1.2.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 27)3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 169/2006 of 31 January 2006 derogating from Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 as regards the issue of import licences under tranche No 1 of subquota III for common wheat of a quality other than high quality THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in cereals (1), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 (3 opened an annual tariff quota of 2 981 600 tonnes of common wheat of a quality other than high quality. That quota is divided into three subquotas. 20 Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 fixed a quantity of 592 900 tonnes for tranche No 1 of subquota III for the period 1 January to 31 March 2006. (3)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 4/2006 (}) laid down the percentage of import licences that could be issued on the basis of the information in the Commission’s possession on 2 January 2006. However, one Member State subsequently informed the Commission that a large number of applications submitted by its operators were inadmissible. As a result, against all expectations, consi- derable quantities remain available for the period concerned. Those quantities should therefore be laid down and a derogation made from the first sentence of Article 3(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 by authorising, exceptionally, the lodging of new licence applications for these quantities in accordance with the rules laid down by Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002. (4 The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Cereals, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 By way of derogation from the first sentence of Article 3(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002, import licence applications may be lodged from Monday, 6 February 2006 for the quan- tities of 464 879,874 tonnes available under subquota III referred to in Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002 for the period from 1 January to 31 March 2006. The applications shall be lodged under the terms laid down by Regulation (EC) No 2375/2002, and in particular Article 5 thereof. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 February 2006. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 31 January 2006. () O] L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 78. Regulation as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1154/2005 (O] L 187, 19.7.2005, p. 11). (®» OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 88. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 777/2004 (O] L 123, 27.4.2004, p. 50). () OJ L 2, 5.1.2006, p. 3. For the Commission Mariann FISCHER BOEL Member of the Commission