(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)

In view of the situation on the Community and world sugar markets, a standing invitation to tender should be issued as soon as possible for the export of white sugar in respect of the 2005/2006 marketing year which, having regard to possible fluctuations in world prices for sugar, must provide for the determination of export levies and/or export refunds.

(2)

The general rules governing invitations to tender for the purpose of determining export refunds for sugar established by Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 should be applied.

(3)

In view of the specific nature of the operation, appropriate provisions should be laid down with regard to export licences issued in connection with the standing invitation to tender and there should be a derogation from Commission Regulation (EC) No 1464/95 of 27 June 1995 on special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences in the sugar sector (2). However, 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) and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 120/89 of 19 January 1989 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the export levies and charges on agricultural products (4) must continue to apply.

(4)

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

(1)

In order to ensure uniform application of the Combined Nomenclature annexed to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87, it is necessary to adopt measures concerning the classification of the goods referred to in the Annex to this Regulation.

(2)

Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 has laid down the general rules for the interpretation of the Combined Nomenclature. Those rules also apply to any other nomenclature which is wholly or partly based on it or which adds any additional subdivision to it and which is established by specific Community provisions, with a view to the application of tariff and other measures relating to trade in goods.

(3)

Pursuant to the said general rules, the goods described in column 1 of the table set out in the Annex to this Regulation should be classified under the CN code indicated in column 2, by virtue of the reasons set out in column 3.

(4)

It is appropriate to provide that binding tariff information issued by the customs authorities of Member States in respect of the classification of goods in the Combined Nomenclature and which is not in accordance with this Regulation, can, for a period of three months, continue to be invoked by the holder, under Article 12(6) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code (2).

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee,

(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)

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 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 2 of Regulation (EC) No 2771/1999 lays down that buying-in is to be opened or suspended by the Commission in a Member State, as appropriate, once it is observed that, for two weeks in succession, the market price in that Member State is below or equal to or above 92 % of the intervention price.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1038/2005 (3) establishes the most recent list of Member States in which intervention is suspended. This list must be adjusted as a result of the market prices communicated by the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 2771/1999. In the interests of clarity, the list in question should be replaced and Regulation (EC) No 1038/2005 should be repealed,

(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 Community’s fishing effort for vessels fishing for sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak is laid down provisionally in Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 27/2005.

(2)

Pursuant to point 6(c) of this Annex the Commission shall revise the fishing effort for 2005 based on advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) on the size of the 2004 year class of North Sea sandeel. Where STECF estimates the size of the 2004 year class of North Sea sandeel to be below 300 000 million individuals at age 0, fishing with demersal trawl, seine or similar towed gears with a mesh size of less than 16 mm shall be prohibited for the remaining of 2005.

(3)

STECF has estimated the strength of the 2004 year-class to 150 000 million individuals at age 0.

(4)

As the STECF estimate of the 2004 year-class of North Sea sandeel is below the threshold of 300 000 million individuals at age 0, the fishery has to be prohibited for the remainder of 2005,

(1)

All pharmacologically active substances which are used within the Community in veterinary medicinal products intended for administration to food-producing animals should be evaluated in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90.

(2)

Penethamate has been included in Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 for bovine and porcine for muscle, fat, liver and kidney and for milk but only for bovine. That entry should be extended to all mammalian food-producing species.

(3)

Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 should be amended accordingly.

(4)

An adequate period should be allowed before the applicability of this Regulation in order to enable Member States to make any adjustment which may be necessary in the light of this Regulation to the marketing authorisations granted in accordance with Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products (2).

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products,

(1)

The quantities for which licence applications have been lodged by traditonal importers and by new importers on 11 and 12 July 2005, pursuant to Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 565/2002 exceed the quantities available for products originating in China and all third countries other than China and Argentina.

(2)

It is now necessary to establish the extent to which the licence applications sent to the Commission on 14 July 2005 can be met and to fix, for each category of importer and product origin, the dates until which the issue of certificates must be suspended,

(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)

On 20 December 1996 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural and industrial products (1). Community demand for the products in question should be met under the most favourable conditions. For that purpose new Community tariff quotas should be opened at reduced or zero rates of duty for appropriate volumes while avoiding any disturbance to the markets for these products.

(2)

The quota amount for certain autonomous Community tariff quotas is insufficient to meet the needs of the Community industry for the current quota period. Consequently, these quota amounts should be increased.

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 2505/96 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4)

Having regard to the economic importance of this Regulation, it is necessary to rely on the grounds of urgency provided for in point I.3 of the Protocol annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaties establishing the European Community on the role of national parliaments in the European Union.

(5)

Since this Regulation is to apply from 1 July 2005, it should enter into force immediately,

(1)

On 22 January 2002 the Council adopted Decision 2002/60/EC (1) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period 26 January 2002 to 25 January 2006.

(2)

A seat as an alternate member of the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the expiry of the mandate of Mr William SPEECHLEY,

(1)

On 22 January 2002 the Council adopted Decision 2002/60/EC (1) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period 26 January 2002 to 25 January 2006.

(2)

A seat as a member of the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the death of Mr Brian SMITH,

(1)

On 22 January 2002 the Council adopted Decision 2002/60/EC appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period 26 January 2002 to 25 January 2006 (1).

(2)

A seat as an alternate member of the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the expiry of the mandate of Ms Barbara BRÜNING, of which the Council was informed on 19 April 2005,

(1)

Twenty-two Member States are contracting parties to the Joint Convention.

(2)

The European Atomic Energy Community shall accede to the Joint Convention,

(1)

As the legal currency of 12 Member States, the euro has increasingly become a global currency and has therefore become a high-priority target of international counterfeiting organisations in the European Union and third countries.

(2)

A further increase in the number of counterfeit euro, which would jeopardise the free circulation of euro banknotes and coins, is to be prevented.

(3)

Cooperation among the Member States themselves and between the Member States and Europol needs to be stepped up in order to strengthen the system for the protection of the euro outside the European Union territory.

(4)

The International Convention for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency agreed on 20 April 1929 in Geneva (hereinafter referred to as the Geneva Convention), should be applied more effectively under the conditions of European integration.

(5)

Third countries need a central contact for information on counterfeit euro and all information on counterfeit euro should be brought together at Europol for purposes of analysis.

(6)

In view of Council Framework Decision 2000/383/JHA of 29 May 2000 on increasing protection by criminal penalties and other sanctions against counterfeiting in connection with the introduction of the euro (3), the Council considers it appropriate for all Member States to become contracting parties to the Geneva Convention and to set up central offices within the meaning of Article 12 of that Convention.

(7)

The Council considers it appropriate to designate Europol as the central office for combating euro counterfeiting within the meaning of Article 12 of the Geneva Convention,