Commission Regulation (EU) No 1159/2010 of 9 December 2010 laying down rules for the management and distribution of textile quotas established for the year 2011 under Council Regulation (EC) No 517/94

The purpose of this Regulation is to lay down rules on the management of quantitative quotas for imports of certain textile products set out in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 517/94 for the year 2011.

The quotas referred to in Article 1 shall be allocated according to the chronological order of receipt by the Commission of Member States’ notifications of applications from individual operators, for amounts not exceeding the maximum quantities per operator set out in Annex I. The maximum quantities shall not, however, apply to operators able to prove to the competent national authorities, when making their first application for 2011, that, in respect of given categories and given third countries, they imported more than the maximum quantities specified for each category pursuant to import licences granted to them for 2010. In the case of such operators, the competent authorities may authorise imports not exceeding the quantities imported in 2010 from given third countries and in given categories, provided that enough quota capacity is available.

Any importer who has already used up 50 percent or more of the amount allocated to him under this Regulation may make a further application, in respect of the same category and country of origin, for amounts not exceeding the maximum quantities laid down in Annex I.

1 The competent national authorities listed in Annex II may, from 10.00 o’clock a.m. on 7 January 2011, notify the Commission of the amounts covered by requests for import authorisations. The time fixed in the first subparagraph shall be understood as Brussels time.

2 The competent national authorities shall issue authorisations only after being notified by the Commission pursuant to Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 517/94 that quantities are available for importation. They shall issue authorisations only if an operator: (a) proves the existence of a contract relating to the provision of the goods; and (b) certifies in writing that, in respect of the categories and countries concerned: (i) he has not already been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation; or (ii) he has been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation but has used up at least 50 percent of it.

3 Import authorisations shall be valid for nine months from the date of issue, but until 31 December 2011 at the latest. The competent national authorities may, however, at the importer’s request, grant a three-month extension for authorisations which are at least 50 percent used up at the time of the request. Such extension shall in no circumstances expire later than 31 March 2012.

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2011.