(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)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1422/95 of 23 June 1995 laying down detailed rules of application for imports of molasses in the sugar sector and amending Regulation (EEC) No 785/68 (2), stipulates that the cif import price for molasses established in accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) No 785/68 (3), is to be considered the representative price. That price is fixed for the standard quality defined in Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68.

(2)

For the purpose of fixing the representative prices, account must be taken of all the information provided for in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68, except in the cases provided for in Article 4 of that Regulation and those prices should be fixed, where appropriate, in accordance with the method provided for in Article 7 of that Regulation.

(3)

Prices not referring to the standard quality should be adjusted upwards or downwards, according to the quality of the molasses offered, in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68.

(4)

Where there is a difference between the trigger price for the product concerned and the representative price, additional import duties should be fixed under the terms laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95. Should the import duties be suspended pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95, specific amounts for these duties should be fixed.

(5)

The representative prices and additional import duties for the products concerned should be fixed in accordance with Articles 1(2) and 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95.

(6)

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

(1)

Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that the difference between quotations or prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1(1)(a) of that Regulation and prices for those products within the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that when refunds on white and raw sugar, undenatured and exported in its unaltered state, are being fixed account must be taken of the situation on the Community and world markets in sugar and in particular of the price and cost factors set out in Article 28 of that Regulation. The same Article provides that the economic aspect of the proposed exports should also be taken into account.

(3)

The refund on raw sugar must be fixed in respect of the standard quality. The latter is defined in Annex I, point II, to Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001. Furthermore, this refund should be fixed in accordance with Article 28(4) of that Regulation. Candy sugar is defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2135/95 of 7 September 1995 laying down detailed rules of application for the grant of export refunds in the sugar sector (2). The refund thus calculated for sugar containing added flavouring or colouring matter must apply to their sucrose content and, accordingly, be fixed per 1 % of the said content.

(4)

In special cases, the amount of the refund may be fixed by other legal instruments.

(5)

The refund must be fixed every two weeks. It may be altered in the intervening period.

(6)

The first subparagraph of Article 27(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that refunds on the products referred to in Article 1 of that Regulation may vary according to destination, where the world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets make this necessary.

(7)

The significant and rapid increase in preferential imports of sugar from the western Balkan countries since the start of 2001 and in exports of sugar to those countries from the Community seems to be highly artificial.

(8)

To prevent any abuse through the re-import into the Community of sugar products in receipt of an export refund, no refund should be set for all the countries of the western Balkans for the products covered by this Regulation.

(9)

In view of the above and of the present situation on the market in sugar, and in particular of the quotations or prices for sugar within the Community and on the world market, refunds should be set at the appropriate amounts.

(10)

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

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1327/2004 of 19 July 2004 on a standing invitation to tender to determine levies and/or refunds on exports of white sugar (2), for the 2004/2005 marketing year, requires partial invitations to tender to be issued for the export of this sugar to certain third countries.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1327/2004 a maximum export refund shall be fixed, as the case may be, account being taken in particular of the state and foreseeable development of the Community and world markets in sugar, for the partial invitation to tender in question.

(3)

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

(1)

The representative prices and additional duties applicable to imports of white sugar, raw sugar and certain syrups for the 2004/2005 marketing year are fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1210/2004 (3). These prices and duties have last been amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1358/2004 (4).

(2)

The data currently available to the Commission indicate that the said amounts should be changed in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1423/95,

(1)

An invitation to tender for the maximum reduction in the duty on maize imported into Spain from third countries was opened pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1341/2004 (2).

(2)

Pursuant to Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 (3) the Commission, acting under the procedure laid down in Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003, may decide to fix maximum reduction in the import duty. In fixing this maximum the criteria provided for in Articles 6 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 must be taken into account. A contract is awarded to any tenderer whose tender is equal to or less than the maximum reduction in the duty.

(3)

The application of the abovementioned criteria to the current market situation for the cereal in question results in the maximum reduction in the import duty being fixed at the amount specified in Article 1.

(4)

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

(1)

Directive 92/65/EEC lays down the animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals and amending Council Directive 92/65/EEC (2), lays down the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals and the rules applicable to checks on such movement. One of the aims of that Regulation is to ensure uniformity of the rules applicable to trade and non-commercial movements of animals and to avoid fraud.

(3)

In addition, Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 amended Directive 92/65/EEC so that that Directive provides that to be the subject of trade, dogs, cats and ferrets are to satisfy the requirements set out in that Regulation.

(4)

Accordingly, it is appropriate to adopt for the importation into the Community for trade of dogs, cats and ferrets rules corresponding to those for the non-commercial importation of those animals while maintaining the clinical examination required by Article 16 of Directive 92/65/EEC.

(5)

It is appropriate to ensure that the rules and principles applied by third country certifying officers provide sufficient guarantees. Therefore only the importation into the Community for trade of dogs, cats and ferrets coming from the countries listed in the Annex to Council Decision 79/542/EEC of 21 December 1976 drawing up a list of third countries or parts of third countries, and laying down animal and public health, and veterinary certification conditions, for importation into the Community of certain live animals and their fresh meat (3) or in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 should be authorised.

(6)

A model certificate for non-commercial movements from third countries of dogs, cats and ferrets has been established by Decision 2004/203/EC (4) in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 998/2003. A model certificate for the importation into the Community for trade of dogs, cats and ferrets should accordingly be established.

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 has amended Article 10 of Directive 92/65/EEC in order to put in line conditions applying to trade of dogs, cats and ferrets to the conditions applying to non-commercial movements and, as a consequence, Commission Decision 94/273/EC of 18 April 1994 concerning veterinary certification for placing on the market in United Kingdom and Ireland of dogs and cats not originating in those countries (5) should be repealed.

(8)

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

(a)

they come from third countries listed in: Annex II to Decision 79/542/EEC or listed in Section 2 of Part B and Part C of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 998/2003;

(b)

they are accompanied by a certificate in accordance with the model set out in the Annex to this Decision.

(1)

Objective 2 of the Structural Funds is to support the economic and social conversion of areas facing structural difficulties.

(2)

The Commission and the Member States seek to ensure that assistance is genuinely concentrated on the areas most seriously affected and at the most appropriate geographical level.

(3)

The ceiling for eligible population is 192 000 habitants, in accordance with Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, laying down the ceiling for the Slovak Republic at 31 % of the population of the NUTS II regions not covered by Objective 1.

(4)

The Commission, on the basis of proposals from the Member States and in close concertation with the Member State concerned, draws up the list of the areas eligible under Objective 2 with due regard to national priorities,