31976R3086

18 . 12 . 76 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 348 / 1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC) No 3086/76 of 13 December 1976 opening, allocating and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for port wines, falling within heading No ex 22.05 of the Common Customs Tariff, originating in Portugal ( 1977)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN to the abovementioned quotas and uninterrupted COMMUNITIES, application of the rates laid down for these quotas to all imports of the products concerned into all Member Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European States until the quotas have been used up ; whereas, Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43 and 113 thereof, having regard to the principles mentioned above, the Community nature of the quotas can be respected by Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, allocating the Community tariff quota among the Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia­ Member States : ment ( J), Whereas Article 4 of Protocol 8 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Whereas, in order to reflect most accurately the actual Portuguese Republic (2), as amended by the Interim development of the market in the products concerned, Agreement between the European Economic Commu­ such allocation should be in proportion to the needs nity and the Portuguese Republic (3), provides that of the Member States, assessed by reference both to customs duties on imports into the Community of the statistics of each State's imports from Portugal certain wines originating in Portugal, shall be over a representative period and to the economic reduced : outlook for the quota period concerned ; — by 60 % in the case of the duties applicable to port wines falling within subheadings ex 22.05 C III a) 1 and ex 22.05 C IV a) 1 of the Common Customs Tariff, up to a total annual tariff quota of Whereas available Community statistics give no infor­ 35 000 hi, and mation on the situation of port wines on the markets ; — by 50 % in the case of the duties applicable to whereas, however, Portuguese statistics for exports of port wines falling within subheadings ex 22.05 C these products to the Community during the past III b) 1 and ex 22.05 C IV b) 1 of the Common three years can be considered to reflect approximately Customs Tariff up to a total annual tariff quota of the situation of Community imports ; whereas on this 280 000 hi ; basis the corresponding imports by each of the Member States for the past three years represent the Whereas this reduction applies, in the case of the following percentages of the imports into the Commu­ Community as originally constituted, to the Common nity from Portugal of the products concerned : Customs Tariff duties ; whereas in the case of the new Member States, this reduction applies up to and 1 973 1974 1975 including 30 June 1977 to such duties as these States apply at any given moment to imports from third countries and from 1 July 1977 to the Common Port wines : Customs Tariff duties ; whereas these wines will — in receptacles contai­ remain subject to the provisions governing the ning two litres or less : common organization of the market in wine ; — Benelux 14-4 13-4 18-8 — Denmark 3-5 4-1 60 Whereas it is in particular necessary to ensure for all 13-7 7-2 15-3 — Germany Community importers equal and uninterrupted access — France 27-1 27-9 290 — Ireland 0-4 0-6 0-4 (») OJ No C 259, 4. 11 . 1976, p. 37. — Italy 26-4 29-9 161 (2) OJ No L 301 , 31 . 12. 1972, p. 165. — United Kingdom 14-5 16-9 144 (3) OJ No L 266, 29 . 9 . 1976, p. 2.

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end of the quota period ; whereas this method of 1973 1974 1975 administration calls for close cooperation between Member States and the Commission , which must, in particular, be able to observe the extent to which the — in receptacles con­ quota amounts are used and inform Member States taining more than two litres : thereof ;

— Benelux 13-4 140 13-4 — Denmark 81 4-5 5-5 Whereas if, at a specified date in the quota period, a 91 110 10-4 considerable balance of one of the initial quota shares — Germany remains in one or other Member State it is essential — France 40-9 41 0 39-4 — Ireland 1-7 1-5 1-2 that that Member State pays a large amount of it back — — — , — Italy into the reserve, in order to avoid a part of one or — United Kingdom 26-8 28 0 301 other of the Community quotas remaining unused in one Member State when it could be used in others ;

Whereas, since the Kingdom of Belgium, the Whereas, in view of these data and the estimates Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of submitted by certain Member States, initial quota Luxembourg are united in and represented by the shares may be fixed approximately at the following Benelux Economic Union, all transactions concerning percentages : the administration of shares granted to the abovemen­ tioned economic union may be carried out by any of its members, Port wines in receptacles containing

two litres more than or less two litres HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :

Benelux 16-6 14-6 Denmark 4-8 6-6 Article 1 Germany 14-9 8-7 France 29-7 42-5 Ireland 0-8 0-8 1 . For the period from 1 January to 31 December Italy 18-8 01 1977, Community tariff quotas shall be opened for United Kingdom 144 26-7 products originating in Portugal, and within the limits listed below :

CCT Quota Description amount Whereas, in order to take into account import trends heading No for the products concerned in the different Member States, each of the quota amounts should be divided ex 22.05 C III a) 1 35 000 hi into two instalments, the first instalment being allo­ ex 22.05 C IV a) 1 j Port wines

cated among the Member States and the second ex 22.05 C III b) 1 forming a reserve intended ultimately to cover the 280 000 hi ex 22.05 C IV b) 1 j Port wines requirements of the Member States which have used up their initial quota shares ; whereas, in order to ensure a certain degree of security for importers in 2. The Common Customs Tariff duties on wines each Member State, the first instalment of the imported within these tariff quotas shall be suspended Community quotas should be determined at a level at the rates listed below : which, under present circumstances, may be 90 % of each of the quota amounts ;

