31, 12. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 345/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2505/96 of 20 December 1996 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products and amending Regulation (EC) No 3059/95 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products (first series 1996) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 28 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas production in the Community of certain agricul- tural and industrial products will be insufficient to meet the specific requirements of the user industries in the Community; whereas, consequently, Community supplies of products of this type will depend to a considerable extent on imports from third countries; whereas the most urgent Community requirements for the products in question should be met immediately on the most favour- able terms; whereas Community tariff quotas at reduced or zero duty should therefore be opened within the limits of appropriate volumes taking account of the need not to disturb the markets for such products nor the starting out or development of Community production; Whereas it is necessary, in particular, to ensure for all Community importers equal and uninterrupted access to the said quotas and to ensure the uninterrupted applica- tion of the rates laid down for the quotas to all imports of the products concerned into all Member States until the quotas have been used up; Whereas the decision for the opening of autonomous tariff quotas should be taken by the Community; whereas, to ensure the efficiency of a common administration of these quotas, there is no reasonable obstacle to author- izing the Member States to draw from the quota-volumes the necessary quantities corresponding to actual imports; whereas, however, this method of administration requires close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission and the latter must in particular be able to monitor the rate at which the quotas are used up and inform the Member States accordingly; Whereas production in the Community of certain indus- trial products will remain, in the course of 1996, unable to meet the specific requirements of the user industries in the Community; whereas, consequently, Community supplies of products of this type will depend to a consid- erable extent on imports from third countries; whereas the most urgent Community requirements for the products in question should be met immediately on the most favourable terms; Whereas, by Regulation (EC) No 3059/95 ('), the Council opened, for 1996, Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products; whereas the volume of the quota for ferro-chromium (Order No 09.2711), for isopropylidene-bis (Order No 09.2859) and for oscillator (Order No 09.2939) should be increased; Whereas the existing regulations opening autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain industrial and agricultural products have largely renewed previous measures; whereas, therefore, in the interests of rational- izing implementation of the measures concerned, it would seem appropriate not to limit the period of validity of this Regulation as its scope can be adapted and products added to or removed from the list through a Council regulation, if necessary; whereas the transfer of unused quantities from one quota period to a subsequent one is not permissible; Whereas the amendments to the combined nomenclature and the Taric codes do not give rise to any substantive amendment; whereas, for reasons of simplification, pro- vision should be made to empower the Commission, following receipt of the opinion of the Customs Code Committee, to make the necessary amendments and tech- nical adaptations of the Annex to this Regulation, includ- ing the publication of a consolidated version; (') OJ No L 326, 30. 12. 1995, p. 19. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1535/96 (O] No L 191, 1. 8. 1996, p. 16).