THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal(1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2345/2001(2), and in particular Article 32(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Council Decision 2002/979/EC of 18 November 2002 on the signature and provisional application of certain provisions of an Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part(3), provides that certain provisions of the Agreement be applied temporarily pending its entry into force. These provisions include Article 71(5) of the Agreement, under which, as from 1 February 2003, a tariff quota of 1 000 tonnes of beef and veal shall be opened and shall be increased annually by 100 tonnes.
(2) The quotas concerned should be managed through the use of import licences. To this end, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance-fixing certificates for agricultural products(4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2299/2001(5), and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1445/95 of 26 June 1995 on rules of application for import and export licences in the beef and veal sector and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2377/80(6), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 24/2001(7), are applicable subject to certain derogations.
(3) Chile has undertaken to issue certificates of authenticity for the products in question attesting that the goods originate in Chile. The specimen certificate of authenticity needs to be updated and the rules for its use need to be laid down.
(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 936/97 of 27 May 1997 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quotas for high-quality fresh, chilled and frozen beef and for frozen buffalo meat(8), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1524/2002(9), provides for certificates of authenticity for periods of 12 months starting on 1 July for a number of beef quotas and veal quotas. To ensure that all imports are managed in a uniform manner, similar implementing rules should be laid down for the quotas for beef and veal originating in Chile.
(5) In order to ensure proper management of imports of the products concerned, import licences should be issued subject to verification, in particular of the entries on the certificates of authenticity.
(6) The reimbursement in full of import duty as a result of the exemption from the duty that is applicable from 1 February 2003 is applied in accordance with Article 236 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code(10), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2700/2000(11), and with Articles 878 and following of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code(12), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 444/2002(13).
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: