(1)

The common rules concerning the export of agricultural products are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/1999 of 15 April 1999 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of export refunds on agricultural products (2) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance fixing certificates for agricultural products (3).

(2)

Exceptional circumstances prevailing in Lebanon have seriously damaged the economic interests of exporters and the situation thus created has adversely affected export opportunities under the conditions laid down in Regulations (EC) No 800/1999 and (EC) No 1291/2000.

(3)

It is therefore necessary to limit those harmful effects by adopting special measures so that export operations which have not been completed on account of the above mentioned circumstances can be regularised. In particular, derogations should be adopted from certain provisions applicable to export procedures such as those concerning time-limits in Regulations (EC) No 800/1999 and (EC) No 1291/2000, in Commission Regulation (EC) No 174/1999 of 26 January 1999 laying down special detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 804/68, as regards export licences and export refunds in the case of milk and milk products (4), in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1342/2003 of 28 July 2003 laying down special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences for cereals and rice (5) and in Commission Regulation (EC) No 633/2004 of 30 March 2004 laying down detailed rules for implementing the system of export licence in the poultry meat sector (6).

(4)

For products in the sugar sector, derogations should be provided from Commission Regulation (EC) No 1464/95 of 27 June 1995 laying down special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences in the sugar sector (7) for licences applied for before 1 July 2006, from Commission Regulation (EC) No 1138/2005 of 15 July 2005 on a standing invitation to tender to determine levies and/or refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2005/06 marketing year (8), from Commission Regulation (EC) No 951/2006 of 30 June 2006 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 as regards trade with third countries in the same sector (9) for licences applied for from 1 July 2006 and from Commission Regulation (EC) No 958/2006 of 28 June 2006 opening a standing invitation to tender to determine refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2006/07 marketing year (10).

(5)

Only those operators who can prove, on the basis of the export documents or the documents referred to in Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4045/89 of 21 December 1989 on scrutiny by Member States of transactions forming part of the system of financing by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and repealing Directive 77/435/EEC (11), that the products were destined for export to Lebanon should be allowed to benefit from the derogations.

(6)

In order to remedy the harmful effects on all operators who may have been affected by the exceptional circumstances in Lebanon, this Regulation should apply as from 1 July 2006.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committees concerned,