23.10.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 279/15

(1)

Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 sets out the rules of origin for the products originating in the territory of the Parties to the Agreement.

(2)

According to Joint Declaration V to Decision No 2/2000, the Joint Committee shall review the necessity to extend beyond 30 June 2003 the application of the rules established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a), if the economic conditions which formed the basis for establishing the rules set out in those Notes continue. On 22 March 2004 the Joint Committee adopted Decision No 1/2004 of the EU-Mexico Joint Committee (2) extending the application of the rules of origin established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 until 30 June 2006.

(3)

It is considered appropriate to extend once again, on a temporary basis, the application of the rules of origin established in Notes 2 and 3 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000, thereby ensuring the continuity of application of the mutual advantages provided for under that Decision.

(4)

According to Joint Declaration VI to Decision No 2/2000, the Joint Committee shall extend beyond 31 December 2002 the rules of origin established in Note 4 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 until the current round of multilateral negotiations within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has finished.

(5)

By Decision No 1/2002 of the EU-Mexico Joint Committee of 20 December 2002 (3), the application of the rules of origin established in Note 4 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 was extended until 31 December 2004. The WTO negotiations have not been concluded to date and it is thus necessary to extend once again the application of these rules of origin, thereby ensuring the continuity of application of the mutual advantages provided for under Decision No 2/2000.

(6)

The management method currently used to allocate the annual quotas set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS (Harmonised System) headings 5208 to 5212, 5407 and 5408, 5512 to 5516, 5801, 5806 and 5811 exported from the Community to Mexico should be changed from the present auction system to a ‘榝irst come, first served‘�basis in order to simplify access to such quotas and bring about a higher utilisation rate.

(7)

The management method currently used to allocate the annual quotas set out in Note 9 of Appendix II(a) to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS headings 6402 to 6404 exported from the Community to Mexico should be changed from the present auction system to a ‘榝irst come, first served‘�basis in order to simplify access to such quotas and bring about a higher utilisation rate.

(8)

The rule of origin set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS heading 1904 should be amended to allow the use of non-originating Zea indurata maize in the manufacture of products of this heading.

(9)

The rule of origin set out in Appendix II to Annex III to Decision No 2/2000 for products classified in HS heading 7601 should be amended to allow the acquisition of origin through different manufacturing processes,