29.6.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 175/49 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 958/2006 of 28 June 2006 on a standing invitation to tender to determine refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2006/07 marketing year THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 of 20 February 2006 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (1), and in particular Articles 23(4) and 40(1)(g) thereof, Whereas: (1) In view of the situation on the Community and world sugar markets, a standing invitation to tender should be opened as soon as possible for the export of white sugar in respect of the 2006/07 marketing year which, having regard to possible fluctuations in world prices for sugar, must provide for the determination of export refunds. (2)  The general rules governing invitations to tender for the purpose of determining export refunds for sugar estab- lished by Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 should be applied. (3) In trade between the Community, on the one hand, and Bulgaria and Romania, on the other hand, import duties and export refunds still apply for certain sugar products and the level of export refunds is considerably higher than import duties. With the above countries due to join the European Union, this difference may result in speculative trade movements. (4 In order to prevent any abuse associated with the reimport or reintroduction into the Community of sugar sector products that have qualified for export refunds, no export refund should be fixed for the countries of the western Balkans. (5)  In view of the specific nature of the operation, appro- priate provisions should be laid down with regard to export licences issued in connection with the standing invitation to tender, in particular as regards the deadline for the issue of the licences, their period of () O L 58, 28.2.2006, p. 1. validity, the amount of the security and the quantity for which the obligation to export resulting from the licence is met. However, 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 certificates for agricultural products (3 and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 120/89 of 19 January 1989 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the export levies and charges on agricultural products (%) must continue to apply. (6)  The provisions of this Regulation replace, as regards the partial invitations to tender in July 2006, those of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1138/2005 of 15 July 2005 on a standing invitation to tender to determine levies and/or refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2005/06 marketing year (%). For the sake of transparency and legal clarity, therefore, that Regulation should be repealed with effect from 1 July 2006. (7)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Sugar, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. A standing invitation to tender shall be opened in order to determine export refunds on white sugar covered by CN code 1701 99 10 for all destinations excluding Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro (%), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and for Romania. During the period of validity of this standing invitation, partial invitations to tender shall be issued. 2. The standing invitation to tender shall be open until 27 September 2007. (®» OJ L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 410/2006 (O] L 71, 10.3.2006, p. 7). () OJ L 16, 20.1.1989, p. 19. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 910/2004 (O] L 163, 30.4.2004, p. 63). () OJ L 185, 16.7.2005, p. 3. () Including Kosovo, under the aegis of the United Nations, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999.