(1)

Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway of 14 May 1973 (3) (‘the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway’) and Protocol 3 to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘EEA Agreement’) (4) as amended by the Decision of the EEA joint committee No 140/2001 of 23 November 2001 amending Protocols 2 and 3 to the EEA Agreement, concerning processed and other agricultural products (5), determine the trade arrangements between the Union and the Kingdom of Norway for certain agricultural and processed agricultural products.

(2)

Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement provides for a zero rate of duty for waters containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured, classified under CN code 2202 10 00, and other non-alcoholic beverages not containing products of headings 0401 to 0404 or fat obtained from products of headings 0401 to 0404, classified under CN code 2202 90 10.

(3)

Since 1 January 2017, CN code 2202 90 has been replaced by CN codes 2202 91 00 and 2202 99. Therefore, this Regulation should cover products of CN codes 2202 10 00, ex 2202 91 00 and ex 2202 99.

(4)

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Kingdom of Norway concerning Protocol 2 to the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway (6) (‘the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters’) temporarily suspends the duty-free regime applied under Protocol 2 to goods classified under CN codes 2202 10 00 (waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured) and ex 2202 90 10 (other non-alcoholic beverages containing sugar) replaced by CN codes 2202 10 00, ex 2202 91 00 and ex 2202 99. In accordance with the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters, duty-free imports of those goods, originating in Norway, are to be allowed only within the limits of a duty-free quota. A duty is to be paid for imports that exceed that duty-free quota.

(5)

It is further set out in the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters that if the tariff quota has not been exhausted by 31 October of a given year, the products in question will be granted unlimited duty free access to the Union from 1 January to 31 December of the following year.

(6)

The annual quota for 2020 for the products in question opened by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2154 (7) had not been exhausted by 31 October 2020. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2122 (8) consequently provided that the duty regime laid down in the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letter was not to apply to imports into the Union from 1 January to 31 December 2021, thus granting the goods concerned unlimited duty-free access to the Union.

(7)

The Agreement in the Form of an Exchange of Letters requires that the duty-free quota for those waters and beverages be opened again for 2022. The last annual quota for those products was opened for 2020 by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2154. As no annual quota was opened for 2021, it is appropriate to set the quota volume for 2022 at the same level as for 2020.

(8)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on horizontal questions concerning trade in processed agricultural products not listed in Annex I,