(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 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 apply also 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 those general rules, the goods described in column 1 of the table set out in the Annex should be classified under the CN codes indicated in column 2, by virtue of the reasons set out in column 3 of that table.

(4)

It is appropriate to provide that binding tariff information which has been issued by the customs authorities of Member States in respect of the classification of goods in the Combined Nomenclature but 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)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2058/96 of 28 October 1996 opening and providing for the management of a tariff quota for broken rice of CN code 1006 40 00 for production of food preparations of CN code 1901 10 (3) lays down specific provisions for the lodging of applications for import licences and the issuing of such licences for broken rice under tariff quota 09.4079.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1964/2006 of 22 December 2006 laying down detailed rules for the opening and administration of an import quota for rice originating in Bangladesh, pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3491/90 (4) lays down specific provisions for the lodging of applications for import licences and the issuing of such licences for rice originating in Bangladesh under tariff quota 09.4517.

(3)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1002/2007 of 29 August 2007 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2184/96 concerning imports into the Community of rice originating in and coming from Egypt (5) lays down specific provisions for the lodging of applications for import licences and the issuing of such licences for rice under tariff quota 09.4094.

(4)

In view of the public holidays in 2007, derogations should be made from Regulations (EC) No 2058/96, (EC) No 1964/2006 and (EC) No 1002/2007 as regards the dates for the lodging of import licence applications and the issuing of those licences in order to ensure compliance with the quota volumes in question.

(5)

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

(1)

According to Articles 3 and 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (the EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (the EAFRD) finance only, in a context of shared management, expenditure effected in accordance with Community legislation. Undue payments made by Member States to beneficiaries which do not result from irregularities within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests (2) but from errors made by the national administrations, are not effected in accordance with Community legislation and, therefore, should be excluded from financing from the Community budget. It is for this reason that, if these undue payments have not been recovered by the Member States by the end of the financial year in which they are detected, they should be excluded from the annual accounts of the paying agencies. As a consequence, such payments should not be included in the table provided for in Annex III to Commission Regulation (EC) No 885/2006 (3).

(2)

Pursuant to Article 32(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, Member States are required to provide the Commission with a summary report on recovery procedures when sending the annual accounts. In the report Member States must indicate separately the amounts not recovered within the time-limits specified as well as the amounts for which it has been decided not to pursue the recovery. In order to facilitate the clearance of the accounts of the paying agencies by the Commission, the accounts should include the total amount to be charged to the Community budget and the total amount to be charged to the budget of the Member State in accordance with, respectively, the first subparagraph of Article 32(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 for the EAGF and the first subparagraph of Article 33(8) for the EAFRD as well as the total amount to be charged to the Community budget in accordance with, respectively, Article 32(6) for the EAGF and Article 33(7) for the EAFRD of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005.

(3)

For accounting purposes, Member States should be required to send to the Commission in the context of the annual accounts information on sums to be recovered other than those which result from errors made by the national administrations or irregularities committed by the beneficiaries such as, for example, sums to be recovered as a result of the application of reductions and exclusions for violations of cross-compliance obligations. To this effect, a model table indicating the required information should be added.

(4)

Certain references in relation to information systems security should be updated following recent changes in this respect.

(5)

Taking into account the experience gained in applying Annex III, that Annex should be simplified.

(6)

Regulation (EC) No 885/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on the Agricultural Funds,

1.

Article 6 is replaced by the following:

(*1)   OJ L 171, 23.6.1996, p. 1."

(*2)   OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.’ "

2.

Annex I is amended in accordance with Annex I to this Regulation;

3.

Annex III is replaced by the text in Annex II to this Regulation;

4.

after Annex III, the text in Annex III to this Regulation is inserted as Annex IIIa.

(1)

Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 sets out the rules of origin for the products originating in the territory of the Parties to the Agreement.

(2)

According to Joint Declaration V to Decision No 2/2000, the Joint Committee shall review the necessity to extend beyond 30 June 2003 the application of the rules established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a), if the economic conditions which formed the basis for establishing the rules set out in those Notes continue. On 22 March 2004 the Joint Committee adopted Decision No 1/2004 of the EU-Mexico Joint Committee (2) extending the application of the rules of origin established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 until 30 June 2006.

(3)

It is considered appropriate to extend once again, on a temporary basis, the application of the rules of origin established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000, thereby ensuring the continuity of application of the mutual advantages provided for under that Decision.

(4)

According to Joint Declaration VI to Decision No 2/2000, the Joint Committee shall extend beyond 31 December 2002 the rules of origin established in Note 4 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 until the current round of multilateral negotiations within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has finished.

(5)

By Decision No 1/2002 of the EU-Mexico Joint Committee of 20 December 2002 (3), the application of the rules of origin established in Note 4 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 was extended until 31 December 2004. The WTO negotiations have not been concluded to date and it is thus necessary to extend once again the application of these rules of origin, thereby ensuring the continuity of application of the mutual advantages provided for under Decision No 2/2000.

