(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 1422/95 of 23 June 1995 laying down detailed rules of application for imports of molasses in the sugar sector and amending Regulation (EEC) No 785/68 (2), stipulates that the cif import price for molasses established in accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) No 785/68 (3), is to be considered the representative price. That price is fixed for the standard quality defined in Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68.

(2)

For the purpose of fixing the representative prices, account must be taken of all the information provided for in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68, except in the cases provided for in Article 4 of that Regulation and those prices should be fixed, where appropriate, in accordance with the method provided for in Article 7 of that Regulation.

(3)

Prices not referring to the standard quality should be adjusted upwards or downwards, according to the quality of the molasses offered, in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 785/68.

(4)

Where there is a difference between the trigger price for the product concerned and the representative price, additional import duties should be fixed under the terms laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95. Should the import duties be suspended pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95, specific amounts for these duties should be fixed.

(5)

The representative prices and additional import duties for the products concerned should be fixed in accordance with Articles 1(2) and 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1422/95.

(6)

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

(1)

Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that the difference between quotations or prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1(1)(a) of that Regulation and prices for those products within the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that when refunds on white and raw sugar, undenatured and exported in its unaltered state, are being fixed account must be taken of the situation on the Community and world markets in sugar and in particular of the price and cost factors set out in Article 28 of that Regulation. The same Article provides that the economic aspect of the proposed exports should also be taken into account.

(3)

The refund on raw sugar must be fixed in respect of the standard quality. The latter is defined in Annex I, point II, to Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001. Furthermore, this refund should be fixed in accordance with Article 28(4) of that Regulation. Candy sugar is defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2135/95 of 7 September 1995 laying down detailed rules of application for the grant of export refunds in the sugar sector (2). The refund thus calculated for sugar containing added flavouring or colouring matter must apply to their sucrose content and, accordingly, be fixed per 1 % of the said content.

(4)

In special cases, the amount of the refund may be fixed by other legal instruments.

(5)

The refund must be fixed every two weeks. It may be altered in the intervening period.

(6)

The first subparagraph of Article 27(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 provides that refunds on the products referred to in Article 1 of that Regulation may vary according to destination, where the world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets make this necessary.

(7)

The significant and rapid increase in preferential imports of sugar from the western Balkan countries since the start of 2001 and in exports of sugar to those countries from the Community seems to be highly artificial.

(8)

To prevent any abuse through the re-import into the Community of sugar products in receipt of an export refund, no refund should be set for all the countries of the western Balkans for the products covered by this Regulation.

(9)

In view of the above and of the present situation on the market in sugar, and in particular of the quotations or prices for sugar within the Community and on the world market, refunds should be set at the appropriate amounts.

(10)

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

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1327/2004 of 19 July 20043rd on a standing invitation to tender to determine levies and/or refunds on exports of white sugar (2), for the 2004/2005 marketing year, requires partial invitations to tender to be issued for the export of this sugar to certain third countries.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1327/2004 a maximum export refund shall be fixed, as the case may be, account being taken in particular of the state and foreseeable development of the Community and world markets in sugar, for the partial invitation to tender in question.

(3)

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

(1)

Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 provides that the difference between quotations or prices on the world market for the products listed in Article 1 of that Regulation and prices for those products within the Community may be covered by an export refund.

(2)

Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003, provides that when refunds are being fixed account must be taken of the existing situation and the future trend with regard to prices and availabilities of rice and broken rice on the Community market on the one hand and prices for rice and broken rice on the world market on the other. The same Article provides that it is also important to ensure equilibrium and the natural development of prices and trade on the rice market and, furthermore, to take into account the economic aspect of the proposed exports and the need to avoid disturbances of the Community market with limits resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty.

(3)

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1361/76 (2) lays down the maximum percentage of broken rice allowed in rice for which an export refund is fixed and specifies the percentage by which that refund is to be reduced where the proportion of broken rice in the rice exported exceeds that maximum.

(4)

As the standing invitations to tender for the export refunds on rice have ended for this year, refunds in ordinary law for this product need no longer be fixed. Account should be taken of this when the refunds are fixed.

(5)

Article 14(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 defines the specific criteria to be taken into account when the export refund on rice and broken rice is being calculated.

(6)

The world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets may make it necessary to vary the refund for certain products according to destination.

(7)

A separate refund should be fixed for packaged long grain rice to accommodate current demand for the product on certain markets.

(8)

The refund must be fixed at least once a month; whereas it may be altered in the intervening period.

(9)

It follows from applying these rules and criteria to the present situation on the market in rice and in particular to quotations or prices for rice and broken rice within the Community and on the world market, that the refund should be fixed as set out in the Annex hereto.

(10)

For the purposes of administering the volume restrictions resulting from Community commitments in the context of the WTO, the issue of export licences with advance fixing of the refund should be restricted.

(11)

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

(1)

An invitation to tender for the maximum reduction in the duty on sorghum imported into Spain was opened pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 238/2004 (2).

(2)

Pursuant to Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 (3), the Commission, acting under the procedure laid down in Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003, may decide to fix a maximum reduction in the import duty. In fixing this maximum the criteria provided for in Articles 6 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1839/95 must be taken into account. Whereas a contract is awarded to any tenderer whose tender is equal to or less than the maximum reduction in the duty.

(3)

The application of the abovementioned criteria to the current market situation for the cereal in question results in the maximum reduction in the import duty being fixed at the amount specified in Article 1.

(4)

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

(1)

An invitation to tender for the refund for the export of oats produced in Finland and Sweden for export from Finland and Sweden to all third countries, with the exception of Bulgaria, Norway, Romania and Switzerland was opened pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1565/2004.

(2)

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

(3)

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