2.8.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 212)7 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1179/2006 of 1 August 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas in the poultrymeat sector THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organisation of the market in poultrymeat (1), and in particular Article 3(2) and Article 6(1) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 (?) provides for the opening and administration of tariff quotas in the poultrymeat sector. (2)  The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the United States of America pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 (%), approved by Council Decision 2006/333/EC (%), provides for an increase of the annual import tariff quota of poultrymeat, erga omnes, of 49 tonnes for certain fresh, chilled or frozen chicken carcass, of 4 070 tonnes for fresh, chilled or frozen chicken cuts, of 1 605 tonnes for cuts of fowls and of 201 tonnes for fresh, chilled or frozen turkey meat. (3)  The increase of the quota for cuts of fowls makes no more necessary the measure provided for in the second paragraph of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1251/96. 4 In view of the possible accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union as from 1 January 2007, it is advisable to provide for a different period for lodging the licence applications for the first quarter of the year 2007. (5)  Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 should be amended accordingly. (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat and Eggs, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 1251/96 is amended as follows: 1. In Article 2, the second paragraph is deleted. 2. In paragraph 1 of Article 5, the following subparagraph is added: ‘For the period of 1 January to 31 March 2007 licence applications shall be lodged during the first fifteen days of January 2007’ 3. The Annexes are replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publi- cation in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 July 2006. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 1 August 2006. () OJ L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 77. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 679/2006 (O] L 119, 4.5.2006, p. 1). (®» OJ L 161, 29.6.1996, p. 136. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1043/2001 (O] L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 24). () O] L 124, 11.5.2006, p. 15. () O] L 124, 11.5.2006, p. 13. For the Commission Mariann FISCHER BOEL Member of the Commission