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 Article 187 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
By Council Decision (EU) 2017/38, the Council authorised, on behalf of the European Union, the provisional application, of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Canada, of the other part (‘the Agreement’).
(2)
Article 2.4 of the Agreement provides for the reduction and elimination of customs duties on imports of goods originating in Canada in accordance with Annex 2-A thereto. Paragraph 2 of that Annex provides that the Parties of the Agreement have to eliminate all customs duties on certain originating goods upon the date of entry into force of that Agreement. This rule should apply on milk and milk products imported in the Union.
(3)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 lays down rules as regards an import tariff quota No 09.4513 for Cheddar cheese originating in Canada. Since the Agreement provides for the elimination of customs duties on milk products, that import tariff quota should be abolished. Therefore, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 concerning the management of that tariff quota should be deleted. Furthermore, it is appropriate to update certain provisions in Annex XI to that Regulation.
(4)
Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly. The proposed amendments should apply as from the date of the provisional application of the Agreement and therefore this Regulation should enter into force as soon as possible.
(5)
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: