Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily suspending some or all of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain fishery products (1998)
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 10. 07. 1998 COM(1998) 430 final Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily suspending some or all of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain fishery products (1998) (presented by the Commission) EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 1. During the first quarter of this year, the Commission, assisted by the Economic Tariff Problems Group, reviewed all the requests for temporary suspension of autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties presented to it by the Member States, including requests for extending suspensions currently in force. 2. The attached proposal concerns fishery products. For industrial and agricultural products, the proposal for a Regulation temporarily suspending the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties is before the Council. 3. Requests for suspension relating to the above products were examined in the light of the Commission concerning the criteria set out in the communication from autonomous tariff suspensions and quotas (see OJ C 128, 25. 4. 1998, p. 2). In the light ol this review, the Commission considers that the suspension of duties is justified for the products listed in the attached proposal for a Regulation. 4. As can be seen from Article 1 of the above-mentioned proposal for a Regulation, the period of validity of the proposed measure is 5 months. Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No /98 of 1998 amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily suspending some or all of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain fishery products (1998) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 28 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas the Community relies at present on imports from third countries for supplies of certain fishery products; whereas it is in the interest of the Community to suspend partially or totally the customs duties for these products;1 whereas, in order to avoid endangering the prospects for developing the production of competitive products in the Community while ensuring that the industries concerned receive the necessary supplies, it to is advisable 31 December 1998, these suspension measures only from 1 August to adopt Whereas it is for the Community to decide to suspend these autonomous duties, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article / 1. From 1 August to 31 December 1998 the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on "fillets and meat of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma), in the form of industrial blocks, frozen, for processing (a) (b)" (Taric codes ex 0304 20 85 10 and ex 0304 90 61 10) are hereby suspended at the level of 4%. 2. Imports of these products shall qualify for the suspension referred to in paragraph 1 only provided that the free-at-frontier price laid down by the Member States, in (EEC) No 3759/92 of accordance with Article 22 of Council Regulation in fishery and 17 December 1992 on the common organisation of the market 2 aquaculture products, is not lower than the reference price fixed or to be fixed by the Community for the products or categories of products in question. OJ No L 356, 31. 12. 1997, p. 9. OJ No L 388, 31. 12. 1992, p. 1, as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1891/93 of 12. 7. 1993 (OJ N oL 172, 15. 7. 1993, p. 1). 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 August 1998. /it ItCLC L This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at , 1998 For the Council The President FINANCIAL STATEMENT 1. Budget heading involved: Chapter 12 Article 120 2 Title of operation: Proposal for a Council Regulation amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 2632/97 temporarily suspending all or some of the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain fishery products (1998). 3- Legal basis: Article 28 of the EC Treaty. 4- Objective: Suspension of the CCT duties for the above products. 5. Measures aimed at prevention and protection: Checks on the end-use of some of the products covered by this Council Regulation will be carried out in accordance with Articles 291 to 304 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of the Community Customs Code. 6. Cost: It is proposed that autonomous duties on "fillets and meat of Alaska pollack in the form of industrial blocks, frozen, for processing (Theragra chalcogramma), (a) (b)" (Taric codes ex 0304 20 85 10 and ex 0304 90 61 10) be reduced from 7. 5 % to 4% for the period 1 August-31 December 1998. On the basis of the most recent EUROSTAT statistics (1996), the additional loss of revenue is estimated at ECU 2 875 000, a figure calculated as follows: 1996 imports ( 12 months) Forecast imports in period 1. 8-31. 12. 1998 Original autonomous duty Amended autonomous duty Additional loss ECU 82 134 000 x (7. 5 - 4)/l()0 - ECU 197 122 000 ECU 82 134 000 7. 5% 4% 2 875 000 ECU Estimated cost of the current operation (1. 1. 1998-31. 12. 1998) The amount of duty foregone as a result of the proposed measure can be estimated at ECU 37 498 000 + 2 875 000 = 40 373 000, compared with ECU 38 565 000 foregone in respect of the previous measure (1. 1. 1997 to 31. 12. 1997). ST ISSN 0254-1475 COM(98) 430 final DOCUMENTS EN 02 03 06 Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-442-EN-C ISBN 92-78-37998-0 Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-29 8 5 L u x e m bo u rg (a