Applications for import rights shall be submitted in the first seven days of the month preceding each of the subperiods referred to in Article 2(2).

A security of EUR 6 per 100 kilograms net weight shall be lodged at the time of submission of an import rights application.

Applicants for import rights shall, when presenting their first application for a given quota year, submit the proof that a quantity of beef falling under CN codes 0201 or 0202 has been imported by them or on their behalf under the relevant customs provisions, during the 12-month period immediately prior to their first application (hereinafter ‘ the reference quantity ’ ). A company formed by the merger of companies, each having imported reference quantities, may use those reference quantities as basis for its application.

The total quantity covered by an application for import rights submitted in the import tariff quota subperiod shall not exceed 25 % of the applicant's reference quantity. Applications not complying with this rule shall be rejected by the competent authorities.

Member States shall notify the Commission, by the 14th day of the month in which applications are submitted, of the total quantities, including nil returns, of all applications, expressed in kilograms of product weight.

Import rights shall be awarded as from the 23rd day of the month in which applications are submitted and at the latest by the last day of that month.

If application of the allocation coefficient referred to in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 results in fewer import rights to be allocated than had been applied for, the security lodged in accordance with paragraph 2 shall be released proportionally without delay.

Import rights shall be valid from the first day of the subperiod for which the application has been submitted until 31 December 2015 . Import rights shall not be transferable.