L 146/10 Official Journal of the European Union 13.6.2003 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 999/2003 of 2 June 2003 adopting autonomous and transitional measures concerning the import of certain processed agri- cultural products originating in Hungary and the export of certain processed agricultural products to Hungary THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and in particular Article 133(2) and (4) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: ) ) 0 Protocol No 3 to the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Europe Agreement’ and approved by Decision 93/742[Euratom, ECSC, EC of the Council and of the Commission of 13 December 1993 (!), provides for tariff concessions for processed agricultural products originating in Hungary. Protocol No 3 was amended by the Adaptation Protocol (}) adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement. It was improved by Decision No 2/2002 of the EC-Hungary Association Council (). A trade agreement has recently been concluded which amends the Adaptation Protocol. It aims to improve economic convergence in preparation for accession and should enter into force not later than 1 July 2003. On the Community side this agreement lays down conces- sions in the form of completed liberalisation of trade for certain processed agricultural products and duty free quotas for others. For imports outside of these quotas the current provisions continue to apply. The procedure for adopting a decision to amend the Adaptation Protocol will not be completed in time for it to enter into force on 1 July 2003. It is therefore neces- sary to provide for the application of the concessions made to Hungary on an autonomous basis from 1 July 2003. For the importation of certain goods no duties should be applied. For certain other goods tariff quotas should L 347, 31.12.1993, p. 1. L 28, 2.2.1999, p. 3. L 172, 2.7.2002, p. 24. be opened; those quotas should be reduced pro rata to the quotas used in accordance with Commission Regula- tion (EC) No 748/2002 of 29 April 2002 on the suspen- sion and opening of tariff quotas applicable to the importation into the Community of certain processed agricultural products originating in Hungary (). For goods originating in the European Community and exported to Hungary, which shall benefit from duty free or duty free quotas in Hungary, no export refunds shall be granted. This will be subject to a decision by the Commission under the procedure laid down in Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (°). Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (°) provides for a system for managing tariff quotas. The tariff quotas granted by this Regulation should be managed by the Community authorities and the Member States in accordance with this system. The measures necessary to implement this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Decision 1999/ 468/EC, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 1. Atrticle 1 From 1 July 2003 on imports of processed agricultural products originating in Hungary listed in Annex I no duties shall be applied. () OJ L 115, 1.5.2002, p. 15. () OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. () OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula- tion (EC) No 444/2002 (O] L 68, 12.3.2002, p. 11).