COUNCIL DECISION

of 13 November 2006

on the conclusion of a Protocol amending the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, on tariff quotas for sugar and sugar products originating in Croatia or in the Community

(2006/882/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 28 February 2005 the Council authorised the Commission to enter into negotiations with the Republic of Croatia to amend the preferential arrangements as regards imports of sugar originating in Croatia into the Community under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part (1), approved by Council and Commission Decision 2005/40/EC, Euratom (2).

(2) The Commission has finalised negotiations for a Protocol amending the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The said Protocol should therefore be approved.

(3) The measures necessary for the implementation of the Protocol should be adopted by the Commission according to the same procedure as that provided for as regards the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 of 20 February 2006 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (3),

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Protocol amending the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, on tariff quotas for sugar and sugar products originating in Croatia or in the Community (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol) is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Protocol in order to bind the Community.

Article 3

The Commission shall adopt the detailed rules for implementing the Protocol in accordance with the procedure as laid down in Article 39 of Regulation (EC) No 318/2006.

Done at Brussels, 13 November 2006.

For the Council

The President

E. TUOMIOJA

(1)

OJ L 26, 28.1.2005, p. 3

(2)

OJ L 26, 28.1.2005, p. 1

(3)

OJ L 58, 28.2.2006, p. 1

PROTOCOL

amending the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, on tariff quotas for sugar and sugar products originating in Croatia or in the Community

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Community’,

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, hereinafter referred to as ‘Croatia’,

of the other part,

Whereas:

(1) The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as the SAA) was signed in Luxembourg on 29 October 2001 and entered into force on 1 February 2005.

(2) Negotiations have taken place to alter the preferential arrangements in the SAA with regard to sugar and sugar products originating in Croatia or in the Community.

(3) Appropriate amendments to the SAA should be adopted,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The SAA is hereby amended as follows:

Article 27 shall be amended as follows:

(a) in paragraph 1, the first subparagraph shall be replaced by the following:

‘1. The Community shall abolish the customs duties and charges having equivalent effect on imports of agricultural products originating in Croatia, other than those of heading Nos 0102, 0201, 0202, 1701, 1702 and 2204 of the Combined Nomenclature.’;

(b) the following paragraph shall be added:

‘5. Certain trade arrangements to apply to sugar and sugar products under the headings Nos 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature are set out in Annex IV(h).’

The text set out in the Annex to this Decision shall be added as Annex IV(h).

In the table in Annex I to Protocol 3, the following references shall be deleted:

‘ 1702 50 00 — Chemically pure fructose’,

‘ 1702 90 10 — Chemically pure maltose’.

Article 2

The Parties shall meet in the second half of 2008 to review the effects of this Protocol.

Article 3

This Protocol shall form an integral part of the SAA.

Article 4

This Protocol shall enter into force on 1 January 2007.

Article 5

This Protocol is drawn up in duplicate in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish and Croatian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Hecho en Zagreb, el veintiocho de noviembre de dos mil seis.

V Záhřebu dne dvacátého osmého listopadu dva tisíce šest.

Udfærdiget i Zagreb den otteogtyvende november to tusind og seks.

Geschehen zu Zagreb am achtundzwanzigsten November zweitausendundsechs.

Koostatud kahekümne kaheksandal novembril kahe tuhande kuuendal aastal Zagrebis.

Έγινε στο Ζάγκρεμπ στις είκοσι οκτώ Νοεμβρίου δύο χιλιάδες έξι.

Done at Zagreb on the twenty-eighth day of November in the year two thousand and six.

Fait à Zagreb, le vingt-huit novembre deux mille six.

Fatto a Zagabria, addì ventotto novembre duemilasei.

Zagrebā, divi tūkstoši sestā gada divdesmit astotajā novembrī.

Priimta Zagrebe, du tūkstančiai šeštų metų lapkričio dvidešimt aštuntą dieną.

Kelt Zágrábban, a kétezer-hatodik év november havának huszonnyolcadik napján.

Magħmul f'Żagreb fit-tmienja u għoxrin jum ta' Novembru fis-sena elfejn u sitta.

Gedaan te Zagreb, de achtentwintigste november tweeduizend en zes.

Sporządzono w Zagrzebiu dnia dwudziestego ósmego listopada dwa tysiące szóstego roku.

Feito em Zagrebe, aos vinte e oito dias do mês de Novembro do ano de dois mil e seis.

V Záhrebe dvadsiateho ôsmeho novembra dvetisícšesť.

V Zagrebu, dne osemindvajsetega novembra, leta dva tisoč šest.

Tehty Zagrebissa kahdentenakymmenentenäkahdeksantena päivänä marraskuuta vuonna kaksituhattakuusi

Utfärdat i Zagreb den tjuguåttonde november år tvåtusensex.

Sastavljeno u Zagrebu dana dvadesetosmog studenoga dvije tisuće i šeste godine.

Por la Comunidad Europea

Za Evropské společenství

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Euroopa Ühenduse nimel

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Eiropas Kopienas vārdā

Europos bendrijos vardu

Az Európai Közösség részéről

Għall-Komunitá Ewropea

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Za Európske spoločenstvo

Za Evropsko skupnost

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

För Europeiska gemenskapen

Za Europsku zajednicu

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Por la República de Croacia

Za Chorvatskou republiku

For Republikken Kroatien

Für die Republik Kroatien

Horvaatia Vabariigi nimel

Για τη Δημοκρατία της Κροατίας

For the Republic of Croatia

Pour la République de Croatie

Per la Repubblica di Croazia

Horvātijas Republikas vārdā

Kroatijos Respublikos vardu

A Horvát Köztársaság részéről

Għar-Repubblika tal-Kroazja

Voor de Republiek Kroatië

W imieniu Republiki Chorwacji

Pela República da Croácia

Za Chorvátsku republiku

Za Republiko Hrvaško

Kroatian tasavallan puolesta

För Republiken Kroatien

Za Republiku Hrvatsku

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ANNEX

‘ANNEX IV(h)

referred to in Article 27(5)

The Community shall apply duty-free access on imports into the Community for products originating in Croatia of headings 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature within a limit of an annual quantity of 180 000 tonnes (net weight).

Croatia shall apply a reduced duty access on imports into Croatia of products originating in the Community of headings 1701 of the Combined Nomenclature within a limit of an annual quantity of 80 000 tonnes (net weight), to be applied only once imports from Croatia to the Community of headings 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature reach 80 000 tonnes (net weight). On this quantity Croatia will reduce duty rates as follows:

— on 1 January 2007 the duty shall be reduced to 75 % of the basic duty,

— on 1 January 2008 the duty shall be reduced to 70 % of the basic duty,

— on 1 January 2009 and onwards the duty shall be reduced to 50 % of the basic duty.

The Community undertakes not to pay export refunds from the Community budget for sugar, syrup and certain other sugar products falling under headings 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature when exported in natural state to Croatia. Croatia undertakes not to pay export refunds for sugar exports to the Community.’