Agreement

in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Bulgaria on reciprocal preferential trade concessions for certain wines

A. Letter from the Community

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to the Agreement of 20 March 2001 in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Bulgaria on the reciprocal establishment of tariff quotas for certain wines and spirits, amending Agreement of 29 November 1993, and to the negotiations concluded during 2004 between the European Community and Bulgaria covering trade concessions on wine.

I hereby confirm that, following the negotiations and pending the procedure for the adoption and the entry into force of an Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement covering wines and spirits and in order to implement from 1 January 2005 the results of the negotiations on new bilateral trade concessions for certain wines, the European Community and the Republic of Bulgaria have agreed on the following which will replace the concessions on wine set out in the Exchange of Letters of 2001:

1. Imports into Bulgaria of the following products originating in the Community shall be subject to the concessions set out below.

Bulgarian tariff code | Description | Annual quantity from 1.1.2005 (hl) | Applicable duty |

ex 2204 10 ex 2204 21 ex 2204 29 | Sparkling wine, in containers holding not more than 2 litres Wine of fresh grapes | 73100 | free |

2. Imports into the Community of the following products originating in Bulgaria shall be subject to the concessions set out below.

CN code | Description | Annual quantity from 1.1.2005 (hl) | Yearly increase from 1.1.2006 (hl) | Applicable duty |

ex220410 | Sparkling wine, in containers holding not more than 2 litres | 4000 | 200 | free |

ex220421 | Wine of fresh grapes | 510000 | 25500 | free |

ex220429 | Wine of fresh grapes | 195000 | 0 | free |

3. The rules of origin applicable under this Agreement shall be as set out in Protocol 4 of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria of the other part.

4. For the purposes of this Agreement wine is as defined in point 10 of Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine and must be produced in accordance with the rules governing the oenological practices and processes referred to in Title V and Annexes IV and V of the said Regulation and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common market organisation in wine and establishing a Community code on oenological practices and processes.

5. Imports of wine under the concessions provided for in this Agreement will be subject to the presentation of a certificate issued by a mutually recognised official body appearing on a list to be drawn up jointly, to the effect that the wine in question complies with point 4.

6. The Contracting Parties shall ensure that the trade concessions granted reciprocally are not called into question by other measures.

7. Consultations are to take place at the request of either Party on any problem relating to the way this Agreement operates.

8. This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

9. This Agreement will be approved by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective procedures.

This Agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 2005. It shall expire on the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement on wines and spirits.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that your Government is in agreement with the content of this letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Done at Brussels,

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselē,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

Съставено в Брюксел

+++++ TIFF +++++

Por la Comunidad Europea

Za Evropské společenství

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Euroopa Ühenduse nimel

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Eiropas Kopienas vārdā

Europos bendrijos vardu

az Európai Közösség részéről

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Za Európske spoločenstvo

za Evropsko skupnost

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

За Европейската общност

+++++ TIFF +++++

B. Letter from Bulgaria

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today's date, which reads as follows:

"I have the honour to refer to the Agreement of 20 March 2001 in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Bulgaria on the reciprocal establishment of tariff quotas for certain wines and spirits, amending Agreement of 29 November 1993, and to the negotiations concluded during 2004 between the European Community and Bulgaria covering trade concessions on wine.

I hereby confirm that, following the negotiations and pending the procedure for the adoption and the entry into force of an Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement covering wines and spirits and in order to implement from 1 January 2005 the results of the negotiations on new bilateral trade concessions for certain wines, the European Community and the Republic of Bulgaria have agreed on the following which will replace the concessions on wine set out in the Exchange of Letters of 2001:

1. Imports into Bulgaria of the following products originating in the Community shall be subject to the concessions set out below.

Bulgarian tariff code | Description | Annual quantity from 1.1.2005 (hl) | Applicable duty |

ex 2204 10 ex 2204 21 ex 2204 29 | Sparkling wine, in containers holding not more than 2 litres Wine of fresh grapes | 73100 | free |

2. Imports into the Community of the following products originating in Bulgaria shall be subject to the concessions set out below.

CN code | Description | Annual quantity from 1.1.2005 (hl) | Yearly increase from 1.1.2006 (hl) | Applicable duty |

ex220410 | Sparkling wine, in containers holding not more than 2 litres | 4000 | 200 | free |

ex220421 | Wine of fresh grapes | 510000 | 25500 | free |

ex220429 | Wine of fresh grapes | 195000 | 0 | free |

3. The rules of origin applicable under this Agreement shall be as set out in Protocol 4 of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria of the other part.

4. For the purposes of this Agreement wine is as defined in point 10 of Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine and must be produced in accordance with the rules governing the oenological practices and processes referred to in Title V and Annexes IV and V of the said Regulation and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common market organisation in wine and establishing a Community code on oenological practices and processes.

5. Imports of wine under the concessions provided for in this Agreement will be subject to the presentation of a certificate issued by a mutually recognised official body appearing on a list to be drawn up jointly, to the effect that the wine in question complies with point 4.

6. The Contracting Parties shall ensure that the trade concessions granted reciprocally are not called into question by other measures.

7. Consultations are to take place at the request of either Party on any problem relating to the way this Agreement operates.

8. This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

9. This Agreement will be approved by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective procedures.

This Agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 2005. It shall expire on the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement on wines and spirits.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that your Government is in agreement with the content of this letter."

I have the honour to confirm that my Government is in agreement with the content of your letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Съставено в Брюксел

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Done at Brussels,

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselē,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

+++++ TIFF +++++

За правителството на Република България

Por el Gobierno de la República de Bulgaria

Za vládu Bulharské republiky

For regeringen for Republikken Bulgarien

Für die Regierung der Republik Bulgarien

Bulgaaria Vabariigi Valitsuse nimel

Για την Κυβέρνηση της Δημοκρατίας της Βουλγαρίας

For the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria

Pour le gouvernement de la République de Bulgarie

Per il Governo della Repubblica di Bulgaria

Bulgārijas Republikas valdības vārdā

Bulgarijos Vyriausybės vardu

a Bolgár Köztársaság kormánya részéről

Voor de regering van de Republiek Bulgarije

W imieniu Rzadu Republiki Bulgarii

Pelo Governo da República da Bulgária

Za vládu Bulharskej republiky

Za Vlado Republike Bolgarije

Bulgarian tasavallan hallituksen puolesta

På Republiken Bulgariens regerings vägnar

+++++ TIFF +++++

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