31.12.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 346/17 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2335/2003 of 30 December 2003 derogating for the year 2004 from Regulation (EC) No 2402/96 as regards tariff quotas for manioc starch THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1095/96 of 18 June 1996 on the implementation of the concessions set out in Schedule CXL drawn up in the wake of the conclusion of the GATT XXIV.6 negotiations ("), and in particular Article 1(1) thereof, Having regard to Council Decision 96/317/EC of 13 May 1996 concerning the conclusion of the results of consultations with Thailand under GATT Article XXIII (3, and in particular Article 3 thereof, Whereas: (1) The importers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia should benefit from the provisions of Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 2402/96 of 17 December 1996 opening and setting administrative rules for certain annual tariff quotas for sweet potatoes and manioc (¥). ) For the year 2004, to avoid market irregularities, it is necessary, by way of derogation from Regulation (EC) No 2402/96, to divide the annual import quotas for manioc starch into two subquotas. (3)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Cereals, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 1. By derogation from Article 1(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2402/96, for the year 2004, the annual tariff quota for impor- tation into the Community of 10 000 tonnes of manioc starch referred to in that Article shall be divided into two subquotas, as set out in part A of the Annex to this Regulation. 2. By way of derogation from Article 1(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2402/96, for the year 2004, the additional autonomous annual tariff quota for importation into the Community of 10 500 tonnes of manioc starch referred to in that Article, of which 10 000 tonnes is reserved for Thailand, shall be divided into two subquotas, as set out in part B of the Annex to this Regulation. Atticle 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 January 2004. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 30 December 2003. () OJ L 146, 20.6.1996, p. 1. () OJ L 122, 22.5.1996, p. 15. () OJ L 327,18.12.1996, p. 14. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission