(1)

Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 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)

Council Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 of 22 December 2004 fixing for 2005 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in Community waters and for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (3), lays down quotas for 2005.

(2)

According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock referred to in the Annex to this Regulation by vessels flying the flag of or registered in the Member State referred to therein have exhausted the quota allocated for 2005.

(3)

It is therefore necessary to prohibit fishing for that stock and its retention on board, transhipment and landing,

(1)

Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 of 21 April 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of cross-compliance, modulation and the integrated administration and control system provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers (2), provides for reductions to be applied in the case of late submission of an aid application.

(2)

The French authorities have informed the Commission that in the four French Overseas Departments the information on areas that the farmers need in order to prepare their single application for the year 2005 in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 were not made available to the farmers in due time. Consequently, the farmers were not able to submit their single application by 15 May 2005 as provided for.

(3)

It is therefore appropriate not to apply the reductions provided for in Article 21 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 in respect of farmers in the French Overseas Departments who submitted their application at the latest one month after the information was made available to them.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments,

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6 June 2005 to the competent authorities for French Guiana,

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19 June 2005 to the competent authorities for Martinique,

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24 June 2005 to the competent authorities for Réunion,

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27 June 2005 to the competent authorities for Guadeloupe.

(1)

The EGE is an independent and multidisciplinary consultative body to the European Commission, composed of 15 members.

(2)

Some 38 applications were received following the call for expressions of interest (2). Ten of the previous EGE members are eligible for re-election (3) and nine of these wish to be considered.

(3)

It is necessary to ensure an appropriate range of professional skills and experience in the EGE membership.

(4)

Members are appointed ad personam for their personal competences and qualities,

1.

Rafael Capurro

2.

Inez de Beaufort

3.

Göran Hermerén

4.

Linda Nielsen

5.

Pere Puigdomenech Rosell

6.

Günter Virt.

1.

Emmanuel Agius

2.

Diána Bánáti

3.

Anne Cambon-Thomsen

4.

Carlo Casini

5.

Jozef Glasa

6.

Hille Haker

7.

Julian Kinderlerer

8.

Krzysztof Marczewski

9.

Paula Martinho da Silva.

(1)

Directive 97/78/EC lays down requirements for veterinary checks on consignments of certain products of animal origin coming from a third country and provides, inter alia, for the storage in customs warehouses, free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross-border means of sea transport for products which do not comply with Community animal health import conditions.

(2)

Council Directive 2002/99/EC provides that Member States are to take measures to ensure that from 1 January 2005 products of animal origin, intended for human consumption, are introduced from third countries only if they comply with the rules laid down in that Directive.

(3)

Commission Decision 2005/92/EC of 2 February 2005 as regards animal health conditions, certification and transitional provisions concerning the introduction and storage period for consignments of certain products of animal origin in free zones, free warehouses and premises of operators supplying cross border means of sea transport in the Community (3) and Commission Decision 2005/93/EC of 2 February 2005 as regards transitional provisions concerning the introduction and the storage period for consignments of certain products of animal origin in customs warehouses in the Community (4) provide for the continued storage during a transitional period until 1 January 2006 of products not complying with Community animal health rules, that were introduced into the Community before 1 January 2005, until the products are sent to their final destination in a third country.

(4)

There is a real risk that products not complying with Community animal health conditions now stored in the Community may pose a significant animal health threat to both the Community and to neighbouring third countries, and, could be sent to third countries without the consent of the competent veterinary authority of the third country of destination or transit.

(5)

Decisions 2005/92/EC and 2005/93/EC provide that from 1 January 2006 any consignments of products covered by those Decisions remaining in storage, are to be destroyed. In order to safeguard both the Community and neighbouring third countries pending such destruction, tighter controls should be put in place to ensure that consignments, not fully complying with Community animal health rules, despatched from storage in the Community have the express consent of the third country of destination and of any third country of transit.

(6)

Decisions 2005/92/EC and 2005/93/EC should therefore be amended to only permit the movements of products covered by those Decisions to a third country of destination or transit through a third country, or to vessels acting as cross border sea transport, with the express written authorisation of the competent authority of those countries, or of a responsible officer on board the vessel.

(7)

It is appropriate to provide that the person responsible for the movements of the products concerned obtains and presents the necessary written authorisations to the competent authority of the Member State in which the products are stored, before the competent authority permits the exit of the products to the final destination or for transit to such destination.

(8)

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

1.

the following Article 2a is inserted:

2.

in Article 3, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘All costs of such destruction shall be chargeable to the person responsible for the consignment.’

1.

the following Article 1a is inserted:

2.

in Article 2, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘All costs of such destruction shall be chargeable to the person responsible for the consignment.’