(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 lays down, pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the standard values for imports from third countries, in respect of the products and periods stipulated in the Annex thereto.

(2)

In compliance with the above criteria, the standard import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the Annex to this Regulation,

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in animals. It applies to the production and placing on the market of live animals and products of animal origin and in certain specific cases to exports thereof.

(2)

Annex X, Chapter C, to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 sets out a list of rapid tests approved for the monitoring of TSEs in bovine, ovine and caprine animals.

(3)

Changes to rapid tests and to test protocols may only be made after prior notification to the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for TSEs and provided that the CRL finds that the changes do not alter the sensitivity, specificity or reliability of the tests. On 13 April 2007, the CRL approved changes made to the currently approved TSE rapid post-mortem test ‘Enfer TSE Kit version 2.0’, and therefore recommended that the amended version (Enfer TSE version 3) should also be listed in Annex X, Chapter C, to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001.

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 461/93 of 26 February 1993 laying down detailed rules for the Community scale for the classification of carcases of ovine animals (3) has been substantially amended (4). In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Regulation should be codified.

(2)

Regulation (EEC) No 2137/92 provided for a Community-wide carcase classification standard with the object of improving market transparency in the sheepmeat sector. Detailed rules are required for the determination of market prices which are established on the basis of this classification standard. Provision should be made for the establishment of market prices at the appropriate point in the commercialisation process. This point should be at entry to the slaughterhouse. In order to ensure the uniform classification of the carcases of ovine animals in the Community, it is necessary to make the definitions of conformation classes, fat classes and colour more precise.

(3)

A system of price reporting should be established on the basis of the classification made at slaughterhouses immediately after slaughtering. This requires proper identification of carcases.

(4)

Classification should be carried out by sufficiently qualified staff. The reliability of classification must be verified by effective checks to ensure that it is applied in a homogenous manner.

(5)

Regulation (EEC) No 2137/92 provides that on-the-spot inspections are to be carried out by a Community inspection group, in order to ensure the uniform application of the Community scale for classification in the Community.

(6)

It is necessary to lay down detailed rules for the composition of the group and implementation of the on-the-spot inspections.

(7)

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

(a)

the application of the arrangements relating to the Community classification scale for ovine carcases;

(b)

the establishment of market prices according to the classification scale.

(a)

at least two Commission experts, one of whom shall act as chairman of the delegation;

(b)

one expert of the Member State concerned;

(c)

at most four experts from other Member States.

(1)

The Commission is required, by virtue of Regulation (EC) No 2320/2002, to adopt measures for the implementation of common basic standards for aviation security throughout the Community. Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2003 of 4 April 2003 laying down measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation security (2) was the first act laying down such measures.

(2)

There is a need for measures to make the common basic standards more precise. As regards Threat Image Projection (TIP) performance requirements should be laid down. It should be considered to review these requirements on a regular basis and at least every 2 years to ensure that they continue to reflect technical developments, in particular as regards the size of the library of virtual images available.

(3)

TIP should be used to enhance the performance of screeners, examining both cabin bags and hold bags, by means of projecting virtual images of threat articles into an x-ray image of a bag. There should be a minimum and maximum percentage of virtual images of threat articles to be projected into the images of bags. By screeners responding to images of bags, TIP should inform them if they have responded correctly in identifying the virtual image of the threat article. Furthermore, the library of virtual images used for TIP should be enlarged and refreshed on a regular basis, in order to take into account new threat articles and to avoid familiarity with the virtual images.

(4)

Information about the performance requirements of security equipment, including TIP, at airports should not be placed in the public domain as it could potentially be misused to circumvent security controls. The information should only be made available to regulators and equipment manufacturers.

(5)

Regulation (EC) No 622/2003 should be amended accordingly.

(6)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Civil Aviation Security,

(1)

Article 3(1) and (2) of Protocol No 1 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part (3) opens a tariff quota, at a zero rate of duty, for imports of untreated olive oil falling within CN codes 1509 10 10 and 1509 10 90 wholly obtained in Tunisia and transported directly from Tunisia to the Community, up to the limit laid down for each year.

(2)

Article 2(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1918/2006 of 20 December 2006 opening and providing for the administration of tariff quota for olive oil originating in Tunisia (4) lays down monthly quantitative limits for issuing import certificates.

(3)

Applications were submitted to the competent authorities in accordance with Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1918/2006 for import licences covering a total quantity exceeding the limit of 1 000 tonnes laid down for January.

(4)

Under these circumstances, the Commission must set a percentage allocation to allow the issue of licences in proportion to the quantity available,

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 empowers the Commission to set up executive agencies in accordance with the general statute laid down by that Regulation and to entrust them with certain management tasks relating to one or more Community programmes.

(2)

The purpose of empowering the Commission to set up executive agencies is to allow it to focus on core activities and functions which cannot be outsourced, without relinquishing control over, or ultimate responsibility for, activities managed by the said executive agencies.

(3)

Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (2) provides for the establishment of the European Research Council as a means of implementing the ‘Ideas’ (3) Specific Programme. The European Research Council shall consist of an independent Scientific Council supported by a dedicated implementation structure.

