18. 12. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 327/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2397/96 of 6 December 1996 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel on the adjustment of the regime for imports into the European Community of oranges originating in Israel and amending Regulation (EC) No 1981/94 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113 in conjunction with the first sentence of Article 228 (2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas, in the context of the Uruguay Round of multi- lateral trade negotiations, the import regime for oranges has been changed; Whereas the Exchange of Letters on the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements, which forms part of the Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, signed on 20 November 1995 and of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community and the European Coal and Steel Commu- nity, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part ('), which was signed on 18 December 1995 and which entered into force on 1 January 1996, provides that the import regime for oranges originating in Israel will be agreed upon between the European Community and Israel at a later stage; Whereas an agreement has been reached on certain adjustments of the import regime for oranges from Israel; Whereas this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters should now be approved; Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 1981/94 of 25 July 1994, opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for certain products originating in Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, the Occupied Territories, Tunisia and Turkey, and pro- viding detailed rules for extending and adapting these tariff quotas (?), should be modified to implement the new regime for imports into the Community of oranges ori- (') OJ No L 71, 20. 3. 1996, p. 2. () OJ No L 199, 2. 8. 1994, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1099/96 (O] No L 146, 20. 6. 1996, p. 8). ginating in Israel, as provided for in this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with effect from 1 July 1996, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel on the adjustment of the regime for imports into the Community of oranges originating in Israel is hereby approved on behalf of the Community. The text of the Agreement is attached to this Regulativon. Article 2 The President of the Council is hereby authorized to designate the person empowered to sign the Agreement so as to bind the Community. Article 3 Regulation (EC) No 1981/94 is hereby amended as follows: 1) In Annex II, in the table relating to order No 09.1323 (fresh oranges originating in Israel), the quota volume of 290 000 tonnes shall be replaced by 200 000 tonnes and the description under column 4 shall read ‘Fresh oranges: 1 July to 30 June’. 2) At the end of Annex II, footnote 2 shall be replaced by the following: ‘(*) Within this quota, the agreed entry price beyond which the specific additional duty provided in the Community’s list of concessions to the WTO is reduced to zero, is: