PART IIITRADE WITH THIRD COUNTRIES
CHAPTER IIImports
Section IIIImport quota management
Article 144Tariff quotas
1
Tariff quotas for imports of products referred to in Article 1 resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty or from any other act of the Council shall be opened and administered by the Commission under detailed rules adopted by the Commission.
2
Tariff quotas shall be administered in a manner which avoids any discrimination between the operators concerned, by applying one of the following methods or a combination of them or another appropriate method:
a
a method based on the chronological order of the lodging of applications (‘first come, first served’ principle);
b
a method of distribution in proportion to the quantities requested when the applications were lodged (using the ‘simultaneous examination method’);
c
a method based on taking traditional trade patterns into account (using the ‘traditional/newcomers method’).
3
The method of administration adopted shall, where appropriate, give due weight to the supply requirements of the Community market and the need to safeguard the equilibrium of that market.