THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007, and in particular points (a), (c) and (d) of Article 187 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council provides for preferential arrangements for 2014 as regards customs duties for imports of certain goods originating in Ukraine. In accordance with Article 3 of that Regulation the agricultural products listed in Annex III thereto are to be admitted for import into the Union within the limits of the tariff quotas as set out in that Annex. The quotas referred to in Annex III to that Regulation are to be administered by the Commission in accordance with Article 184(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.
(2)
While the quota concerned should normally be managed through the use of import licences, it is however appropriate to attribute import rights as a first step and to issue import licences as a second, as provided for in Article 6(3) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006. 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.
(3)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 376/2008 should apply to import licences issued under this Regulation, save where derogations are appropriate.
(4)
Furthermore, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 which concern applications for import rights, the status of applicants and the issue of import licences should apply to import licences issued pursuant to this Regulation, without prejudice to additional conditions laid down in this Regulation.
(5)
For appropriate administration of the tariff quotas, a security should be lodged at the time of submission of an import rights application, and at the time of issue of an import licence.
(6)
In order to oblige operators to apply for import licences for all the import rights allocated, it should be provided that such obligation constitutes a primary requirement within the meaning of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 282/2012.
(7)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1001/2013 has replaced some CN codes in Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 by new CN codes which now differ from those referred to in Regulation (EU) No 374/2014. The new CN codes should therefore be reflected in Annex I to this Regulation.
(8)
Since the quotas referred to in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 374/2014 are open only until 31 October 2014, this Regulation should enter into force as soon as possible.
(9)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: