(1)

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part (1), entered into force on 1 December 1997.

(2)

Article 21 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in European Coal and Steel Community (hereinafter referred to as the ECSC) products is to be governed by Title III of that Agreement, save for Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an agreement on quantitative arrangements concerning exchanges of ECSC steel products.

(3)

On 9 July 2002 the ECSC and the Government of the Russian Federation concluded such an Agreement on trade in certain steel products (2) (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement), approved on behalf of the ECSC by Commission Decision 2002/603/ECSC (3).

(4)

The ECSC Treaty expired on 23 July 2002 and the European Community took over all rights and obligations contracted by the ECSC.

(5)

The Parties agreed pursuant to Article 10(2) of the Agreement that it should be continued and that all rights and obligations of the Parties should be maintained after such expiry.

(6)

The Parties entered into consultations as provided for in Article 2(4) of the Agreement and agreed to increase the quantitative limits set out in Annex II thereto to take account of the enlargement of the European Union. Moreover, the Parties agreed to increase the quantitative limits with regard to Declaration No 1 of the Agreement on the setting up by Russian operators of service centres in the European Union. Those increases have been the subject of a new agreement that entered into force on the day of its signature (4).

(7)

Furthermore, the Government of the Russian Federation has requested, in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Agreement, to carry over, within the authorised limits for each product group, certain amounts of the quantitative limits not used during the year 2003.

(8)

Commission Decision 2002/602/ECSC (5) should be amended accordingly,

(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)

Pursuant to Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1915/83 (2), the liaison agency forwards the farm returns to the Commission according to the technical specifications laid down in Annex III of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2237/77 of 23 September 1977 on the form of farm return to be used for the purpose of determining incomes of agricultural holdings (3). For reasons of clarity, it is appropriate to define the moment at which the farm returns can be considered to have been forwarded to the Commission taking into account the development in those technical specifications.

(2)

Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 1915/83 provides furthermore that the liaison agency shall forward all the farm returns to the Commission not later than nine months after the end of the accounting year to which they relate. It is appropriate to prolong this period for the accounting year 2003, to give the liaison agencies time to adjust their work organisation in order to respect the new definition of the moment at which the farm returns can be considered to have been forwarded to the Commission.

(3)

Regulation (EEC) No 1915/83 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Community Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1227/2000 (2) postponed to 31 July 2004 the time limit laid down in the first subparagraph of Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for derogating from Article 2(2). In order to resolve the latest practical difficulties, that time limit should be postponed once again. Applying the various provisions regarding the grant of the derogation imposes a serious and complex administrative burden, particularly as regards checks and penalties. In the interests of sound administration, the date in question should therefore be postponed definitively to 31 July 2005.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 1227/2000 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(3)

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

(1)

Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 provides that the difference between quotations or prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1 of that Regulation and prices for those products in the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

The refunds must be fixed taking into account the factors referred to in Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1501/95 of 29 June 1995 laying down certain detailed rules under Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the granting of export refunds on cereals and the measures to be taken in the event of disturbance on the market for cereals (2).

(3)

As far as wheat and rye flour, groats and meal are concerned, when the refund on these products is being calculated, account must be taken of the quantities of cereals required for their manufacture. These quantities were fixed in Regulation (EC) No 1501/95.

(4)

The world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the refund for certain products according to destination.

(5)

The refund must be fixed once a month. It may be altered in the intervening period.

(6)

It follows from applying the detailed rules set out above to the present situation on the market in cereals, and in particular to quotations or prices for these products within the Community and on the world market, that the refunds should be as set out in the Annex hereto.

(7)

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

(1)

Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 provides that the export refund applicable to cereals on the day on which an application for an export licence is made must be applied on request to exports to be effected during the period of validity of the export licence. In this case, a corrective amount may be applied to the refund.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1501/95 of 29 June 1995 laying down certain detailed rules under Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the granting of export refunds on cereals and the cereals and the measures to be taken in the event of disturbance on the market for cereals (2), allows for the fixing of a corrective amount for the products listed in Article 1(1)(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92. That corrective amount must be calculated taking account of the factors referred to in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1501/95.

(3)

The world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the corrective amount according to destination.

(4)

The corrective amount must be fixed at the same time as the refund and according to the same procedure; it may be altered in the period between fixings.

(5)

It follows from applying the provisions set out above that the corrective amount must be as set out in the Annex hereto.

(6)

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

(1)

Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 provides that the difference between quotations or prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1 of that Regulation and prices for those products within the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

The refunds must be fixed taking into account the factors referred to in Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1501/95 of 29 June 1995 laying down certain detailed rules under Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the granting of export refunds on cereals and the measures to be taken in the event of disturbance on the market for cereals (2).

(3)

The refund applicable in the case of malts must be calculated with amount taken of the quantity of cereals required to manufacture the products in question. The said quantities are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1501/95.

(4)

The world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the refund for certain products according to destination.

(5)

The refund must be fixed once a month. It may be altered in the intervening period.

(6)

It follows from applying these rules to the present situation on markets in cereals, and in particular to quotations or prices for these products within the Community and on the world market, that the refunds should be as set out in the Annex hereto.

(7)

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

(1)

Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 provides that the export refund applicable to cereals on the day on which application for an export licence is made, adjusted for the threshold price in force during the month of exportation, must be applied on request to exports to be effected during the period of validity of the export licence. In this case, a corrective amount may be applied to the refund.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1501/95 of 29 June 1995 laying down certain detailed rules under Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the granting of export refunds on cereals and the measures to be taken in the event of disturbance on the market for cereals (2) allows for the fixing of a corrective amount for the malt referred to in Article 1(1)(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92. That corrective amount must be calculated taking account of the factors referred to in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1501/95.

(3)

It follows from applying the provisions set out above that the corrective amount must be as set out in the Annex hereto.

(4)

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

(1)

Article 2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2681/74 of 21 October 1974 on Community financing of expenditure incurred in respect of the supply of agricultural products as food aid (3) lays down that the portion of the expenditure corresponding to the export refunds on the products in question fixed under Community rules is to be charged to the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guarantee Section.

(2)

In order to make it easier to draw up and manage the budget for Community food aid actions and to enable the Member States to know the extent of Community participation in the financing of national food aid actions, the level of the refunds granted for these actions should be determined.

(3)

The general and implementing rules provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 and in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 on export refunds are applicable mutatis mutandis to the abovementioned operations.

(4)

The specific criteria to be used for calculating the export refund on rice are set out in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 3072/95.

(5)

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

(1)

Pursuant to Article 26 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2799/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards the grant of aid for skimmed milk and skimmed-milk powder intended for animal feed and the sale of such skimmed-milk powder (2), intervention agencies have put up for sale by standing invitation to tender certain quantities of skimmed-milk powder held by them.

(2)

According to Article 30 of the said Regulation, in the light of the tenders received in response to each individual invitation to tender a minimum selling price shall be fixed or a decision shall be taken to make no award. The amount of the processing security shall also be fixed taking account of the difference between the market price of skimmed-milk powder and the minimum selling price.

(3)

In the light of the tenders received, the minimum selling price should be fixed at the level specified below and the processing security determined accordingly.

(4)

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

(1)

The intervention agencies are, pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2571/97 of 15 December 1997 on the sale of butter at reduced prices and the granting of aid for cream, butter and concentrated butter for use in the manufacture of pastry products, ice cream and other foodstuffs (2), to sell by invitation to tender certain quantities of butter of intervention stocks that they hold and to grant aid for cream, butter and concentrated butter. Article 18 of that Regulation stipulates that in the light of the tenders received in response to each individual invitation to tender a minimum selling price shall be fixed for butter and maximum aid shall be fixed for cream, butter and concentrated butter. It is further stipulated that the price or aid may vary according to the intended use of the butter, its fat content and the incorporation procedure, and that a decision may also be taken to make no award in response to the tenders submitted. The amount(s) of the processing securities must be fixed accordingly.

(2)

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

(1)

In accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) No 429/90 of 20 February 1990 on the granting by invitation to tender of an aid for concentrated butter intended for direct consumption in the Community (2), the intervention agencies are opening a standing invitation to tender for the granting of aid for concentrated butter. Article 6 of that Regulation provides that in the light of the tenders received in response to each special invitation to tender, a maximum amount of aid is to be fixed for concentrated butter with a minimum fat content of 96 % or a decision is to be taken to make no award; the end-use security must be fixed accordingly.

(2)

In the light of the tenders received, the maximum aid should be fixed at the level specified below and the end-use security determined accordingly.

(3)

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

(1)

Pursuant to Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2771/1999 of 16 December 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards intervention on the market in butter and cream (2), intervention agencies have put up for sale by standing invitation to tender certain quantities of butter held by them.

(2)

In the light of the tenders received in response to each individual invitation to tender a minimum selling price shall be fixed or a decision shall be taken to make no award, in accordance with Article 24a of Regulation (EC) No 2771/1999.

(3)

In the light of the tenders received, a minimum selling price should be fixed.

(4)

The Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,

(1)

In accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001, a world market price for unginned cotton is to be determined periodically from the price for ginned cotton recorded on the world market and by reference to the historical relationship between the price recorded for ginned cotton and that calculated for unginned cotton. That historical relationship has been established in Article 2(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the cotton aid scheme (3). Where the world market price cannot be determined in this way, it is to be based on the most recent price determined.

(2)

In accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001, the world market price for unginned cotton is to be determined in respect of a product of specific characteristics and by reference to the most favourable offers and quotations on the world market among those considered representative of the real market trend. To that end, an average is to be calculated of offers and quotations recorded on one or more European exchanges for a product delivered cif to a port in the Community and coming from the various supplier countries considered the most representative in terms of international trade. However, there is provision for adjusting the criteria for determining the world market price for ginned cotton to reflect differences justified by the quality of the product delivered and the offers and quotations concerned. Those adjustments are specified in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001.

(3)

The application of the above criteria gives the world market price for unginned cotton determined hereinafter,

(1)

Pursuant to Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001, production refunds may be granted on the products listed in Article 1(1)(a) and (f) of that Regulation, on syrups listed in Article 1(1)(d) thereof and on chemically pure fructose covered by CN code 1702 50 00 as an intermediate product, that are in one of the situations referred to in Article 23(2) of the Treaty and are used in the manufacture of certain products of the chemical industry.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1265/2001 of 27 June 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 as regards granting the production refund on certain sugar products used in the chemical industry (2) provides that these refunds shall be determined according to the refund fixed for white sugar.

(3)

Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1265/2001 provides that the production refund on white sugar is to be fixed at monthly intervals commencing on the first day of each month.

(4)

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

(1)

The intervention agencies are, pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2571/97 of 15 December 1997 on the sale of butter at reduced prices and the granting of aid for cream, butter and concentrated butter for use in the manufacture of pastry products, ice-cream and other foodstuffs (2), to sell by invitation to tender certain quantities of butter from intervention stocks that they hold and to grant aid for cream, butter and concentrated butter. Article 18 of that Regulation stipulates that in the light of the tenders received in response to each individual invitation to tender a minimum selling price shall be fixed for butter and maximum aid shall be fixed for cream, butter and concentrated butter. It is further stipulated that the price or aid may vary according to the intended use of the butter, its fat content and the incorporation procedure, and that a decision may also be taken to make no award in response to the tenders submitted. The amount(s) of the processing securities must be fixed accordingly.

(2)

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

(1)

Pursuant to Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 214/2001 of 12 January 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards intervention on the market in skimmed milk (2), intervention agencies have put up for sale by standing invitation to tender certain quantities of skimmed-milk powder held by them.

(2)

In the light of the tenders received in response to each individual invitation to tender a minimum selling price shall be fixed or a decision shall be taken to make no award, in accordance with Article 24a of Regulation (EC) No 214/2001.

(3)

In the light of the tenders received, a minimum selling price should be fixed.

(4)

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

(1)

Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 provides that the rates of duty in the Common Customs Tariff are to be charged on import of the products referred to in Article 1 of that Regulation. However, in the case of the products referred to in paragraph 2 of that Article, the import duty is to be equal to the intervention price valid for such products on importation and increased by 55 %, minus the cif import price applicable to the consignment in question. However, that duty may not exceed the rate of duty in the Common Customs Tariff.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 10(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003, the cif import prices are calculated on the basis of the representative prices for the product in question on the world market.

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 1249/96 lays down detailed rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 as regards import duties in the cereals sector.

(4)

The import duties are applicable until new duties are fixed and enter into force.

(5)

In order to allow the import duty system to function normally, the representative market rates recorded during a reference period should be used for calculating the duties.

(6)

Application of Regulation (EC) No 1249/96 results in import duties being fixed as set out in Annex I to this Regulation,

(1)

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part (1), entered into force on 1 December 1997.

(2)

Article 21 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement provides that trade in European Coal and Steel Community (hereinafter referred to as ‘the ECSC’) products is to be governed by Title III of that Agreement, save for Article 15 thereof, and by the provisions of an Agreement on quantitative arrangements concerning exchanges of ECSC steel products.

(3)

On the 9 July 2002 the ECSC and the Government of the Russian Federation concluded such an Agreement on trade in certain steel products (2) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’), approved on behalf of the ECSC by Commission Decision 2002/603/ECSC (3).

(4)

The ECSC Treaty expired on 23 July 2002 and the European Community took over all rights and obligations contracted by the ECSC.

(5)

Pursuant to Article 10(2) of the Agreement the Parties agreed that it should be continued and that all rights and obligations of the Parties should be maintained after such expiry.

(6)

The Parties entered into consultations as provided for in Article 2(4) of the Agreement and agreed to increase the quantitative limits set out in the Agreement to take into account the enlargement of the European Union.

(7)

Furthermore, the Parties agreed to increase the quantitative limits also with regard to Declaration No 1 of the Agreement on the setting up of service centres in the European Union.

(8)

The amending Agreement should be approved,

(1)

Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 2535/2001 lays down a procedure for the verification of the fat content of New Zealand butter presented for release into free circulation in the Community under the current access quota specified under quota number 09.4589 of Annex III.A to that Regulation.

(2)

This procedure is based on statistical principles. An essential element of this procedure is the use of a typical process standard deviation of the fat content of butter made according to a defined specification in a specified production plant and known in advance by the control authorities in Member States where the declaration for release into free circulation in the Community is presented.

(3)

The identification of the factories and the corresponding typical process standard deviation are contained in the Annex to Commission Decision 2001/651/EC (3).

(4)

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority, by letter dated 23 April 2004, notified the Commission of new registered factory names.

(5)

Decision 2001/651/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,