Protocol

amending the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, on a tariff quota for the imports of sugar and sugar products originating in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into the Community

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,

hereinafter referred to as "the Community",

of the one part, and

THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA,

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 former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as the "SAA") was signed in Luxembourg on 9 April 2001 and entered into force on 1 April 2004.

(2) Negotiations have taken place to alter the preferential arrangements in the SAA with regard to imports of sugar and sugar products originating in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into the Community.

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

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The SAA is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 27 shall be amended as follows:

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

"1. The Community shall abolish the custom duties and charges having equivalent effect on imports of agricultural products originating in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, other than those of heading Nos 0102, 0201, 0202, 1701, 1702 and 2204 of the Combined Nomenclature.";

(b) the following subparagraph shall be added to paragraph 2:

"The Community shall apply duty-free access on import into the Community for products originating in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia of headings 1701 and 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature, within the limit of an annual tariff quota of 7000 tonnes (net weight)."

2. In the table in Annex I to Protocol 3, the references to products falling under heading 1702 of the Combined Nomenclature shall be deleted.

Article 2

This Protocol shall form an integral part of the SAA.

Article 3

This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date of signature.

Article 4

This Protocol shall be drawn up in duplicate in each of the official languages of the contracting parties, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2005.

For the European Community

For the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

--------------------------------------------------