CCT heading No Rate of duty Whereas the initial quota shares of the Member States 54 u.a./ hl ex 22.05 C III a) 1 may be used up at different times ; whereas, in order ex 22.05 C IV a) 1 5-8 u.a./ hl to take this fact into account and avoid any break in ex 22.05 C III b) 1 5-5 u.a./hl continuity, any Member State having used up almost ex 22.05 C IV b) 1 6-0 u.a./ hl the whole of any one of its initial quota shares should draw an additional quota share from the corres­ ponding reserve ; whereas this must be done by each 3 . Within the limits of these tariff quotas and up to Member State when each of its additional quota shares and including 30 June 1977, the new Member States is almost entirely used up, and repeated as many times shall apply the duties calculated in accordance with as the reserve allows ; whereas the initial and addi­ the provisions set out in Protocol 8 annexed to the tional quota shares must be available for use until the Agreement and in the Act of Accession .

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Article 2 4. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 , 2 and 3, the Member States may proceed to draw shares smaller 1 . The tariff quotas laid down in Article 1 shall be than those fixed in those paragraphs if there is any divided into two instalments . reason to believe that those shares might not be used up. They shall inform the Commission of the reasons which led them to apply this paragraph. 2. A first instalment of each quota shall be shared among the Member States ; the shares which, subject to Article 5, shall be valid until 31 December 1977 Article 4 shall consist of the following amounts :

(in hectolitres) Each of the additional shares drawn pursuant to Article 3 shall be valid until 31 December 1977. Port wines under subheadings

ex 22.05 C III a) 1 ex 22.05 C III b) 1 and and ex 22.05 C IV a) 1 ex 22.05 C IV b) 1 Article 5

Benelux 5 250 36 790 The Member States shall return to the reserve, not Denmark 1 500 16 630 later than 1 October 1977, the unused portion of their Germany 4 690 22 000 initial share which, on 15 September 1977, is in France 9 350 107 100 excess of 20 % of the initial amount. They may return Ireland 250 2 000 a larger quantity if there are reasons to believe that Italy 5 920 100 such quantity might not be used. United Kingdom 4 540 67 380

Total 31 500 252 000 The Member States shall, not later than 1 October 1977, notify the Commission of the total imports of the products concerned effected up to 15 September 1977 inclusive and charged against the Community 3. The second instalment of each quota, 3 500 quotas and, where appropriate, the proportion of their hectolitres and 28 000 hectolitres respectively, shall initial shares that is being returned to each reserve. constitute the reserve .

Article 6 Article 3 The Commission shall keep account of the shares 1 . If 90 % or more of one of the initial shares of a opened by Member States in accordance with Articles Member State, as laid down in Article 2 (2) or 90 % or 2 and 3 and shall inform each of them of the extent more of that share less the amount returned into the to which the reserves have been used as soon as it reserve, where the provisions of Article 5 have been receives the notifications. applied, has been exhausted, that Member State shall proceed without delay, by notifying the Commission, The Commission shall, not later than 5 October 1977, to draw a second share equal to 1 5 % of its initial notify Member States of the amount in each reserve share, rounded up to the next unit where appropriate, after the return of shares pursuant to Article 5. to the extent that the amount in the reserve allows . The Commission shall ensure that any drawing which 2. If, after one or other of its initial shares has been uses up any reserve is limited to the balance available exhausted, 90 % or more of the second share drawn and for this purpose, shall specify the amount thereof by a Member State has been used, that Member State to the Member State which makes the final drawing. shall proceed in the manner specified in paragraph 1 to draw a third share equal to 7-5 % of its initial share, rounded up to the next unit where appropriate, Article 7 to the extent that the amount in the reserve allows. 1 . The Member States shall take all appropriate 3 . If, after one of its second shares has been measures to ensure that, when additional shares are exhausted, 90 % or more of the third share drawn by drawn pursuant to Article 3, it is possible for charges a Member State has been used, that Member State to be made, without interruption, against their accu­ shall proceed in the manner specified in paragraph 1 , mulated shares of the Community tariff quotas. to draw a fourth share equal to the third. 2. The Member States shall ensure that importers This process shall be applied until the reserve is of the said goods established in their territory have exhausted . free access to the shares allocated to them .

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3. The extent to which a Member State has used up Article 9 its shares shall be determined on the basis of the imports originating in Portugal as and when the goods The Member States and the Commission shall coop­ are entered for home use. erate closely in order to ensure that the provisions of this Regulation are observed. Article 8 Article 10 At the Commission s request Member States shall inform it of imports of the products concerned actu­ This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January ally charged against their shares. 1977 .

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States .

Done at Brussels, 13 December 1976.

For the Council

The President

M. van der STOEL