21. 3. 97 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 80/3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 509/97 of 20 March 1997 laying down procedures for applying in the poultrymeat sector the Interim Agreement on trade and accompanying measures between the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 410/97 of 24 February 1997 on certain arrangements for the appli- cation of the Interim Agreement on trade and accompa- nying measures between the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part(’), and in par- ticular Article 1 thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in poultrymeat (%), as last amended by Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 2916/95 (%), and in particular Article 15 thereof, Whereas an Interim Agreement on trade and accom- panying measures between the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’, signed in Brussels on 11 November 1996 (*), provides that, pending the entry into force of the Europe Agreement, the provisions of the latter Agreement as regards trade and accompanying measures are to enter into force, and whereas those provi- sions are to apply temporarily from 1 January 1997; Whereas provision should be made for the administration of the said arrangements to be by means of import licences; whereas, to that end, notwithstanding Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3719/88 of 16 November 1988 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance-fixing certificates for agricultural products (°), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2402/96 (%), detailed rules for submission of the applica- tions and the particulars which should appear in applica- tions and licences should be laid down; whereas, in addi- tion, provision should be made for licences to be issued after a period of consideration, applying, where necessary, a single acceptance rate; Whereas, in order to ensure regular imports, the quant- ities laid down in Annex I to this Regulation should be staggered over the year; () OJ No L 62, 4. 3. 1997, p. 5. () O] No L 282, 1. 11. 1975, p. 77. {) OJ No L 305, 19. 12. 1995, p. 49. () OJ No L 344, 31. 12. 1996, p. 1. () OJ No L 331, 2. 12. 1988, p. 1. () O] No L 327, 18. 12. 1996, p. 14. Whereas, in order to ensure proper administration of the system, the security for import licences under the said system should be fixed at ECU 20 per 100 kilograms; whereas, in view of the likelihood of speculation inherent in the system in the poultrymeat sector, precise condi- tions governing access by traders to the said system should be laid down; Whereas the attention of traders should be drawn to the fact that licences may be used only for products that comply with all the veterinary requirements in force in the Community; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat and Eggs, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 All imports into the Community under the arrangements provided for in Protocol 1 to the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Slovenia of products in the groups referred to in Annex 1 to this Regulation shall be subject to the presentation of an import licence. The quantities of products to which those arrangements apply and the rates of customs duty shall be those listed in Annex I Article 2 The quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be staggered as follows: : — 25°% in the period 1 January to 31 March, — 25% in the period 1 April to 30 June, — 25°% in the period 1 July to 30 September, — 25% in the period 1 October to 31 December. Article 3 The import licences provided for in Article 1 shall be subject to the following rules: (a) applicants for import licences must be natural or legal persons who, at the time applications are submitted, can prove to the satisfaction of the competent author- ities of the Member States that they have imported or exported not less than 50 tonnes of products falling