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Whereas the Community has undertaken, in the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to open an annual tariff quota of 169 000 head of certain live bovine animals; whereas the tariff rate that is applicable for imports under this quota is composed of a 16 % ad valorem duty and of a specific amount of ECU 582 per tonne;

Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 2179/95 of 8 August 1995, providing for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreements and amending Regulation (EC) No 3379/94 opening and administering certain Community tariff quotas in 1995 for certain agricultural products and for beer, to take account of the Agreement concluded during the Uruguay Round Multilateral Trade Negotiations, and Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95 of 22 December 1995 establishing certain concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for the adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided in the Europe Agreements to take account of the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations provide for the possibility of reducing the specific amount that is payable on import within the tariff quota for 169 000 head of certain live bovine animals, to ECU 399 per tonne in respect of animals originating in the associated countries of Central Europe; whereas the reduction has been implemented as regards these countries as from 1 July 1995;

Whereas similar treatment is envisaged for imports originating in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as from 1 July 1996 by virtue of Regulation (EC) No 1926/96; Whereas it is necessary, in view of the international obligations of the Community under the WTO, to ensure that imports from all countries benefit from the reduced in-quota tariff rate whenever a reduction has been, or will be, implemented as regards imports from the associated countries of Central Europe and the Baltic States; whereas therefore provision should be made for the extension of such reduction to imports of live bovine animals from all countries, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: