1.   The tariff quotas in Annex I are hereby opened for the import of products in the egg sector and for egg albumin under the CN codes indicated therein.

The tariff quotas shall be open on an annual basis for the period from 1 July to 30 June the following year.

2.   The quantity of products covered by the quotas referred to in paragraph 1, the applicable rate of customs duty, the order numbers and the group numbers shall be as set out in Annex I.

1.   The quantity set for the annual tariff quota period for the group number E1 shall be subdivided into four subperiods, as follows:

2.   The quantity set for the annual tariff quota period for the group numbers E2 and E3 shall be subdivided into four subperiods, as follows:

3.   For the purposes of this Regulation, weight shall be converted into shell egg equivalent according to the standard rates of yield fixed in Annex 69 to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 (6).

1.   For the purposes of applying Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, import licence applicants shall, when submitting their first application for a given quota period, furnish proof that they imported or exported, during each of the two periods referred to in that Article, at least 50 tonnes of products (shell egg equivalent) covered by Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75 and Regulation (EEC) No 2783/75 or that they are accredited for the treatment of egg products in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7).

2.   Licence applications may refer to only one of the order numbers indicated in Annex I to this Regulation. They may relate to several products under different CN codes. In such cases, all the CN codes and their descriptions must be entered in boxes 16 and 15, respectively, of the licence application and the licence itself. In the case of groups E2 and E3, the total quantity shall be converted into shell egg equivalent.

Applications must be for a minimum of one tonne and a maximum of 10 % of the quantity available for the quota concerned and in the subperiod in question.

3.   Licence applications and licences shall contain the following entries:

Box 24 of the licences shall contain one of the entries listed in Annex II, Part B.

1.   Licence applications shall be submitted only during the first seven days of the month preceding each subperiod referred to in Article 3.

2.   A security of EUR 20 per 100 kilograms shall be lodged at the time of submission of the licence application.

3.   By way of derogation from Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, each applicant may submit several applications for import licences for products covered by a single order number, provided these products originate in different countries. Separate applications for each country of origin must be submitted simultaneously to the competent authority of a Member State. They shall be regarded as a single application, for the purposes of the maximum referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 4(2) of this Regulation.

4.   Not later than the fifth day following the end of the period for submission of applications, Member States shall notify the Commission of the total quantities, in kilograms (egg shell equivalent weight), applied for in respect of each group.

5.   The licences shall be issued from the seventh working day and, at the latest, by the eleventh working day following the end of the notification period provided for in paragraph 4.

6.   If necessary, the Commission shall establish any quantities that have not been applied for, and these shall be added automatically to the quantity for the following quota subperiod.

1.   By way of derogation from the second subparagraph of Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, Member States shall notify the Commission by the end of the first month of each quota subperiod of the total quantities in kilograms (shell egg equivalent weight) for which licences have been issued, as referred to in Article 11(1)(b) of this Regulation.

2.   Member States shall communicate to the Commission, before the end of the fourth month following each annual quota period, the quantities actually released for free circulation under this Regulation during the period concerned for each order number, by CN code and by country of origin, expressed in kilograms (shell egg equivalent weight).

3.   By way of derogation from the second subparagraph of Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006, Member States shall notify the Commission of the quantities, expressed in kilograms (shell egg equivalent weight), to which unused or partially used import licences relate, first when the application for the last subperiod is sent, and again before the end of the fourth month following each annual period.

1.   By way of derogation from Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 the import licences shall be valid for 150 days from the first day of the subperiod for which they have been issued.

2.   Without prejudice to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000, the rights deriving from the licences may be transferred only to transferees satisfying the eligibility conditions set out in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1301/2006 and Article 4(1) of this Regulation.