24.5.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 13221 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 558/2007 of 23 May 2007 opening and providing for the administration of an import tariff quota for young male bovine animals for fattening THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal (1), and in particular Article 32(1) thereof, Whereas, The WTO schedule CXL requires the Community to open an annual import tariff quota for 169 000 heads of young male bovine animals for fattening. However, as a result of negotiations which led to 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 (3, approved by Council Decision 2006/333/EC (?), the Community undertook to incorporate in its schedule for all Member States an adjustment of that import tariff quota to 24 070 heads. It is necessary to lay down the detailed rules for the opening and management of this import tariff quota for periods from 1 July to 30 June of the following year. Pursuant to Article 29(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999, imports into the Community should be managed using import licences. However, it is appro- priate to manage this quota by attributing import rights as a first step and issuing import licences as a second, as provided for in Article 6(3) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 of 31 August 2006 laying down common rules for the administration of import tariff quotas for agricultural products managed (") OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 21. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1913/2005 (O] L 307, 25.11.2005, p. 2). () O] L 124, 11.5.2006, p. 15. () O] L 124, 11.5.2006, p. 13. 4 by a system of import licences (%). In this way, operators that have obtained import rights should be able to decide, during the course of the quota period, the moment when they wish to apply for import licences, in view of their actual trade flows. In any case, Regu- lation (EC) No 1301/2006 limits the period of validity of licences to the last day of the import tariff quota period. Rules should be laid down on the submission of appli- cations and the information to be given on applications and licences, where necessary by addition to or by way of derogation from certain provisions of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1445/95 of 26 June 1995 on rules of application for import and export licences in the beef and veal sector and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2377/80 (°) and 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 certificates for agricultural products (%). Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 lays down in particular detailed provisions on applications for import rights, the status of applicants and the issue of import licences. The provisions of that Regulation should apply, from 1 July 2007, to imports licences issued pursuant to this Regu- lation, without prejudice to additional conditions laid down in this Regulation. With a view to preventing speculation, the quantities available within the quota should be made accessible to operators able to show that they are genuinely engaged in import of a significant scale from third countries. In consideration of this and in order to ensure efficient management, the traders concerned should be required to have imported a minimum of 50 animals during each of the two reference periods referred to in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, given that a consignment of 50 animals may be considered to be a commercial viable consignment. Moreover, for adminis- trative reasons, Member States should be allowed to accept certified copies of the documents proving the existence of trade with third countries. () OJ L 238, 1.9.2006, p. 13. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 289/2007 (O] L 78, 17.3.2007, p. 17). (®) OJ L 143, 27.6.1995, p. 35. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1965/2006 (O] L 408, 30.12.2006, p. 27). (6 OJ L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1913/2006 (O] L 365, 21.12.2006, p. 52).