(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 493/2006 (2) lays down certain special transitional measures, applicable for the 2006/2007 marketing year, the first year of implementation of the reform of the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector.

(2)

The 2006/2007 marketing year has seen an imbalance on the Community markets for sugar under quota and for non-quota sugar. While the surplus of sugar under quota is likely to increase, there could be insufficient supplies of non-quota sugar for the chemical industry during the second half of the 2006/2007 marketing year in view of the quantities being produced, stocks and the increase in demand for raw materials for bioethanol production.

(3)

Special transitional measures, limited to the 2006/2007 marketing year, should therefore be laid down to re-establish balance on the markets for sugar under quota and for non-quota sugar and to facilitate the transition in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries between the old arrangements for the supply of sugar under quota in force during the 2005/2006 marketing year and the new arrangements for the supply of non-quota sugar laid down by Regulation (EC) No 318/2006. The reform of the sector was fully implemented only at the end of June 2006, which led to uncertainty, seriously hampering the conclusion of supply contracts for the 2006/2007 marketing year. Such contracts should in practice be concluded before beet is sown, i.e. before the previous March. The measures provided for in this Regulation should provide greater flexibility in the management of production in excess of the quota and ensure supplies of sugar to the chemical industry at world prices. Producers should be allowed to replace quantities of industrial sugar with sugar produced under quota. However, that possibility should be granted only on condition that additional checks on the quantities delivered and actually used by the industry are carried out correctly. The decision to grant that possibility must therefore be left to the discretion of the competent authorities of the Member States.

(4)

The provisions on the delivery and use of industrial sugar laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 967/2006 of 29 June 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 as regards sugar production in excess of the quota (3) must apply to quantities delivered under the transitional measures laid down in this Regulation.

(5)

Regulation (EC) No 493/2006 should therefore be amended.

(6)

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

(1)

Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 provides that the difference between prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1(1)(b) 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 sugar market, export refunds should therefore be fixed in accordance with the rules and certain criteria provided for in Articles 32 and 33 of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006.

(3)

The first subparagraph of Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 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 comply with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006.

(5)

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

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 958/2006 of 28 June 2006 on a standing invitation to tender to determine refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2006/2007 marketing year (2) requires the issuing of partial invitations to tender.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 958/2006 and following an examination of the tenders submitted in response to the partial invitation to tender ending on 8 February 2007, it is appropriate to fix a maximum export refund for that partial invitation to tender.

(3)

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

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 38/2007 of 17 January 2007 opening a standing invitation to tender for the resale for export of sugar held by the intervention agencies of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden (2) requires the issuing of partial invitations to tender.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 38/2007 and following an examination of the tenders submitted in response to the partial invitation to tender ending on 7 February 2007, it is appropriate to fix a maximum export refund for that partial invitation to tender.

(3)

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

(1)

An invitation to tender for the refund for the export of common wheat to certain third countries was opened pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 936/2006 (2).

(2)

Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1501/95 of 29 June 1995 laying down certain detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 on the granting of export refunds on cereals and the measures to be taken in the event of disturbance on the market for cereals (3), and in particular Article 13(3) thereof,

(3)

On the basis of the criteria laid down in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1501/95, a maximum refund should not be fixed.

(4)

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