(1)

Under the terms of Article 17 of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the European Economic Community on fishing off the coast of Guinea-Bissau (2), the contracting parties are to enter into negotiations, before the period of validity of the Protocol to the Agreement expires, to determine by mutual agreement the contents of the Protocol for the period that follows and any amendments or additions requiring to be made to the Annex.

(2)

The existing Protocol was approved by Council Regulation (EC) No 249/2002 (3) and amended under the Agreement approved by Council Regulation (EC) No 829/2004 (4). The two parties have now decided to extend its validity for one year by means of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters, pending negotiations on the changes to be made to the Protocol.

(3)

It is in the Community's interest to approve this extension.

(4)

The allocation of the fishing opportunities among the Member States under the expired Protocol should be confirmed,

(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)

Council Regulation (EC) No 51/2006 of 22 December 2005 fixing for 2006 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in Community waters and for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (3), lays down quotas for 2006.

(2)

According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock referred to in the Annex to this Regulation by vessels flying the flag of or registered in the Member State referred to therein have exhausted the quota allocated for 2006.

(3)

It is therefore necessary to prohibit fishing for that stock and its retention on board, transhipment and landing,

(1)

The representative prices and additional duties applicable to imports of white sugar, raw sugar and certain syrups for the 2006/2007 marketing year are fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1002/2006 (3). These prices and duties have been last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1410/2006 (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 951/2006,

(1)

Article 8(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 provides that the difference between prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1(1) of that Regulation and prices for those products on the Community market may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

Given the present situation on the market in poultrymeat, export refunds should therefore be fixed in accordance with the rules and criteria provided for in Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75.

(3)

Article 8(3), second subparagraph of Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 provides that the world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the refund according to destination.

(4)

Refunds should be granted only on products that are allowed to move freely in the Community and that bear the identification mark as provided for in Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (2). Those products should also comply with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (3).

(5)

The negotiations within the framework of the Europe Agreements between the European Community and Romania and Bulgaria aim in particular to liberalise trade in products covered by the common organisation of the market concerned. For these two countries export refunds should therefore be abolished.

(6)

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

(1)

Export refunds on products listed in Article 1(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 were fixed from 6 October 2006 by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1475/2006 (2).

(2)

In the light of additional information available to the Commission, related in particular to the change in the relation between prices in the internal and world market, it is necessary to adjust export refunds currently applying.

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 1475/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly,

(1)

Export refunds on the products listed in Article 1(1)(c), (d) and (g) of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 were fixed from 29 September 2006 by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1428/2006 (2).

(2)

In the light of additional information available to the Commission, related in particular to the change in the relation between prices in the internal and world market, it is necessary to adjust export refunds currently applying.

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 1428/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly,

(1)

The rates of the refunds applicable from 29 September 2006 to the products listed in the Annex, exported in the form of goods not covered by Annex I to the Treaty, were fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1433/2006 (2).

(2)

It follows from applying the rules and criteria contained in Regulation (EC) No 1433/2006 to the information at present available to the Commission that the export refunds at present applicable should be altered as shown in the Annex hereto,

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 936/97 provides in Articles 4 and 5 the conditions for applications and for the issue of import licences for meat referred to in Article 2(f).

(2)

Article 2(f) of Regulation (EC) No 936/97 fixes the amount of high-quality fresh, chilled or frozen beef and veal meeting the definition laid down therein which may be imported on special terms for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 at 11 500 t.

(3)

It should be recalled that licences issued pursuant to this Regulation will, throughout the period of validity, be open for use only in so far as provisions on health protection in force permit,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1484/95 (4), fixes detailed rules for implementing the system of additional import duties and fixes representative prices in the poultrymeat and egg sectors and for egg albumin.

(2)

It results from regular monitoring of the information providing the basis for the verification of the import prices in the poultrymeat and egg sectors and for egg albumin that the representative prices for imports of certain products should be amended taking into account variations of prices according to origin. Therefore, representative prices should be published.

(3)

It is necessary to apply this amendment as soon as possible, given the situation on the market.

(4)

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

(1)

Article 33(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 provides that the difference between prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1(1) of that Regulation and prices for those products within the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

Given the present situation on the market in beef and veal, export refunds should therefore be fixed in accordance with the rules and criteria provided for in Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999.

(3)

The second subparagraph of Article 33(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 provides that the world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the refund according to destination.

(4)

Refunds should be granted only on products that are allowed to move freely in the Community and that bear the health mark as provided for in Article 5(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (2). Those products should also comply with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (3), and of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (4).

(5)

Pursuant to the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1964/82 of 20 July 1982 laying down the conditions for granting special export refunds on certain cuts of boned meat of bovine animals (5), the special refund is to be reduced if the quantity of boned meat to be exported amounts to less than 95 %, but not less than 85 %, of the total weight of cuts produced by boning.

(6)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1342/2006 (6) should therefore be repealed and replaced by a new Regulation.

(7)

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

(1)

Commission Decision 2003/858/EC of 21 November 2003 laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for imports of live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming, and live fish of aquaculture origin and products thereof intended for human consumption (2), establishes a list of third countries or parts thereof from which imports of live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming in the Community are authorised.

(2)

In March 2006, Community veterinary experts undertook an on-the-spot inspection in Albania to verify the compliance with Decision 2003/858/EC.

(3)

The findings made during that inspection show that Albania cannot provide for the necessary animal health guarantees for export into the Community of live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming.

(4)

Since such import into the Community could seriously jeopardise the aquatic animal health situation in the Community, Albania should be deleted from the list of third countries from which Member States are authorised to import live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming in the Community set out in Annex I to Decision 2003/858/EC.

(5)

Decision 2003/858/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

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

(1)

Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 13 of Annex X to the Staff Regulations, the weightings to be applied from 1 July 2005 to the remuneration of officials, temporary staff and contract staff of the European Communities serving in third countries payable in the currency of their country of employment were laid down by Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 351/2006 (3).

(2)

Some of these weightings need to be adjusted in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 13 of Annex X to the Staff Regulations, with effect from 1 August, 1 September, 1 October, 1 November and 1 December 2005 and from 1 January 2006, since the statistics available to the Commission show that in certain third countries the variation in the cost of living measured on the basis of the weighting and the corresponding exchange rate has exceeded 5 % since weightings were last laid down or adjusted,