(4)

By Decision 2007/134/EC of 2 February 2007 establishing the European Research Council (4) the Commission, in addition to setting up the European Research Council (ERC) and the Scientific Council, announced the setting-up of the dedicated implementation structure as an executive agency, to be established by a separate act in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 58/2003.

(5)

Management of the ‘Ideas’ Specific Programme involves implementation of research projects which does not entail political decision-making and requires a high level of scientific and financial expertise throughout the project cycle.

(6)

The delegation, to an executive agency, of tasks related to programme execution is possible with a clear separation between the programming stage, this being established by the Scientific Council and adopted by the Commission, and implementation, which would be entrusted to the executive agency, according to the principles and methodology established by the Scientific Council.

(7)

A cost-benefit analysis carried out for that purpose showed that using an executive agency to manage the activities of the European Research Council would be advantageous both in financial and non-financial terms.

(8)

The Agency should implement its operating budget in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1653/2004 of 21 September 2004 which establishes a standard financial regulation for the executive agencies pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 laying down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of Community programmes (5).

(9)

The measures provided for by this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Executive Agencies,

(1)

On 12 June 2007, the Council adopted Joint Action 2007/405/CFSP on the European Union police mission undertaken in the framework of reform of the security sector (SSR) and its interface with the system of justice in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUPOL RD Congo) (1) for an initial duration of one year. The mission was launched on 1 July 2007.

(2)

On 18 June 2007, the Council approved Guidelines for Command and Control Structure for EU Civilian Operations in Crisis Management. Those Guidelines provide, inter alia, that a Civilian Operation Commander will exercise command and control at strategic level for the planning and conduct of all civilian crisis management operations under the political control and strategic direction of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) and the overall authority of the Secretary-General/High Representative for the CFSP (SG/HR). Those Guidelines further provide that the Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) established within the Council Secretariat will, for each civilian crisis management operation, be the Civilian Operation Commander.

(3)

The abovementioned Command and Control Structure is without prejudice to the contractual responsibility of the Head of Mission to the Commission for implementation of the Mission’s budget.

(4)

The Watch-Keeping Capability established within the Council Secretariat should be activated for this Mission.

(5)

Joint Action 2007/405/CFSP should be amended accordingly,

1.

the following Article 3a shall be inserted:

2.

paragraphs 2 to 8 of Article 5 shall be replaced by the following:

3.

paragraph 3 of Article 6 shall be replaced by the following:

(*1)   OJ L 101, 11.4.2001, p. 1. Decision as amended by Decision 2007/438/EC (OJ L 164, 26.6.2007, p. 24).’;"

4.

Article 7 shall be replaced by the following:

5.

Article 8 shall be replaced by the following:

6.

Article 14 shall be replaced by the following:

7.

the following Article shall be inserted:

8.

the following paragraph shall be added to Article 17:

‘The Decisions of the PSC pursuant to Article 8(1), regarding the appointment of the Head of Mission, shall also be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.’.

(1)

The Convention drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on mutual assistance and cooperation between customs administrations (2) (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) was signed at Brussels on 18 December 1997 and will enter into force 90 days after the notification by the State, Member of the European Union at the time of adoption by the Council of the Act drawing up the Convention, which is last to complete that formality.

(2)

In accordance with Article 32(4) of the Convention until the Convention enters into force, any Member State may, when giving the notification referred to in Article 32(2) of the Convention, or at any other later time, declare that as far as it is concerned the Convention, shall apply to its relations with Member States that have made the same declaration.

(3)

Following their accession to the European Union, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia have deposited their instruments of accession to the Convention.

(4)

Article 3(3) of the Act of Accession provides that Bulgaria and Romania are to accede to the conventions and protocols concluded between the Member States and listed in Annex I to the Act of Accession, which includes, inter alia, the Convention on mutual assistance and cooperation between customs administrations. Those conventions and protocols are to enter into force in relation to Bulgaria and Romania on the date determined by the Council.

(5)

In accordance with Article 3(4) of the Act of Accession, the Council is to make all adjustments required by reason of accession to those conventions and protocols,

(1)

The Convention, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests (2) (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) was done at Brussels on 26 July 1995 and entered into force on 17 October 2002.

(2)

The Convention was supplemented by the Protocol, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests (3) (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol of 27 September 1996), which was done at Brussels on 27 September 1996, and the Protocol, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests (4) (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol of 29 November 1996), which was done at Brussels on 29 November 1996. Both Protocols entered into force on 17 October 2002.

(3)

The Convention was further supplemented by the Second Protocol, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests (5) (hereinafter referred to as the Second Protocol of 19 June 1997), which was done at Brussels on 19 June 1997 but which has not yet entered into force.

(4)

Article 3(3) of the 2005 Act of Accession provides that Bulgaria and Romania accede to the conventions and protocols listed in Annex I to the Act of Accession, which include, inter alia, the Convention, the Protocol of 27 September 1996, the Protocol of 29 November 1996 and the Second Protocol of 19 June 1997. The conventions and the protocols listed in Annex I to the 2005 Act of Accession are to enter into force in relation to Bulgaria and Romania on the date determined by the Council,