Keywords
Summary

Keywords

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Common Customs Tariff - Community tariff quotas - No annual quota fixed by the Council - Advance allocation by the Commission on the basis of proposals submitted to the Council - Suspension by the Commission of the issue of import licences - Permissibility - Definitive fixing by Council - Apportionment of remaining quantity - Priority for outstanding applications .

( Commission Regulation No 3656/83, Art . 2 )

Summary

Where the Council has not definitively fixed an annual tariff quota, the Commission, in implementing Regulation No 3656/83 laying down detailed rules for the application of the import arrangements for products falling within subheading 07.06 A of the Common Customs Tariff originating in non-member countries, in particular Article 2 on the procedure for issuing import licences, is entitled to suspend the advance issue of import licences where, having regard to the quantities already allocated, the outstanding applications exceed the amount of the annual quota which it has proposed to the Council and, since the total quantity to be allocated has not yet been fixed, the apportionment rule cannot be applied to them .

Once the Council has definitively fixed the quota, the Commission may, in allocating the remainder, authorize the submission of fresh applications, but it is bound, by virtue of Article 2 ( 3 ) of the abovementioned regulation, to give priority to the applications which were left unsatisfied as a result of the suspension and, having been confirmed, remain outstanding . If the amount covered by those applications exceeds the quantity available, the apportionment rule must be applied .