(1)

On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, that is to say from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period. The United Kingdom will then become a third country.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1635/2006 (2) lays down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 (3) on the conditions governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station.

(3)

Since Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 has been amended several times, it was repealed by Regulation (EC) No 733/2008.

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 733/2008 lays down maximum permitted levels of radioactivity in certain agricultural products originating in third countries. It also establishes that Member States are required to carry out checks on such agricultural products, in order to ensure their compliance with the levels of radioactivity set out in that Regulation, before the product is released for free circulation.

(5)

Regulation (EC) No 1635/2006 requires Member States to ensure that the competent authorities of third countries affected by the Chernobyl accident issue export certificates which attest that the products that they accompany comply with the maximum permitted levels set out in Regulation (EC) No 733/2008. The specific third countries concerned are listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1635/2006.

(6)

The fallout of radiocaesium from the accident at the Chernobyl power station on 26 April 1986 affected a wide range of third countries. That fallout has affected some areas of the United Kingdom. Since caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30 years, contamination decreases slowly.

(7)

Certain agricultural products originating in the United Kingdom which have been affected by the Chernobyl accident could still show radioactive caesium contamination.

(8)

As soon as Union law ceases to apply to and in the United Kingdom, agricultural products originating in the United Kingdom will have to be checked in terms of radioactive contamination before they are allowed to enter the Union.

(9)

Therefore, Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1635/2006 should be amended in order to include the United Kingdom.

(10)

Given the urgency entailed by the circumstances of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, it is necessary to allow for a prompt application of the measures provided for in this Regulation. Therefore, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(a)

a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;

(b)

a decision has been taken to extend the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.

(1)

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the United States of America relating to the method of calculation of applied duties for husked rice, approved by Council Decision 2005/476/EC (2), establishes a method for the calculation of applied duties for imports of husked rice.

(2)

On the basis of the information provided by the competent authorities, the Commission notes that import licences for husked rice falling within CN code 1006 20, other than import licences for basmati rice, have been issued in respect of 265 824 tonnes for the period from 1 September 2018 to 28 February 2019. The import duty for husked rice falling within CN code 1006 20 other than basmati rice, fixed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 191/2012 (3), should therefore be adjusted.

(3)

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 191/2012 should therefore be repealed.

(4)

The applicable duty must be fixed within 10 days of the end of the period mentioned above. This Regulation should therefore enter into force immediately,

(1)

By means of Council Decision 2007/880/EC (2) and Implementing Decision 2013/192/EU (3), France was authorised to apply a reduced rate of taxation to unleaded petrol used as motor fuel and consumed in Corsican departments in accordance with Article 19 of Directive 2003/96/EC.

(2)

By letter dated 26 September 2018, France requested authorisation to apply a reduced rate of energy tax to unleaded petrol used as motor fuel by way of extension of a practice followed under Decision 2007/880/EC and Implementing Decision 2013/192/EU. The reduction amounts to EUR 1 per hectolitre. The authorisation is requested for the period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024. In Corsica the cost of supplying unleaded petrol to the forecourt is appreciably higher than in mainland France, final prices being over EUR 0,10 per litre higher than on the mainland.

(3)

By reducing the tax on unleaded petrol borne by consumers in Corsica, the consumers concerned will be placed on a more equal footing with those on the mainland. The measure therefore meets regional and cohesion policy objectives.

(4)

The tax reduction is no larger than what is necessary to allow for the additional transport and distribution costs borne by consumers in Corsica.

(5)

The final level of taxation complies with the minimum rates laid down in Directive 2003/96/EC, currently EUR 359 per 1 000 litres (or EUR 35,90 per hectolitre).

(6)

In view of the remote and insular nature of the departments to which it applies and the moderate reduction in the rate — which is, moreover, very high compared to the minimum level set out in Directive 2003/96/EC — the measure requested will not give rise to any movement specifically linked to the supplying of fuel.

(7)

Consequently, the measure is acceptable in terms of the proper functioning of the internal market and of the need to ensure fair competition and is not incompatible with the health, environment, energy and transport policies of the Union.

(8)

France should therefore be authorised, pursuant to Article 19(2) of Directive 2003/96/EC, to apply a reduced rate of taxation to unleaded petrol used as motor fuel and consumed in Corsica, until 31 December 2024.

