
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2038/2005 of 14 December 2005 laying down rules for the management and distribution of textile quotas established for the year 2006 under Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94 of 7 March 1994 on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Community import rules, and in particular Article 17(3) and (6) and Article 21(2) thereof,
Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 517/94 established quantitative restrictions on imports of certain textile products originating in certain third countries to be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

(2) Under that Regulation it is possible, in certain circumstances, to use other allocation methods, to divide quotas into tranches, or to reserve a proportion of a specific quantitative limit exclusively for applications which are supported by evidence of the results of past import performance.

(3) Rules for management of the quotas established for 2006 should be adopted before the quota year begins so that the continuity of trade flows is not affected unduly.

(4) The measures adopted in previous years, such as those in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2171/2004 of 17 December 2004 laying down rules for the management and distribution of textile quotas established for the year 2005 under Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94, proved to be satisfactory and it is therefore appropriate to adopt similar rules for 2006.

(5) In order to satisfy the greatest possible number of operators it is appropriate to make the ‘first come, first served’ allocation method more flexible by placing a ceiling on the quantities which can be allocated to each operator by that method.

(6) To guarantee a degree of continuity in trade and efficient quota administration, operators should be allowed to make their initial import authorisation application for 2006 equivalent to the quantity which they imported in 2005.

(7) To achieve optimum use of the quantities, an operator who has used up at least one half of the amount already authorised should be permitted to apply for a further amount, provided that quantities are available in the quotas.

(8) For the sake of sound administration, import authorisations should be valid for nine months from the date of issue but only until the end of the year at the latest. Member States should issue licences only after being notified by the Commission that quantities are available and only if an operator can prove the existence of a contract and can certify, in the absence of a specific provision to the contrary, that he has not already been allocated a Community import authorisation under this Regulation for the categories and countries concerned. The competent national authorities should, however, be authorised, in response to importers' applications, to extend by three months and up to 31 March 2007 licences of which at least one half has been used by the application date.

(9) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Textile Committee established by Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 517/94,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 
The purpose of this Regulation is to lay down rules on the management of quantitative quotas for imports of certain textile products set out in Annexes IIIB and IV to Regulation (EC) No 517/94 for the year 2006.
Article 2 
The quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be allocated according to the chronological order of receipt by the Commission of Member States' notifications of applications from individual operators, for amounts not exceeding the maximum quantities per operator set out in Annex I.
The maximum quantities shall not, however, apply to operators able to prove to the competent national authorities, when making their first application for 2006, that, in respect of given categories and given third countries, they imported more than the maximum quantities specified for each category pursuant to import licences granted to them for 2005.
In the case of such operators, the competent authorities may authorise imports not exceeding the quantities imported in 2005 from given third countries and in given categories, provided that enough quota capacity is available.
Article 3 
Any importer who has already used up 50 % or more of the amount allocated to him under this Regulation may make a further application, in respect of the same category and country of origin, for amounts not exceeding the maximum quantities laid down in Annex I.
Article 4 

1. The competent national authorities listed in Annex II may, from 10 a.m. on 4 January 2006, notify the Commission of the amounts covered by requests for import authorisations.The time fixed in the first subparagraph shall be understood as Brussels time.
2. The competent national authorities shall issue authorisations only after being notified by the Commission pursuant to Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 517/94 that quantities are available for importation.They shall issue authorisations only if an operator:
(a) proves the existence of a contract relating to the provision of the goods and,
(b) certifies in writing that, in respect of the categories and countries concerned:
((i)) he has not already been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation, or
((ii)) he has been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation but has used up at least 50 % of it.
3. Import authorisations shall be valid for nine months from the date of issue, but until 31 December 2006 at the latest.The competent national authorities may, however, at the importer's request, grant a three-month extension for authorisations which are at least 50 % used up at the time of the request. Such extension shall in no circumstances expire later than 31 March 2007.
Article 5 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2006.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 14 December 2005.
For the Commission
Peter MANDELSON
Member of the Commission
ANNEX I

Maximum amounts referred to in Articles 2 and 3Country concerned Category Unit Maximum amount
North Korea 1 Kilograms 10 000
2 Kilograms 10 000
3 Kilograms 10 000
4 Pieces 10 000
5 Pieces 10 000
6 Pieces 10 000
7 Pieces 10 000
8 Pieces 10 000
9 Kilograms 10 000
12 Pairs 10 000
13 Pieces 10 000
14 Pieces 10 000
15 Pieces 10 000
16 Pieces 10 000
17 Pieces 10 000
18 Kilograms 10 000
19 Pieces 10 000
20 Kilograms 10 000
21 Pieces 10 000
24 Pieces 10 000
26 Pieces 10 000
27 Pieces 10 000
28 Pieces 10 000
29 Pieces 10 000
31 Pieces 10 000
36 Kilograms 10 000
37 Kilograms 10 000
39 Kilograms 10 000
59 Kilograms 10 000
61 Kilograms 10 000
68 Kilograms 10 000
69 Pieces 10 000
70 Pieces 10 000
73 Pieces 10 000
74 Pieces 10 000
75 Pieces 10 000
76 Kilograms 10 000
77 Kilograms 5 000
78 Kilograms 5 000
83 Kilograms 10 000
87 Kilograms 10 000
109 Kilograms 10 000
117 Kilograms 10 000
118 Kilograms 10 000
142 Kilograms 10 000
151A Kilograms 10 000
151B Kilograms 10 000
161 Kilograms 10 000
Republic of Montenegro, Kosovo 1 Kilograms 20 000
2 Kilograms 20 000
2a Kilograms 10 000
3 Kilograms 10 000
5 Pieces 10 000
6 Pieces 10 000
7 Pieces 10 000
8 Pieces 10 000
9 Kilograms 10 000
15 Pieces 10 000
16 Pieces 10 000
67 Kilograms 10 000

ANNEX II
List of licensing offices referred to in Article 4


1.. Belgium
Federale Overheidsdienst EconomieAlgemene Directie Economisch PotentieelDienst VergunningenLeuvenseweg 44B-1040 BrusselTel. (32-2) 548 64 69Fax (32-2) 548 65 70
Service public fédéral ÉconomieDirection générale du potentiel économiqueService des licencesRue de Louvain 44B-1000 BruxellesTél. (32 2) 548 64 69Fax (32 2) 548 65 70
2.. Cyprus
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and TourismTrade Department6 Andrea Araouzou Str.CY-1421 NicosiaTel.: (357-2) 867100Fax: (357-2) 375120
3.. Czech Republic
Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchoduLicenční správaNa Františku 32CZ-110 15 Praha 1Tel: (420-2) 24 90 71 11Fax: (420-2) 24 21 21 33
4.. Denmark
Erhvervs- og ByggestyrelsenØkonomi- og ErhvervsministerietVejlsøvej 29DK-8600 SilkeborgTel.: (45) 35 46 64 30Fax: (45) 35 46 64 01
5.. Germany
Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA)Frankfurter Str. 29—35D-65760 EschbornTel.: (49 61 96) 9 08-0Fax: (49 61 96) 9 42 26
6.. Greece
Υπουργείο Οικονομίας & ΟικονομικώνΓενική Διεύθυνση Σχεδιασμού & Διαχείρισης ΠολιτικήςΔιεύθυνση Διεθνών Οικονομικών ΡοώνΚορνάρου 1GR-105 63 ΑθήναΤηλ.: (30) 210 328 60 31-5Φαξ: (30) 210 328 60 94
7.. Spain
Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y ComercioSecretaría General de Comercio ExteriorPaseo de la Castellana no 162E-28046 MadridTel.: (34 91) 349 38 17, 349 37 48Fax: (34 91) 563 18 23, 349 38 31
8.. Estonia
Majandus- ja KommunikatsiooniministeeriumHarju 1115072 TallinnEstoniaTel.: (372) 6256 400Fax: (372) 6313 660
9.. France
Ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'industrieDirection générale des entreprisesService des industries manufacturières et de la poste (SIMAP)Bureau «Textile-Importations»Le Bervil, 12 rue VilliotF-75572 Paris Cedex 12Tél. (33-1) 53 44 96 60Fax (33-1) 53 44 91 81
10.. Hungary
Magyar Kereskedelmi Engedélyezési HivatalH-1024 BudapestMargit krt. 85.Postafiók: 1537 Budapest, Pf. 345.Tel: (36-1) 336 73 00Fax: (36-1) 336 73 02
11.. Ireland
Department of Enterprise, Trade and EmploymentInternal MarketKildare StreetDublin 2IrelandTel.: (353-1) 631 21 21Fax: (353-1) 631 28 26
12.. Italy
Ministero del Commercio con l'esteroDirezione generale per la Politica commerciale e per la gestione del regime degli scambiDIV. IIIViale America, 341I-00144 RomaTel. (39 6) 59 64 75 17, 59 93 22 02/22 15Fax (39 6) 59 93 22 35/22 63Telex (39 6) 59 64 75 31
13.. Latvia
Ekonomikas ministrijaBrīvības iela 55LV-1519 Rīgatel: (371) 701 30 06fax: (371) 728 08 82
14.. Lithuania
Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ministerijaGedimino pr. 38/2LT-01104 VilniusTel.: (370) 5 262 87 50; (370) 5 261 94 88faksas (370) 5 262 39 74
15.. Luxembourg
Ministère des affaires étrangèresOffice des licencesBoîte postale 113L-2011 LuxembourgTél. (352) 47 82 371Fax (352) 46 61 38
16.. Malta
Ministry of Finance and Economic AffairsTrade Services Directorate, Commerce DivisionLascarisValletta CMR02 Maltatel: 00 356 21 246 800fax: 00 356 21 251 515
17.. Netherlands
Belastingdienst/DouaneCentrale dienst voor in- en uitvoerEngelse Kamp 2Postbus 300039700 RD GroningenNederlandTel. (31-50) 523 91 11Fax (31-50) 523 22 10
18.. Poland
Ministerstwo GospodarkiPl. Trzech Krzyży 3/500-950 Warszawatel.: 0048/22/693 55 53fax: 0048/22/693 40 21
19.. Portugal
Ministério das FinançasDirecção Geral das Alfândegas e dos Impostos Especiais sobre o ConsumoRua Terreiro do TrigoEdifício da AlfândegaPT-1149-060 LISBOATel.: (351-1) 218 814 263Fax: (351-1) 218 814 261E-mail: dsl@dgaiec.min-financas.pt
20.. Slovakia
Ministerstvo hospodárstva SROdbor licenciíMierová 19827 15 BratislavaSlovenská republikaTel.: 00 421 2 48 54 20 21/00 421 2 48 54 71 19Fax: 00 421 2 43 42 39 19
21.. Slovenia
Ministrstvo za financeCarinska uprava Republike SlovenijeCarinski urad JeseniceCenter za TARIC in kvoteSpodnji Plavž 6cSI-4270 JeseniceTel. (386-4) 297 44 70Faks (386-4) 297 44 72E-pošta: taric.cuje@gov.si
22.. United Kingdom
Department of Trade and IndustryImport Licensing BranchQueensway HouseWest PrecinctBillingham TS23 2NFUnited KingdomTel.: (44-1642) 36 43 33/36 43 34Fax: (44-1642) 53 35 57
23.. Austria
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und ArbeitAussenwirtschaftsadministrationAbteilung C2/2Stubenring 1A-1011 WienTel.: (43 1) 71100-0Fax: (43 1) 71100-8386
24.. Sweden
National Board of Trade (Kommerskollegium)Box 6803S-113 86 StockholmTel (46 8) 690 48 00Fax (46 8) 30 67 59
25.. Finland
TullihallitusErottajankatu 2FIN-00101 HelsinkiTel.: (358-9) 61 41Fax: (358-20) 492 28 52
