The products for which an import licence shall be presented are laid down in Article 1(2)(a) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 376/20089. The period of validity of the import licence and the amount of the security to be lodged shall be as set out in Annex II, Part I, to that Regulation.

Release of the animals referred to in paragraph 2 for free circulation shall be subject to presentation of the original of the veterinary certificate, or of a copy certified correct by the Community border inspection post, provided that the issuing country is the same as that indicated in box 8 of the import licence.

Without prejudice to more specific provisions, licence applications shall be made for products of a single CN code or one of the groups of the CN codes listed in the same indent in Annex I.

The information shown on the application shall be carried over to the licence.

No later than the 10th day of each month, Member States shall notify the Commission the quantities of products, in kilograms product weight or heads, for which import licences were issued in the previous month in relation to out of quota imports.

No later than 31 October each year, Member States shall notify the Commission the quantities of products, in kilograms product weight or heads, for which import licences issued during the period from 1 July of the previous year to 30 June of the year in question were unused in relation to out of quota imports.

No later than 31 October each year, Member States shall notify the Commission the quantities of products, in kilograms product weight or heads, broken down by month of import and per country of origin, which were actually released for free circulation during the period from 1 July of the previous year to 30 June of the year in question in relation to out of quota imports.

However, as of the period starting on 1 July 2009, Member States shall forward to the Commission details of the quantities of products put into free circulation as of 1 July 2009 in relation to out of quota imports in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1301/200610.

When the quantity actually imported is attributed to the licence or the extract, the country of origin must be shown in column 31 of the import licence or extract thereof in addition to the information already stipulated by Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000.

The requirement laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article is a primary requirement within the meaning of Article 20 of Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85.

By derogation from Article 49(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, the time limit of 21 days for products falling within CN code 0102 10 is replaced by 90 days.

Licence applications and licences shall contain in box 15 the product description, in box 16 the 12-figure code of the agricultural product export refund nomenclature and in box 7 the country of destination.

The product categories indicated in the second paragraph of Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 are listed in Annex VI to this Regulation.

Applications for export licences with advance fixing of the refund as referred to in Article 10(1), (2) and (3) may be lodged with the competent authorities from Monday to Friday each week.

Export licences shall be issued on the Wednesday following the week in which the application is lodged, provided that none of the particular measures referred to in paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Article have since been taken by the Commission.

However, licences applied for within the framework of Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 shall be issued immediately.

By way of derogation from the second subparagraph of this paragraph, the Commission may, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 43(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999, set a day other than Wednesday for the issuing of export licences when it is not possible to respect this day.

The measures provided for in paragraph 2 may also be adopted where export licence applications relate to quantities which exceed or might exceed the normal disposable quantities for one destination or group of destinations and issuing the licences requested would entail a risk of speculation, distortion of competition between operators, or disturbance of the trade concerned or the Community market.

If the quantities applied for are refused or reduced the security shall be immediately released for all quantities for which the application has not been accepted.

Notwithstanding paragraph 1, licences in respect of applications for a quantity not exceeding 25 tonnes of products falling within CN codes 0201 and 0202 shall be issued immediately. In such cases, notwithstanding Article 10 of this Regulation, the term of validity of the licences shall be limited to five working days from their actual day of issue within the meaning of Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, and box 20 of licence applications and licences shall indicate at least one of the entries listed in Annex VII, Part A, to this Regulation.

Quantities exported within the tolerance referred to in Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 shall not confer entitlement to payment of a refund where exportation takes place under a licence as referred to in Article 10(1), (2) and (3) of this Regulation and the licence contains the following entry in box 22:

The second indent of Article 18(3)(b) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/199911 shall not apply to special export refunds granted to products falling within CN codes 0201 30 00 9100 and 0201 30 00 9120 of the agricultural product nomenclature for export refunds established by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3846/8712 where these products have been placed under the customs warehousing procedure in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1741/200613.

This Article shall apply to exports made pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1643/2006.

Licence applications for the products indicated in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1643/2006 may be lodged only in Member States meeting the health conditions required by the importing country.

Licence applications and licences shall carry the entry ‘USA’ in box 7. Licences shall carry an obligation to export from the Member State of issue to that destination.

Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 notwithstanding, the quantities exported may not exceed those shown on the licence. Licences shall carry the entry ‘0’ in box 19.

Licences shall carry in box 22 one of the entries listed in Part B of Annex VII.

If the quantities in respect of which licences have been applied for exceed those available, the Commission shall set a single acceptance percentage for the quantities requested.

Licences shall be issued on the 10th working day following the date on which the application was lodged. No licences shall be issued for applications which have not been transmitted to the Commission.

Article 10(1), (2) and (3) of this Regulation notwithstanding, licences shall be valid 90 days from the actual day of issue, Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 applying, but not beyond 31 December of the year of issue.

Should the quantities applied for be reduced pursuant to paragraph 7 the security shall be immediately released for all quantities not granted.

Over and above the requirements specified in Article 32(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, release of security against export licences shall be conditional on presentation of proof of arrival at destination, Article 35(5) of that Regulation applying.

This Article shall apply to exports to Canada pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2051/96.

Licence applications for the products indicated in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 2051/96 may be lodged only in Member States meeting the health conditions required by the Canadian authorities.

Licence applications and licences shall carry the entry ‘Canada’ in box 7. Licences shall carry an obligation to export from the Member State of issue to that destination.

Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 notwithstanding, the quantities exported may not exceed those shown on the licence. Licences shall carry the entry ‘0’ in box 19.

Licences shall carry in box 22 one of the entries listed in Part C of Annex VII.

If the quantities for which licences have been applied for exceed those available the Commission shall set a single acceptance percentage applying to quantities requested.

Licences shall be issued on the 10th working day following the date on which the application is lodged. No licences shall be issued for applications which have not been transmitted to the Commission.

Article 10(1), (2) and (3) of this Regulation notwithstanding, licences shall be valid 90 days from the actual day of issue, Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 applying, but not beyond 31 December of the year of issue.

Should the quantities applied for be reduced pursuant to paragraph 7 the security shall be immediately released for all quantities not granted.

Over and above the requirements specified in Article 32(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, release of security against export licences shall be conditional on presentation of proof of arrival at destination, Article 35(5) of that Regulation applying.

All notifications indicated in paragraph 1, including ‘nil’ notifications, shall be made in the form shown in Annex VIII.