Nol. 54/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 1.3.86 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 498/86 of 25 February 1986 fixing, for 1986, the initial quota applicable to Portugal for maize starch coming from the Community as constituted at 31 December 1985 THE COUNCIL OF THE FEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, and in particular Article 234 (2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas, pursuant to Article 269 of the Act of Accession, the Portuguese Republic may, during the first stage, maintain quantitative restrictions in the form of quotas on imports of maize starch coming from the Community as constituted at 31 December 1985; Whereas Article 269 (2) (b) of the Act provides that the initial quota in 1986 is to be fixed for each product either at 3 % of the average of Portuguese production during the last three years before accession for which statistics are available, or at the average of Portuguese imports over the last three years before accession for which statistics are available should this criterion result in a greater volume; Whereas the statistics currently available show that the criterion of Portuguese production must be adopted for fixing the initial quota; Whereas, from 1 March to 31 December 1986, the applicable quota should be equal to the initial quota, less one-sixth, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 The initial quota which the Portuguese Republic may, pursuant to Article 269 of the Act of Accession, apply to imports of maize starch from the Community as constituted at 31 December 1985 is hereby fixed at 400 tonnes. From 1 March to 31 December 1986, this quantity shall be reduced by one-sixth. Article 2 Detailed rules for the application of the quota system referred to in Article 269 of the Act of Accession shall, where necessary, be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 26 of Regulation (EEC) No 2727/75 of the Council of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in cereals () as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3768/85 (*). Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 March 1986. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 25 February 1986. For the Council The President G. BRAKS (") OJ No L 281, 1. 11. 1975, p. 1. (*) OJ No L 362, 31. 12. 1985, p. 8.