An Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedule of the Republic of Croatia in the course of its accession to the European Union (‘the Agreement’) was signed on 25 November 2016. Its signature on behalf of the European Union was authorised by Council Decision (EU) 2016/1995 and its conclusion by Council Decision (EU) 2017/730.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the European Union is to allocate an additional 78 000 tonnes to the present allocation for Brazil under the EU tariff rate quota ‘Raw Cane sugar, for refining’, tariff item 1701.13.10 and 1701.14.10, maintaining the present in quota rate of EUR 98 per tonne, and to allocate an additional 36 000 tonnes to the present allocation under the ‘Any third country’ part of the EU tariff rate quota ‘Raw Cane sugar, for refining’, tariff item 1701.13.10 and 1701.14.10, maintaining the present in quota rate of EUR 98 per tonne.

As regards the volume of 78 000 tonnes allocated to Brazil under the EU tariff rate quota, the Agreement further provides that the European Union is to autonomously apply an in quota rate of no more than EUR 11 per tonne for the first six years during which this volume is available and an in quota rate of no more than EUR 54 per tonne in the seventh year.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 891/2009 provides for the opening and the administration of tariff quotas in the sugar sector, including those originating in Brazil and Any third country. To implement the tariff quotas for sugar laid down in the Agreement, it is therefore necessary to amend that Regulation accordingly.

The proposed amendments should apply from the date of entry into force of the Agreement.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,