Council Regulation (EC) No 885/2004 of 26 April 2004 adapting Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1334/2000, (EC) No 2157/2001, (EC) No 152/2002, (EC) No 1499/2002, (EC) No 1500/2003 and (EC) No 1798/2003, Decisions No 1719/1999/EC, No 1720/1999/EC, No 253/2000/EC, No 508/2000/EC, No 1031/2000/EC, No 163/2001/EC, No 2235/2002/EC and No 291/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Council Decisions 1999/382/EC, 2000/821/EC, 2003/17/EC and 2003/893/EC in the fields of free movement of goods, company law, agriculture, taxation, education and training, culture and audiovisual policy and external relations, by reason of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia

Regulations (EC) No 2003/2003, (EC) No 1334/2000, (EC) No 2157/2001, (EC) No 152/2002, (EC) No 1499/2002, (EC) No 1500/2003, and (EC) No 1798/2003 and Decisions No 1719/1999/EC, No 1720/1999/EC, No 253/2000/EC, No 508/2000/EC, No 1031/2000/EC, No 163/2001/EC, No 2235/2002/EC, No 291/2003/EC, 1999/382/EC, 2000/821/EC, 2003/17/EC and 2003/893/EC are amended as set out in the Annex of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall enter into force only subject to and on the date of the entry into force of the Treaty of Accession.

As regards release for free circulation in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as of 1 May 2004 of the steel products covered by this Regulation and shipped before 1 May 2004, an import document shall not be required provided that the goods were shipped before 1 May 2004 and that the bill of lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent by Community authorities proving the shipment date, has been presented.’.

As regards release for free circulation in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as of 1 May 2004 of the steel products covered by this Regulation and shipped before 1 May 2004, an import document shall not be required provided that the goods were shipped before 1 May 2004 and that the bill of lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent by Community authorities proving the shipment date, has been presented.’;

As regards release for free circulation in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as of 1 May 2004 of the steel products covered by this Decision, an import authorisation shall be required, even if the steel products were shipped before that date. If the steel products were shipped to one of these Member States before 1 May 2004, the import authorisation shall be granted automatically, without quantitative limitation, on presentation of the bill of lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent by the Community licensing offices proving the shipment date and after approval from the Commission's office responsible for the management of licences (SIGL). If the steel products are shipped to one of these Member States on 1 May 2004 or after that date, they shall be subject to the specific rules governing quantitative limits as defined in this Decision.’.

As regards release for free circulation in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as of 1 May 2004 of the steel products covered by this Regulation and shipped before 1 May 2004, an import document shall not be required provided that the goods were shipped before 1 May 2004 and that the bill of lading or another transport document deemed to be equivalent by Community authorities proving the shipment date, has been presented.’;