L 72/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 11. 3. 98 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 546/98 of 10 March 1998 laying down detailed rules for the application in 1998 of the arrangements applicable to imports laid down in Council Decision 97/831/EC as regards certain beef and veal products THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Decision 97/831/EC of 27 November 1997 concerning the conclusion of a Coopera- tion Agreement between the European Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ('), Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 77/98 of 9 January 1998 on certain procedures for applying the Cooperation Agreement between the European Com- munity and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedo- nia (%), and in particular Article 1 thereof, Whereas Article 15(2) of the Cooperation Agreement annexed to Decision 97/831/EC provides for a tariff quota of 1650 tonnes of products listed in Annex E to the Agreement, expressed in carcase weight, for 1998; whereas the detailed rules of application for that quota should be adopted; Whereas, in order to ensure flexible management of the quota, applications should be managed using a system of import rights; whereas, on the basis of those rights, importers may apply for import licences throughout 1998 under 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 1404/97 (*), and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1445/95 of 26 June 1995 on rules of application for import and export licences in the beef and veal sector and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2377/80 (°), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 260/98 (°), although a number of derogations should be laid down; Whereas, in order to ensure close control of the origin of the products, it should be laid down that either a EUR.1 movement certificate or an invoice declaration in ac- cordance with Protocol 2 of the Cooperation Agreement must be presented; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal, 348, 18. 12. 1997, p. 1. 8, 14. 1. 1998, p. 1. 331, 2. 12. 1988, p. 1. 194, 23. 7. 1997, p. S. 143, 27. 6. 1995, p. 35. 25, 31. 1. 1998, p. 42. HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. A tariff quota of 1650 tonnes of certain beef and veal products, expressed in carcase weight, originating in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is hereby opened for the period 1 January to 31 December 1998. The contingent shall bear the serial number 09.4505. 2. Import under the quota referred to in paragraph 1 shall be reserved for certain live animals and certain meat falling within CN codes: — ex 010290 51, ex 010290 59, ex 010290 71 and ex 010290 79, — ex 0201 10 00, — ex 0201 20 20, — ex 0201 20 30, — ex 0201 20 50, referred to in Annex E to Decision 97/831/EC. 3. For the purposes of attributing the quota, 100 kilo- grams live weight shall be equivalent to 50 kilograms carcase weight. 4. The ad walorem customs duty and the specific amounts of customs duty laid down in the Common Customs Tariff (CCT) shall be reduced by 80 % for products imported under the quota. Article 2 In order to import under the arrangements referred to in Article 1, applicants for import rights must be natural or physical persons who, at the time of submission of appli- cations, can prove to the satisfaction of the competent authorities of the Member State concerned that they have been active in trade in beef and veal with third countries at least once during the previous 12 months; applicants must be entered in a national VAT register. Article 3 1. The application for import rights may only be presented in the Member State in which the applicant is registered within the meaning of Article 2. 2. The application for import rights must be for a minimum quantity of 15 tonnes carcase weight and not exceed the total quantity of the quota.