14.7.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 175/69 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1531/2000 of 13 July 2000 relating to a standing invitation to tender to determine levies and/or refunds on exports of white sugar for the 2000/01 marketing year THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (5)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 of 13 September 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (!), and in particular Article 13(2), Article 18(5) and (15), Article 24(3) and the second paragraph of Article 46 thereof, Whereas: (1)  In view of the situation on the Community and world sugar markets, a standing invitation to tender should be issued as soon as possible for the export of white sugar in respect of the 2000/01 marketing year which, having regard to possible fluctuations in world prices for sugar, must provide for the determination of export levies andfor export refunds. (2)  The general rules governing invitations to tender for the purpose of determining export refunds for sugar were established by Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 2038/ 1999. (3)  In view of the specific nature of the operation, appro- priate provisions should be laid down with regard to export licences issued in connection with the standing invitation to tender and there should be a derogation from Commission Regulation (EC) No 1464/95 of 27 June 1995 on special detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences in the sugar sector (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1148/ 98 (}). However, Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3719/88 of 16 November 1988 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of import and export licences and advance fixing certificates for agricultural products (¥, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1127/1999 (®), and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 120/89 of 19 January 1989 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the export levies and charges on agricultural products (), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2194/96 (), should continue to apply. (4)  The standing invitation to tender for the 1999/2000 marketing year established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1489/1999 (%), is to remain open until a date to be determined. The closing date should therefore be fixed. () O] L 252, 25.9.1999, p. 1. () O] L 144, 28.6.1995, p. 14. () O] L 159, 3.6.1998, p. 38. () O] L 331, 2.12.1988, p. 1. () O] L 135, 29.5.1999, p. 48. (9 O] L 16, 20.1.1989, p. 19. () O] L 293, 16.11.1996, p. 3. (% O] L 172, 8.7.1999, p. 27. accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Sugar, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. A standing invitation to tender shall be issued in order to determine export levies and/or export refunds on white sugar covered by CN code 1701 99 10 and, during the period of validity of this standing invitation, partial invitations to tender shall be issued. 2. The standing invitation to tender shall remain open until a date to be determined. Article 2 The standing invitation to tender and the partial invitations shall be conducted in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 and with the following provisions. Article 3 1. The Member States shall establish a notice of invitation to tender. The notice of invitation to tender shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Member States may also publish the notice, or have it published, elsewhere. 2. The notice shall indicate, in particular, the terms of the invitation to tender. 3. The notice may be amended during the period of validity of the standing invitation to tender. It shall be so amended if the terms of the invitation to tender are modified during that period. Atrticle 4 1. The period during which tenders may be submitted in response to the first partial invitation to tender: (a) shall begin on 27 July 2000; (b) shall end on 2 August 2000 at 10.30 a.m. 2. The periods during which tenders may be submitted in response to the second and subsequent partial invitations: (a) shall begin on the first working day following the end of the preceding period; (b) shall end at 10.30 a.m. on the Wednesday of the following week.