(9)

It follows from Article 19(2) of Directive 2003/96/EC that each authorisation granted under that Article must be strictly limited in time.

(10)

In order to provide the departments concerned with a sufficient degree of certainty, the authorisation should be granted for a period of six years. However, in order not to undermine future general developments of the existing legal framework, it is appropriate to provide that, should the Council, acting on the basis of Article 113 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), introduce a modified general system for the taxation of energy products to which this authorisation would not be adapted, this Decision would expire on the day on which the rules on that modified general system became applicable.

(11)

It should be ensured that France can apply the specific reduction to which this Decision relates from 1 January 2019, following seamlessly on from the prior arrangements under Implementing Decision 2013/192/EU. The authorisation requested should therefore be granted with effect from 1 January 2019.

(12)

This Decision is without prejudice to the application of the Union rules regarding State aid,

(1)

Pursuant to Article 6(1) of Joint Action 2008/851/CFSP, the Council authorised the Political and Security Committee (PSC) to take the relevant decisions on the appointment of the EU Force Commander for European Union military operation to contribute to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast (‘EU Force Commander’).

(2)

On 26 June 2018, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2018/925 (2) appointing Rear Admiral Alfonso PÉREZ DE NANCLARES Y PÉREZ DE ACEVEDO as EU Force Commander.

(3)

The EU Operation Commander has recommended the appointment of Rear Admiral Ricardo A. HERNÁNDEZ as the new EU Force Commander as from 10 March 2019.

(4)

On 8 January 2019, the EU Military Committee supported that recommendation.

(5)

Decision (CFSP) 2018/925 should therefore be repealed.

(6)

In accordance with Article 5 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark does not participate in the elaboration and the implementation of decisions and actions of the Union which have defence implications,

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020. On 20 July 2015, by Council Decision (EU) 2015/1203 (4) Ms Carola GUNNARSSON, Ms Agneta LIPKIN and Mr Anders ROSÉN were replaced by Mr Jonny LUNDIN, Mr Erik PELLING and Mr Glenn NORDLUND as alternate members.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Paul LINDQUIST.

(3)

Two alternate members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Mr Carl Fredrik GRAF and Mr Erik PELLING.

(4)

Four alternate members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the mandates on the basis of which Ms Åsa ÅGREN WIKSTRÖM (Ledamot i kommunfullmäktige, Umeå kommun), Ms Marie SÄLLSTRÖM (Ledamot i landstingsfullmäktige, Blekinge läns landsting), Mr Jonny LUNDIN (Härnösands kommun) and Mr Glenn NORDLUND (Örnsköldsviks kommun) were proposed,

(a)

as a member:

(b)

as alternate members:

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020. On 11 July 2017, by Council Decision (EU) 2017/1334 (4), Mr Augusto ROLLANDIN was replaced by Mr Pierluigi MARQUIS as a member. On 29 January 2018, by Council Decision (EU) 2018/157 (5), Mr Pierluigi MARQUIS was replaced by Mr Laurent VIERIN as a member. On 8 October 2018, by Council Decision (EU) 2018/1510 (6), Mr Laurent VIERIN was replaced by Ms Nicoletta SPELGATTI as a member.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Ms Nicoletta SPELGATTI,

—

Mr Pierluigi MARQUIS, Consigliere della Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta.

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

Two members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Ms Snježana BUŽINEC and Mr Predrag ŠTROMAR.

(3)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the mandate on the basis of which Ms Jelena PAVIČIĆ VUKIČEVIĆ (Councillor in the City of Zagreb Assembly) was proposed.

(4)

Four alternate members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Ms Josipa RIMAC, Ms Viviana BENUSSI, Mr Tulio DEMETLIKA and Mr Ivan VUČIĆ.

(a)

as members:

and

(b)

as alternate members:

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU)2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr László Lóránt DR. KERESZTES.

(3)

An alternate member's seat has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Sándor KOVÁCS,

(a)

as a member:

and

(b)

as an alternate member:

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Michael STRUGL,

—

Mr Markus ACHLEITNER, Mitglied der oberösterreichischen Landesregierung.