(6)

The management method currently used to allocate the annual quotas set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS (Harmonised System) headings 5208 to 5212, 5407 and 5408, 5512 to 5516, 5801, 5806 and 5811 exported from the Community to Mexico should be changed from the present auction system to a ‘first come, first served’ basis in order to simplify access to such quotas and bring about a higher utilisation rate.

(7)

The management method currently used to allocate the annual quotas set out in Note 9 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS headings 6402 to 6404 exported from the Community to Mexico should be changed from the present auction system to a ‘first come, first served’ basis in order to simplify access to such quotas and bring about a higher utilisation rate.

(8)

The rule of origin set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS heading 1904 should be amended to allow the use of non-originating Zea indurata maize in the manufacture of products of this heading.

(9)

The rule of origin set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS heading 7601 should be amended to allow the acquisition of origin through different manufacturing processes,

(1)

In its Resolution 1706 (2006) concerning the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reaffirmed its concern that the ongoing violence in Darfur might further negatively affect the rest of the Sudan as well as the region, in particular Chad and the Central African Republic, and stressed that regional security aspects must be addressed to achieve long lasting peace in Darfur. In its Resolution 1769 (2007), which authorised the establishment of an African Union/United Nations (AU/UN) Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the UNSC expressed its readiness to support proposals by the UN General Secretary relating to a possible multidimensional UN presence in Eastern Chad and North-Eastern Central African Republic with a view to improving security of civilians in these regions.

(2)

In its conclusions of 23 July 2007, the Council reiterated its commitment to continue to support the efforts of the AU and the UN to resolve the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan both in regard to the political process aimed at reaching a comprehensive and sustainable settlement between the concerned parties in the conflict and in regard to the AU/UN peacekeeping efforts through the deployment of an AU/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur. It underlined its support for ongoing efforts to facilitate humanitarian activities in Darfur and its readiness to consider further measures, notably within the UN framework, to ensure humanitarian deliveries and protection of civilians.

(3)

The Council further emphasised the regional dimension of the Darfur crisis and the urgent need to address the destabilising impact of the crisis on the humanitarian and security situation in neighbouring countries, and reiterated its support for the deployment of a multidimensional UN presence in Eastern Chad and North-Eastern Central African Republic and indicated its willingness to consider a EU military bridging operation in support of such a multidimensional UN presence with a view to improving security in those areas.

(4)

In his report of 10 August 2007, the UN Secretary General proposed the deployment of a multidimensional presence, including a possible EU military component, in Eastern Chad and North-Eastern Central African Republic, inter alia, aimed at improving the security of refugees and internally displaced persons, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance and creating favourable conditions for reconstruction and development efforts in theses regions.

(5)

On 27 August 2007, the President of the UNSC made a statement on behalf of the Security Council, welcoming the UN Secretary General’s proposals on a multidimensional presence in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic, including a possible EU military deployment.

(6)

On 12 September 2007, the Council approved a general concept for a possible EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and in the Central African Republic.

(7)

The Secretary General/High Representative (SG/HR) informed the UN Secretary General of the Decision taken by the Council in a letter of 17 September 2007.

(8)

The authorities of Chad and the Central African Republic have welcomed a possible EU military presence in their respective countries.

(9)

United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1778 (2007) of 25 September 2007 approved the establishment of a UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) and authorised the EU to deploy forces in these countries for a period of 12 months from the declaration of Initial Operating Capability. Further it provided for an evaluation of needs within six months from that date by the EU and the UN in view of follow on arrangements, including a possible UN operation.

(10)

According to Joint Action 2007/108/CFSP (1), the policy objectives for the mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for Sudan take into due account regional ramifications of the conflict in Darfur for the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic. The EUSR for Sudan should therefore be mandated to provide political guidance to the EU Force Commander, inter alia, in order to ensure overall coherence with the EU’s actions towards Sudan/Darfur.

(11)

The Political and Security Committee (PSC) should exercise political control of the EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic, provide it with strategic direction and take the relevant decisions in accordance with third subparagraph of Article 25 of the EU Treaty.

(12)

In accordance with Article 28(3) of the EU Treaty, the operational expenditure arising from this Joint Action, having military or defence implications, should be charged to the Member States in accordance with Council Decision 2007/384/CFSP of 14 May 2007 establishing a mechanism to administer the financing of the common costs of European Union operations having military or defence implications (2) (hereinafter referred to as ‘ATHENA’).

(13)

Article 14(1) of the EU Treaty calls for the indication in Joint Actions of the means to be made available to the European Union. The financial reference amount for a 12-month period for the common costs of the EU military operation constitutes the best current estimate and is without prejudice to the final figures that are to be included in a budget to be approved in accordance with the rules laid down in ATHENA.

(14)

In accordance with Article 6 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark does not participate in the elaboration and implementation of decisions and actions of the European Union which have defence implications. Denmark does not participate in the implementation of this Joint Action and therefore does not participate in the financing of the operation,