import into the Union of fish and fishery products. Under those provisions, imports into the Union of trout and carp originating in Kosovo within certain tariff quotas are to benefit from exemptions from customs duties.

To implement the provisions of the SAA on fish and fishery products, it is necessary to open and administer the annual tariff quotas for trout and carp for the year 2016 and the following years.

The tariff quotas should be managed by the Commission on the basis of the chronological order of dates of acceptance of customs declarations for release for free circulation in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447^f4.

The measures laid down in this Regulation should apply from the date of entry into force of the SAA. This Regulation should therefore enter into force as a matter of urgency.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: