EXCHANGE OF LETTERS regarding the Agreement between the EEC and the Republic of Austria on the reciprocal granting of tariff quotas for certain wines

I. Letter from the Commission of the European Community Brussels, . . . . . .

Your Excellency,

I refer to the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Austria formalizing certain agreements regarding agriculture that were reached during the negotiations leading to the Agreement on the EEA, and I also refer to Protocol No 47 of the Agreement on the EEA.

In Annex III to the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters, the contracting parties agree to grant each other reciprocal tariff quotas for certain wines. Point 6, paragraph 2 of this Annex specifies that the wines in question must be accompanied by a certificate issued by an official body entered in a register to be drawn up with the agreement of both contracting parties.

After consultation between the Commission and Austria, the following arrangement has been agreed upon:

A certificate in the sense of the abovementioned agreement shall be an approved commercial document as defined in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 986/89 of 10 April 1989, which, pursuant to Article 9 (2) of this Regulation and Annex VI, in particular Point 5, of the Agreement cited at the beginning of this letter, shall contain a certificate of origin worded as follows:

1. For wines originating in Austria, which are being exported to the Community:

'This wine is a quality wine/quality sparkling wine (1) as defined in the provisions of the 1985 Austrian Law on wine.

'

2. For wines originating in the Community, which are being exported to Austria:

'This document attests the origin of the quality wines psr/quality sparkling wines psr/retsina wines (1) set out herein.

'

The official body referred to in Paragraph 2 of this letter shall validate this information by means of a stamp with the date and the signature of the person responsible. The competent body is the body designated by the contracting parties to implement Regulation (EEC) No 986/89.

This arrangement will come into effect at the same time as the Agreement on the EEA and replaces the exchange of notes between the EEC and Austria of 23 December 1988 on the Agreement on the reciprocal introduction of tariff quotas for certain quality wines.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that you are in agreement with the above.

Yours faithfully, On behalf of the Commission of the European Communities II. Letter from the Austrian Federal Government Brussels, . . . . . .

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 20 December 1993, which reads as follows:

'Your Excellency,

I refer to the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Austria formalizing certain agreements regarding agriculture that were reached during the negotiations leading to the Agreement on the EEA, and I also refer to Protocol No 47 of the Agreement on the EEA.

In Annex III to the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters, the contracting parties agree to grant each other reciprocal tariff quotas for certain wines. Point 6, paragraph 2 of this Annex specifies that the wines in question must be accompanied by a certificate issued by an official body entered in a register to be drawn up with the agreement of both contracting parties.

After consultation between the Commission and Austria, the following arrangement has been agreed upon:

A certificate in the sense of the abovementioned agreement shall be an approved commercial document as defined in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 986/89 of 10 April 1989, which, pursuant to Article 9 (2) of this Regulation and Annex VI, in particular Point 5, of the Agreement cited at the beginning of this letter, shall contain a certificate of origin worded as follows:

1. For wines originating in Austria, which are being exported to the Community:

"This wine is a quality wine/quality sparkling wine (1) as defined in the provisions of the 1985 Austrian Law on wine.

"

2. For wines originating in the Community, which are being exported to Austria:

"This document attests the origin of the quality wines psr/quality sparkling wines psr/retsina wines (1) set out herein.

"

The official body referred to in Paragraph 2 of this letter shall validate this information by means of a stamp with the date and the signature of the person responsible. The competent body is the body designated by the contracting parties to implement Regulation (EEC) No 986/89.

This arrangement will come into effect at the same time as the Agreement on the EEA and replaces the exchange of notes between the EEC and Austria of 23 December 1988 on the Agreement on the reciprocal introduction of tariff quotas for certain quality wines.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that you are in agreement with the above.'

I have the honour to confirm that the Austrian Federal Government is in agreement with the contents of your letter.

Yours faithfully, On behalf of the Austrian Federal Government

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