31.12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 371/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 4217/88 of 19 December 1988 opening and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota for certain prepared ' and preserved sardines originating in Tunisia (1989) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Tunisia (1), - supplemented by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1080/83 of 18 April 1983 laying down the arrangements applicable to trade between Greece and Tunisia (2) and the Additional Protocol to the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Tunisia (%), provides that certain prepared and preserved sardines falling within CN codes ex16041310 or ex 1604 20 50 originating in Tunisia may be imported into the Community free of duty; whereas the detailed arrangements must be fixed by an Exchange of Letters between the Community and Tunisia; whereas, since that Exchange of Letters has not yet taken place, the Community arrangements which applied in 1988 should be renewed until 31 December 1989; whereas a duty-free Community tariff quota of 100 tonnes should therefore bé opened; whereas this tariff quota is to apply from 1 January 1989 either until the conclusion of the Exchange of Letters provided for in Article 18 of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Tunisia or until Community import arrangements for the ‘products concerned are applied, but at the latest until 31 December 1989; Whereas, within the limits of the tariff quota, the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic are to apply duties calculated in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 2573/87 of 11 August 1987 laying down the arrangements for trade between Spain and Portugal on the one hand and (1) OJ No L 265, 27.9. 1978, p. 1. (2) OJ No L 120, 6. 5. 1983, p. 1. (*) OJ No L 297, 21. 10. 1987, p. 36. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey on the other (4); Whereas equal and continuous access to the quota should be ensured for all Community importers and the rates laid down - for the quota should be applied consistently to all imports of the products in question into all the Member States until the quota is exhausted; whereas in this case the quota should not be allocated among the Member States, without prejudice to the drawing against the quota volume of such quantities as they may need, under the conditions and according to the procedure laid down in Article 1 (2); whereas this method of administration requires close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission and the latter must in particular be able to monitor the rate at which the quota is used and inform the Member States accordingly; Whereas since the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are united within and jointly represented by the Benelux Economic Union, any operation concerning the administration of the quota shares levied to that economic union may be carried out by any one of its members, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. From 1 January 1989 until the conclusion of the Exchange of Letters referred to in Article 18 of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community arid the Republic of Tunisia or until Community import arrangements are applied, but at the latest until 31 December 1989, the customs duty applicable to imports into the Community of the following products originating in Tunisia shall be suspended at the level indicated and within the limits of Community tariff quota as shown below: () OJ No L 250,1.9.1987,p. 1.