Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 15. 12. 1999 COM(1999) 663 final 1999/0278 (ACC) Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules (presented by the Commission) EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 of 7 March 1994 lays down common rules for imports of certain textile products from third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules. The amendments to Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 of 7 March 1994 that Commission proposes are the following: the 1. 2. 3. The common quantitative restrictions for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia have been split in line with the proposal of the Commission for the renewal of Council Regulation (EC) No 70/97, which establishes the splitting of existing global concessions into country specific ones for the two countries above. Based on the trade patterns and actual utilisation of quantitative limits for the last three years (1996-98), is 70% Croatia and 30% Bosnia-Herzegovina. Consequently, Annexes IIIB and VI of Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 have been amended accordingly. 1 the proposed split The quantitative restrictions have also been increased by the same rates (country and category specific) as applied in the Council Decision (EC) 90/649 of 24 September 1990 concerning the conclusion of a supplementary protocol to the co-operation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on trade in textile products. Such increases are part of the possible improvements to current measures called for by the General Affairs Council of 13 September 1999. 2 The 1999 quantitative restrictions for Category 6 (trousers, slacks, shorts) have been increased to absorb pending import requests from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, the quotas for that Category having been exhausted. 1 2 See enclosed tables for detailed calculations. Idem 2 1999/0278 (ACC) Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission3, Whereas: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 3 4 5 6 Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 of 7 March 1994 on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules4, as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1457/975, and in particular its Annexes IIIB and VI, establishes the annual quantitative limits for certain products originating in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, Council Regulation (EC) No. …/99 of. 1999 concerning the Autonomous Import Regime applicable to products originating in former Yugoslav Republics6 introduces the splitting of the existing global concessions into country specific ones for Bosnia- Herzegovina and Croatia, It is appropriate to also follow this approach for textiles products, and thus to split the existing common quantitative restrictions into country specific ones for Bosnia- Herzegovina (30%) and Croatia (70%) according to the trade patterns and actual utilisation of quantitative limits for the last three years (1996-98), and therefore to amend Annexes IIIB and VI to Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94, The General Affairs Council of 13 September 1999 invited the Commission to examine possible improvements to the current measures, It is therefore appropriate to increase the quota levels for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, taking as a basis the quota growth rate per category which was foreseen by in to the co-operation Agreement between the European a supplementary protocol OJ C …, …, p. … OJ L67, 10. 3. 1994, p. 1 OJ L 199, 26. 7. 1997, p. 6 OJ L. ,. 1999, p; … 3 Economic Community and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on trade in textile products, concluded by Council Decision (EC) 90/649 of 24 September 1990, 7 (6) The quota levels for Category 6 for the year 1999 for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia should be increased in order to absorb certain pending import requests, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Annexes IIIB and VI to Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 shall be replaced by those appearing in the Annex to this Regulation. Article 1 Article 2 In order to accommodate certain additional requests for import authorisations made in 1999, in Annex IIIB under “Republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia”, under Category 6 “Quantity” “1 415” will be replaced by “1 465”. Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Article 1 shall apply with effect from 1 January 2000. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, For the Council The President 7 OJ L 352, 15. 12. 1990, p. 120 4 ANNEX I "ANNEX IIIB ANNUAL COMMUNITY QUANTITATIVE LIMITS REFERRED TO IN THE FOURTH INDENT OF ARTICLE 2(1) Republic of Bosnia- Herzegovina Republic of Croatia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) Category Unit Quantity Category Unit Quantity Category Unit Quantity 1 2 tonnes 2. 123,5 tonnes 2. 627,6 1 2 Tonnes 4. 954,9 tonnes 6. 131,0 2a tonnes 593,8 2a tonnes 1. 385,5 3 5 6 7 8 9 15 16 67 tonnes 293,1 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 757,4 445,7 257,3 831,2 tonnes 278,6 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 245,7 183,0 229,6 3 5 6 7 8 9 15 16 67 tonnes 684,0 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1. 767,3 1. 040,0 600,4 1. 939,4 tonnes 650,1 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 573,4 427,1 535,7 1 2 2a 3 5 6 7 8 9 15 16 67 tonnes tonnes tonnes tonnes 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces tonnes 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 2. 309 2. 848 644 312 662 349 201 888 292 257 192 241 5 ANNEX II "ANNEX VI OUTWARD PROCESSING TRAFFIC ANNUAL COMMUNITY QUANTITATIVE LIMITS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4 Republic of Bosnia- Herzegovina Republic of Croatia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) Category Unit Quantity Category Unit Quantity Category Unit Quantity 5 6 7 8 15 16 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1. 544,0 3. 465,3 2. 138,0 4. 040,4 1. 895,2 1. 040,5 5 6 7 8 15 16 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 3. 602,6 8. 085,6 4. 988,7 9. 427,6 4. 422,1 2. 427,9 5 6 7 8 15 16 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 1 000 pieces 000 1 pieces 1. 231 3. 585 1. 832 4. 296 1. 914 1. 061 6