L 385/24 Official Journal of the European Union 29.12.2004 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2256/2004 of 14 October 2004 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 7472001 as regards Community tariff quotas for certain products originating in Egypt, in Malta and in Cyprus and as regards reference quantities for certain products originating in Malta and in Cyprus THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (5)  In order to facilitate the management of certain existing Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded ('), and in particular Article 57(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 747/2001 of 9 April 2001 providing for the management of Community tariff quotas and of reference quantities for products eligible for preferences by virtue of agreements with certain Mediterranean countries and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1981/94 and (EC) No 934/95 (3), and in particular Article 5(1)(b) thereof, Whereas: (1) By its Decision 2004/664/EC (}) of 24 September 2004, the Council has given authorisation for the signature and has provided for the provisional application from 1 May 2004 of a Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union. (2)  This Protocol provides for a new tariff quota and for changes to the existing tariff quotas laid down in Regu- lation (EC) No 747/2001. (3)  To implement the new tariff quota and the changes to the existing tariff quotas, it is necessary to amend Regu- lation (EC) No 747/2001. (4)  For the year 2004 the volumes of the new tariff quota and the increases of the volumes of existing tariff quotas should be calculated as a pro rata of the basic volumes specified in the Protocol, taking into account the part of the period elapsed before 1 May 2004. () OJ L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 33. (®» O] L 109, 19.4.2001, p. 2. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 54/2004 (O] L 7, 13.1.2004, p. 30). () OJ L 303, 30.9.2004, p. 28. tariff quotas provided for in Regulation (EC) No 747[2001, the quantities imported within the framework of those quotas should be taken into account for charging on the tariff quotas opened in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 747/2001, as amended by this Regulation. (6)  After the accession of Malta and Cyprus to the European Union, the tariff quotas and reference quantities for products originating in those Member States as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 747/2001 should lapse. The references to those quotas and reference quan- tities should therefore be deleted. (7)  Since the Protocol to the EU-Egypt Euro-Mediterranean Agreement applies on a provisional basis from 1 May 2004, this Regulation should apply from the same date and should enter into force as soon as possible. (8)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Commnittee, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 747/2001 is amended as follows: 1. Article 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 Tariff concessions within Community tariff quotas or within reference quantities When products originating in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Turkey, listed in Annexes I to IX, are put into free circulation in the Community, they shall be eligible for exemption or reduced rates of customs duties within the limits of the Community tariff quotas or in the framework of the reference quantities, during the periods and in accordance with the provisions set out in this Regu- lation.”.