16.3.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 78/5 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 478/2004 of 15 March 2004 on the release of securities for import licences for preferential sugar issued under Regulation (EEC) No 2782/76 THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (), and in particular Article 22(2)(b) thereof, Whereas: (1) One of the Regulations repealed by Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 1159/2003 of 30 June 2003 laying down detailed rules of application for the 2003/2004, 2004/ 2005 and 2005/2006 marketing years for the import of cane sugar under certain tariff quotas and preferential agreements and amending Regulations (EC) No 1464/95 and (EC) No 779/96 () was Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2782/76 (), which laid down detailed imple- menting rules for the importation of preferential sugar. (2)  Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1159/2003 provides as a transitional measure that licences issued under Regu- lation (EEC) No 278276 may be used provided that loading took place andfor import declarations were accepted before 1 July 2003. (3) It has become clear that these transitional measures do not cover the case where licences provided for by Regu- lation (EEC) No 2782/76 and issued before 1 July 2003 could not be used because of the entry into application of Regulation (EC) No 1159/2003. (4 Provision should therefore be made for the securities on licences which have been unusable since 1 July 2003 to be released. (5)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Sugar, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 The securities on import licences issued under Regulation (EEC) No 2782/76 which could not be used because of the entry into application of Regulation (EC) No 1159/2003 may be released forthwith. Atticle 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publica- tion in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 July 2003. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 15 March 2004. (") OJ L 178, 30.6.2001, p. 1, Regulation last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 39/2004 (O] L 6, 10.1.2004, p. 16). () OJ L 162, 1.7.2003, p. 25. () OJ L 318, 18.11.1976, p. 13. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission