8. 10. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 254/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1926/96 of 7 October 1996 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the agreements on free trade and trade-related matters with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to take account of the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade Negotiations THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas the Agreements on free trade and trade-related matters concluded between the European Communities, of the one part, and the Republic of Estonia('), the Republic of Latvia(?) and the Republic of Lithuania (), respectively, of the other part, provide for concessions for certain agricultural products originating in those coun- tries; whereas those concessions involve reductions in the variable levies under tariff quotas and reductions in customs duties; Whereas, pursuant to the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade Negotiations (*), the Community undertook to turn all variable agricultural levies and other non-tariff barriers into their tariff equivalent and to replace them by fixed customs duties from 1 July 1995; Whereas the replacement of variable levies and other barriers by customs duties affects the concessions granted pursuant to the free trade agreements and could reduce the preferential access to the Community market granted to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; Whereas, in accordance with the Directives concerning agricultural products adopted on 27 June 1996, negotia- tions are currently under way with the countries concerned for the conclusion of additional protocols to the Agreements on free trade and trade-related matters; () OJ No L 373, 31. 12. 1994, p. L. () O] No L 374, 31. 12. 1994, p. 1. () Of No L 375, 31. 12. 1994, p. 1. () OJ No L 336, 23. 12. 1994, p. 22. whereas ‘interim’ additional protocols will cover solely the trade-related aspects of the additional; whereas, because of the excessively tight deadlines, however, such interim additional protocols could not enter into force on 1 July 1996; Whereas it is therefore appropriate to provide for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of the agricultural concessions provided for in the Agree- ments on free trade and trade-related matters; whereas the adjustment should take effect from 1 July 1996, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 This Regulation provides, as an autonomous and transi- tional measure, for the opening of tariff quotas and the adjustment of concessions for certain agricultural products provided for in the Agreements on free trade and trade- related matters with the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania. Article 2 1. The arrangements for import into the Community applicable to certain agricultural products originating in Estonia as set out in Annexes Ia, Ib and Ic to this Regula- tion shall replace those set out in Annexes III, IV and V to the Agreements on free trade and trade-related matters between the European Communites, of the one part, and Estonia, of the other part. 2. On the date of entry into force of the interim addi- tional protocol adjusting the Agreement referred to in paragraph 1, the concessions provided for in that protocol shall replace those referred to in Annex Ia, Ib and Ic to this Regulation.