Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code^f1, and in particular Article 58(1) thereof,

Whereas:

The Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part^f2 (‘the Agreement’) was concluded, on behalf of the Union, on 23 May 2016 by Council Decision (EU) 2016/839^f3. The Agreement entered into force on 1 July 2016 but was applied on a provisional basis from 1 September 2014.

On 18 September 2014, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 988/2014^f4 was adopted, opening and providing for the management of Union tariff quotas for agricultural products originating in the Republic of Moldova.

On 16 December 2014, the Association Council, by means of Decision No 3/2014^f5, delegated to the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as referred to in Article 438(4) of the Agreement, the power to update or amend certain trade-related Annexes to the Agreement.

Following consultations with the Republic of Moldova in accordance with Article 147 of the Agreement, the Union agreed to increase the volume of the tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for table grapes and plums originating in Moldova, and to introduce a new TRQ for cherries^f6. Accordingly, the Association Committee in Trade configuration has adopted Decision No 1/2020 updating Annex XV to the Agreement^f7.

Following the entry into force of the Union Customs Code and its implementing and delegated acts, the Commission manages TRQs on the basis of the chronological order of dates of acceptance of customs declarations for release for free circulation in accordance with tariff quota management rules laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447^f8.

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 988/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly.

Decision 1/2020 of the EU-Moldova Association Committee entered into force on 23 January 2020. In order to ensure the effective management and timely application of the quotas set out in the Annex to this Regulation, this Regulation should apply from that date.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: