Commission Regulation (EC) No 973/2006

of 29 June 2006

amending Regulation (EC) No 1831/96 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas bound under GATT for certain fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetable products from 1996

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables [1], and in particular Article 34(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the People's Republic of China pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 [2], approved by Council Decision 2006/398/EC [3] and the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the United States of America pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 [4], approved by Council Decision 2006/333/EC [5], provide for the increasing of existing GATT tariff quotas and for the opening of new ones for certain fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetable products.

(2) Since the adoption of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1831/96 [6], several CN codes listed in Annexes I to III of that Regulation have changed.

(3) To provide for the modified and new tariff quotas and for the sake of clarity, the Annexes to Regulation (EC) No 1831/96 should be replaced.

(4) Regulation (EC) No 1831/96 should be amended accordingly.

(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committees for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables and Products Processed from Fruit and Vegetables,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1831/96 is amended as follows:

1. Annex I is replaced by the text in Annex I to this Regulation;

2. Annex II is replaced by the text in Annex II to this Regulation;

3. Annex III is replaced by the text in Annex III to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 June 2006.

For the Commission

Mariann Fischer Boel

Member of the Commission

[1] OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 47/2003 (OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 64).

[2] OJ L 154, 8.6.2006, p. 24.

[3] OJ L 154, 8.6.2006, p. 22.

[4] OJ L 124, 11.5.2006 p. 15.

[5] OJ L 124, 11.5.2006 p. 13.

[6] OJ L 243, 24.9.1996 p. 5.

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ANNEX I

"ANNEX I

Order No | CN code TARIC subheading | Description [1] | Quota period | Quota volume (tonnes) | Duty rate (%) |

09.0055 | 07019050 | Potatoes, fresh or chilled | 1 January to 15 May | 4295 | 3 |

09.0056 | 07061000 | Carrots and turnips, fresh or chilled | 1 January to 31 December | 1244 | 7 |

09.0057 | 07096010 | Sweet peppers | 1 January to 31 December | 500 | 1,5 |

09.0035 | 07122000 | Dried onions, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder, but not further prepared | 1 January to 31 December | 12000 | 10 |

09.0041 | 08021190 08021290 | Almonds, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled, other than bitter | 1 January to 31 December | 90000 | 2 |

09.0039 | 08055010 | Lemons (Citrus limon, Citrus limonum) | 15 January to 14 June | 10000 | 6 |

09.0058 | 08091000 | Apricots, fresh | 1 August to 31 May | 500 | 10 |

09.0092 | 20082011 20082019 20082031 20082039 20082071 20083011 20083019 20083031 20083039 20083079 20084011 20084019 20084021 20084029 20084031 20084039 20085011 20085019 20085031 20085039 20085051 20085059 20085071 20086011 20086019 20086031 20086039 20086060 20087011 20087019 20087031 20087039 20087051 20087059 20088011 20088019 20088031 20088039 20088070 | Preserved pineapples, citrus fruit, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches and strawberries | 1 January to 31 December | 2838 | 20 |

09.0093 | 20091111 20091119 20091911 20091919 20092911 20092919 20093911 20093919 20094911 20094919 20097911 20097919 20098011 20098019 20098035 20098036 20098038 20099011 20099019 20099021 20099029 | Fruit juices | 1 January to 31 December | 7044 | 20 |

[1] The goods descriptions in this Annex are those appearing in the Combined Nomenclature (OJ L 286, 28.10.2005, p. 1), supplemented where necessary by a TARIC code."

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ANNEX II

"ANNEX II

Order No. | CN code TARIC subheading | Description [1] | Quota period | Quota volume (tonnes) | Duty rate (%) |

09.0025 | 0805102011 0805102092 0805102096 | High quality sweet oranges, fresh | 1 February to 30 April | 20000 | 10 |

09.0027 | 0805209005 0805209091 | Citrus hybrids known as "minneolas" | 1 February to 30 April | 15000 | 2 |

09.0033 | 2009119911 2009119919 | Frozen concentrated orange juice, without added sugar, of a Brix value not exceeding 50, in containers of two litres or less, containing no blood orange juice | 1 January to 31 December | 1500 | 13 |

[1] "Frozen concentrated orange juice, of a Brix value not exceeding 50" shall mean orange juice with a density of no more than 1,229 grams per cubic centimetre at 20掳C."

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ANNEX III

"ANNEX III

Order No | CN code TARIC subheading | Description [1] | Quota period | Quota volume (tonnes) | Duty rate (%) |

09.0094 | 07020000 | Tomatoes, fresh or chilled | 15 May to 31 October | 472 | 12 |

09.0059 | 07070005 | Cucumbers, fresh or chilled | 1 November to 15 May | 1134 | 2,5 |

09.0060 | 0806101091 0806101099 | Table grapes, fresh | 21 July to 31 October | 1500 | 9 |

09.0061 | 0808108010 0808108090 | Apples, fresh, other than cider apples | 1 April to 31 July | 600 | 0 |

09.0062 | 08082050 | Pears, fresh, other than perry pears | 1 August to 31 December | 1000 | 5 |

09.0063 | 08091000 | Apricots, fresh | 1 June to 31 July | 2500 | 10 |

09.0040 | 08092095 | Fresh (sweet) cherries | 21 May to 15 July | 800 | 4 |

[1] The goods descriptions in this Annex are those appearing in the Combined Nomenclature (OJ L 286, 28.10.2005, p. 1), supplemented where necessary by a TARIC code."

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