16.2.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 46/3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 312/2001 of 15 February 2001 laying down detailed rules of application for the importation of olive oil originating in Tunisia and derogating from certain provisions of Regulations (EC) No 1476/95 and (EC) No 1291/2000 THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Decision 2000/822/EC of 22 December 2000 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Tunisia concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amendment of the Agricultural Protocols to the EC[Tunisia Association Agreement (), Having regard to Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22 September 1966 on the establishment of a common organ- isation of the market in oils and fats (?), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2826/2000 (%), Whereas: (1)  Decision 2000/822/EC introduces a special scheme under Article 3 of Protocol 1 of the Agreement for the import into the Community, at a zero rate of duty, of a quota of olive oil falling within CN codes 1509 and 1510, wholly obtained in Tunisia and transported direct from there to the Community. 2)  The supply of olive oil to the Community market allows the proposed quantity to be disposed of in principle without disturbing the market, provided that the imports are not concentrated in a short period of the marketing year but are instead staggered between January and October. Provision should be made for import licences to be issued in the period in question according to a monthly schedule. (3)  For the sound management of the quantity in question, a mechanism must be created that encourages the opera- tors to return immediately to the issuing agency licences that they will not use. It is also necessary to create a mechanism encouraging the operators to return the licences to the issuing agency after their date of expiry so that the unused quantities can be re-used. (4  Oil imported from Tunisia under the special scheme may not exceed a given quantity. Therefore, the toler- ance laid down in Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance fixing certi- ficates for agricultural products (*) should not be applied. (5)  Special detailed rules relating to the imports should be laid down. It is necessary in particular to fix the term of validity of the licences and the amount of the applicable () O] L 336, 30.12.2000, p. 92. () O] 172, 30.9.1966, p. 3025/66. () O] L 328, 23.12.2000, p. 2. ( O] L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1. security, notwithstanding Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1476/95 (°). (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for QOil and Fats, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. From 1 January each year, the quota of untreated olive oil falling within CN codes 1509 10 10 and 1509 10 90 wholly obtained in Tunisia and transported direct from that country to the Community, which is provided for in Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an asso- ciation between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, may be imported at a zero rate of duty. The import licences shall be issued up to the quota limit laid down for each year. 2. For each year and without prejudice to the limit laid down for the tariff quota bearing the serial No 09.4032, licences may be issued in accordance with the conditions laid down in the first paragraph, up to a limit of: — 1000 tonnes for each month of January and February, — 4000 tonnes for the month of March, — 8000 tonnes for the month of April, — 10000 tonnes for each month from May to October. If one of the monthly quantities referred to in the preceding paragraph is not used entirely in the month in question, what remains of this quantity can be used the following month, once the quantity for that month has been exhausted, but may not be carried over thereafter. 3. For the purposes of calculating the quantity authorised each month, where a week begins in one month and finishes in the following month, it must be considered part of the month in which the Thursday falls. Article 2 1.  With a view to applying the exemption from customs duty referred to in Article 1, importers must submit an import licence application to the competent authorities of the Member States. Such applications must be accompanied by a copy of the purchase contract concluded with the Tunisian exporter. () O] L 145, 29.6.1995, p. 35.