(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 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 955/2005 (3) opened an annual import tariff quota for 5 605 tonnes of rice falling within CN code 1006 originating in Egypt (serial No 09.4097).

(2)

The notification made in accordance with Article 5(a) of Regulation (EC) No 955/2005 shows that the applications lodged until 4 January 2008, at 13.00 (Brussels time) in accordance with Article 4(1) of that Regulation exceed the quantities available. The extent to which licences may be issued should therefore be determined and the allocation coefficient to be applied to the quantities applied for should be laid down.

(3)

No further import licences should be issued under Regulation (EC) No 955/2005 for the current quota period,

(1)

By Directive 94/39/EC (2), the Commission established a list of intended uses of animal feedingstuffs for particular nutritional purposes.

(2)

In its opinion of 8 December 2004 the European Food Safety Authority (the Authority) concluded that zeolite (synthetic sodium aluminium silicate) has the potential of reducing the risk of milk fever in dairy cows (3). However, it could not fully assess the risk for animal and human health due to missing data. Taking into account the additional information received, the Authority concluded in its opinion of 11 July 2007 that adding zeolite to feedingstuffs for dairy cows for a period of about two weeks before calving does not pose a risk to animal or human health or to the environment (4). Zeolite should therefore be included in the line ‘reduction of the risk of milk fever’ in the list of intended uses in Part B of the Annex to Directive 94/39/EC.

(3)

In its opinion of 12 June 2007 the Authority concluded that feedingstuffs with high calcium content administered around parturition can be very effective in treating mild cases of milk fever and in preventing relapses in dairy cattle and therefore that a new entry should be added to the list concerning the prevention of the risk of milk fever (5). The Authority further concluded that a marginal risk for animal health cannot be completely excluded making it necessary to balance the individual risk against the overall benefits of the administration. In order to allow the dairy herd manager such assessment, the different sources of calcium should be indicated on the label together with their quantity. Further, the label should include a recommendation to seek advice of a nutritional expert. The Authority neither expects a risk for the consumer nor an additional risk for the environment. Feedingstuffs with high calcium content should therefore be included in the line ‘reduction of the risk of milk fever’ in the list of intended uses in Part B of the Annex to Directive 94/39/EC.

(4)

Directive 94/39/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

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

(1)

At the conciliation meeting on 23 November 2007 the two arms of the budgetary authority have agreed to provide part of the financing required for the European Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS programmes (EGNOS — GALILEO) by a revision of the multiannual financial framework 2007-2013 in accordance with Points 21, 22 and 23 of the Interinstitutional Agreement, so as to raise the ceilings for commitment appropriations under sub-Heading 1a for the years 2008 to 2013 by an amount of EUR 1 600 million in current prices. This raising will be offset by lowering the ceiling for commitment appropriations under Heading 2 for the year 2007 by the same amount.

(2)

In order to keep an appropriate relationship between commitments and payments, the annual ceilings for payment appropriations will be adjusted. The adjustment will be neutral.

(3)

Annex I of the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and sound financial management should therefore be amended accordingly (2),

(1)

The European Union has created a European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (‘the Fund’) to provide additional support to workers who suffer from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.

(2)

The Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 500 million.

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 contains the provisions whereby the Fund may be mobilised.

(4)

Germany and Finland submitted applications to mobilise the Fund, concerning two cases of redundancies in the mobile phone sector: BenQ in Germany and Perlos Oyj in Finland,