Article 4(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 of 18 September 2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process, amending Regulation (EC) No 2820/98, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1763/1999 and (EC) No 6/20002, provides for an annual preferential tariff quota of 11 475 tonnes of ‘baby beef’, distributed among Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo.

The Interim Agreement with Croatia, approved by Council Decision 2002/107/EC of 28 January 2002 on the conclusion of an Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part3, and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, approved by Council and Commission Decision 2004/239/EC, Euratom of 23 February 2004 concerning the conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part4, lay down annual preferential tariff quotas of 9 400 tonnes and 1 650 tonnes respectively.

Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 of 19 November 2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia5 and Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 153/2002 of 21 January 2002 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia6 provide that detailed rules for the implementation of concessions on ‘baby beef’ should be laid down.

For control purposes, Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 makes imports under the quotas of ‘baby beef’ for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, including Kosovo, subject to the presentation of a certificate of authenticity attesting that the goods originate from the issuing country and that they correspond exactly to the definition in Annex II to that Regulation. For the sake of harmonisation, imports under the quotas of ‘baby beef’ originating in Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should also be made subject to the presentation of a certificate of authenticity attesting that the goods originate from the issuing country and that they correspond exactly to the definition in Annex III to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Interim Agreement with Croatia. A model should also be established for the certificates of authenticity and detailed rules laid down for their use.

Kosovo, as defined by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999, is subject to an international civil administration by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has also set up a separate customs service. There should therefore also be a specific certificate of authenticity for goods originating in the Serbia Montenegro/Kosovo.

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 products7, and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1445/95 on rules of application for import and export licences in the beef and veal sector and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2377/808, should be applicable subject to this Regulation.

In order to ensure proper management of imports of the products concerned, import licences should be issued subject to verification, in particular of entries on certificates of authenticity.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal,