ARRANGEMENT

between the European Community and the Kingdom of Norway concerning reciprocal trade in cheese

With the aim of fostering the harmonious development of trade in agricultural products and taking into account the discussions which have taken place with a view to adapting their bilateral agricultural concessions following the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union, the European Community and the Kingdom of Norway have agreed to conclude a new arrangement with effect from 1 January 1995 concerning their reciprocal trade in cheese(1). In view of the common interest of the Community and Norway in offering consumers, in addition to home-produced cheese, types of imported cheese, the provisions of this arrangement read as follows:

The import duties on the annual quantities of cheese set out below may not exceed the following levels:

(a) On import into the Community (excluding Spain and Portugal):

Cheese covered by CN code 0406, originating in Norway and accompanied by an approved certificate(2):

Annual quantity (tonnes)

Import duty (ECU/100 kg)

—	Jarlsberg, of a minimum fat content of 45 % by weight in the dry matter and of a dry matter content by weight of not less than 56 %, matured for at least 3 months:

2 263

66,41

—	whole cheeses with rind(3) weighing from 8 kg to 12 kg

—	rectangular blocks of a net weight not exceeding 7 kg(4)

—	pieces packed in vacuum or in inert gas, of a net weight of not less than 150 g but not exceeding 1 kg(4)

—	Ridder, of a minimum fat content of 60 %, by weight, in the dry matter and matured for at least four weeks:

—	whole cheeses with rind(3) weighing from 1 kg to 2 kg

—	pieces packed in vacuum or in inert gas, with rind on at least one side(3), of a net weight of not less than 150 g(4)

—	Whey cheese

357

7,50

(b) on import into Norway:

Annual quantity (tonnes)

Import duty (Nkr/kg)

—	Cheese of all types and varieties, originating in the Community

2 560

1,20

Norway will take the necessary steps in order to:

— limit the issue of the certificates referred to in (1) (a) to the quantities agreed in this arrangement;

— ensure that the autonomous system of import licence allocation will be managed taking into account market requirements and in such a way that imports may take place regularly and that the quantities agreed for import into Norway from the Community can effectively be imported.

The Community and Norway will take steps to ensure that the benefits which they grant each other will not be jeopardized by other import measures.

The Community and Norway undertake, each on its own behalf, to ensure that the prices charged by their exporters are not such as to create difficulties on the importing country's market.

They agree, in this connection, to exchange at regular intervals information on price quotations and any other useful information concerning the market in domestic and imported cheeses.

If difficulties arise concerning the prices charged, consultations will be held at the request of either party, as promptly as possible, with a view to the adoption of appropriate corrective measures.

Consultations will be held at the request of either party on any question relating to the operation of this arrangement. The two parties may, by common accord, alter it by reference in particular to the trend in market prices, production, marketing or consumption of home-produced and imported cheeses.

This arrangement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of the Kingdom of Norway.

This arrangement shall replace the arrangement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway concerning reciprocal trade in cheese, signed on 2 May 1992.

(1) This arrangement is without prejudice to point 3 of the exchange of letters concerning reciprocal trade in cheese signed on 14 July 1986 between the Community and Norway following the accession of Spain and Portugal.

(2) The certificate will be issued by ‘Norske Meierier’ (Norwegian dairies).

(3) The expression ‘whole cheeses with rind’ means cheeses of the conventional flat cylindrical shape. For the purposes of these provisions, the rind is defined as follows: the rind of such cheeses is the outer layer formed from the cheese itself, having a distinctly more solid consistency and a distinctly darker colour.

(4) The wording on the packing must be such as to enable this cheese to be identified by the consumer.