By Decision (EU) 2016/2369, the Council authorised the signature, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol of Accession to the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Ecuador (‘the Protocol’). Pursuant to Decision (EU) 2016/2369, the Protocol is to be applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures for its conclusion. The Protocol applies on a provisional basis from 1 January 2017.

Annex II to the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, of the other part (‘the Agreement’), concerns the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation. For a number of products, Appendix 2A to that Annex provides for derogations from the rules of origin set out in that Annex in the framework of annual quotas. It is therefore necessary to lay down the conditions for the application of those derogations for imports from Ecuador.

The quotas set out in Appendix 2A to Annex II to the Agreement should be managed by the Commission on the basis of the chronological order of dates of acceptance of customs declarations for release for free circulation in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447.

Entitlement to benefit from the tariff concessions should be subject to the presentation of the relevant proof of origin to the customs authorities.

In order to ensure the smooth application of the quota system set up by the Protocol, this Regulation should apply from the same date as that of the provisional application of the Protocol.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee,