Article 1

Subject to Articles 6 and 7, a tariff quota is hereby opened in relation to imports into the Union of each of the 26 products categories concerned (defined by reference to the CN codes specified in relation to it in Annex I) and each of the periods specified in Annex IV.1 and IV.2.

For each of the product categories concerned, and with the exception of product categories 8 and 25a, a part of each tariff-rate quota is allocated to the countries specified in Annex IV.

The remaining part of each tariff-rate quota, as well as the tariff-rate quota for product categories 8 and 25, shall be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, based on a tariff-rate quota established equally for each quarter of the period of imposition.

The drawings on each quarterly quota shall be stopped on the twentieth working day of the Commission following the end of the quarterly period. At the end of each quarter, the unused balances of the tariff-rate quota shall automatically be transferred to the next quarter. No unused balance at the end of the last quarter of each year of application of the definitive tariff-rate quota shall be transferred.

Where the relevant tariff-rate quota under paragraph 2 is exhausted for one specific country, imports from that country for some product categories can be made under the remaining part of the tariff-rate quota for the same product category. This provision shall only apply during the last quarter of each year of application of the definitive tariff-rate quota. For product categories 5, 16, 20 and 27 no further access to the remaining part of the tariff-rate quota will be allowed. For product categories 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 28 only access to a specific volume within the tariff-rate quota volume initially available in the last quarter, will be allowed. In product categories 1 and 4B no exporting country shall be allowed to use, on its own, more than 30 % of the residual tariff-rate quota volume initially available in the last quarter of each year of application of measures. For product categories 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, 6, 7, 9, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25b and 26 the access will be allowed over the total tariff-rate quota volume initially available in the last quarter in the respective product categories.

Where the relevant tariff-rate quota is exhausted or where imports of the product categories do not benefit from the relevant tariff-rate quota, an additional duty at the rate of 25 %, applicable to the net, free-at-Union-frontier price, before duty, shall be applied on the product categories set out in Annex IV.1.