It is also important that Turkey fulfils the commitments of legislative approximation and implementation of the acquis in accordance with the commitments made under the Association Agreement, customs union and related decisions of the EC-Turkey Association Council, for example on the trade regime for agricultural products.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2497/96 of 18 December 1996 laying down procedures for applying in the poultrymeat sector the arrangements provided for in the Association Agreement and the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the State of Israel

(4) For the Agreement to function well, Protocol 37 to the Agreement is to be extended to include the Radio Spectrum Policy Group set up by Decision 2002/622/EC, and Annex XI is to be amended in order to specify the procedures for association with this Group,

on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Communityand the Republic of Tunisia concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amendment of the Agricultural Protocols to the EC/Tunisia Association Agreement

Those detailed arrangements shall be adopted after consultation of the EIB in respect of the resources managed by it and in accordance with the rules laid down in the ACP-EC Agreement, the Overseas Association Decision, the Internal Agreement and this Regulation.

In the cases provided for in the ACP-EC Agreement, in the Internal Agreement, in the Overseas Association Decision and in the measures implementing that Decision, the Commission may undertake the financial implementation of EDF resources by centralised management.

The Chief Authorising Officer shall take all measures necessary for the implementation of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Agreement and Articles 18 and 33 of the Overseas Association Decision and Annexes II A to II D thereto.

The resources of the EDF shall be earmarked for specific purposes according to the main instruments of cooperation, as described in the Financial Protocol of the ACP-EC Agreement and the Overseas Association Decision.

Balances remaining from previous EDFs that are transferred to the 9th EDF shall be administered in accordance with the conditions laid down in this Title and in the relevant provisions of the ACP-EC Agreement, the Overseas Association Decision or the Internal Agreement.

For the purpose of applying Article 29(2) of Annex V to the Association Agreement, the Commission is hereby authorised, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 75 of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, to conclude the instruments required to amend the Agreement.

The Commission may not entrust to third parties its implementation powers under the ACP-EC Agreement or the Overseas Association Decision where those powers involve a large measure of discretion implying political choices.

The relations between the Commission and the paying agents provided for in Article 37 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Agreement or in the measures implementing the Overseas Association Decision shall be the subject of contracts.

(1) An Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters has been concluded on 22 December 2003 between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 3 to the EC-Morocco Association Agreement.

(1) An Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters has been concluded on 22 December 2003 between the European Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of the Protocols Nos 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Tunisia concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amendment of the Agricultural Protocols to the EC/Tunisia Association Agreement is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

Decision No 1/96 of the EC-Turkey Association Council of 2 September 1996 repealing Decision 5/72 relating to methods of administrative cooperation for implementation of Articles 2 and 3 of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement

Financing decisions taken by the Commission, in accordance with the ACP-EC Agreement or the Overseas Association Decision, which authorise it to grant financial aid from the EDF, shall give rise to financial commitments by the Commission.

Council Regulation (EC) No 3382/94 of 19 December 1994 on certain procedures for applying the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Romania, of the other part

Having regard to Council Decision 2003/917/EC of 22 December 2003 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement fn, and in particular Article 2 thereof,

(4) For the Agreement to function well, Protocol 37 to the Agreement is to be extended to include the European Regulators Group for Electronic Communications Networks and Services set up by Decision 2002/627/EC, and Annex XI is to be amended in order to specify the procedures for association with this Group,

The conclusions and recommendations of the EC-Tunisia Scientific and Technical Cooperation Committee shall be sent, for information, to the Association Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Union and the Tunisian Republic.

The conclusions and recommendations of the EC-Morocco Scientific and Technical Cooperation Committee shall be sent, for information, to the Association Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco.

In certain specific cases provided for in the ACP-EC Agreement, in the Internal Agreement, in the Overseas Association Decision and in the measures implementing that Decision, the Commission may undertake the financial implementation of EDF resources by means of joint management with international organisations.

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2398/96 of 12 December 1996 opening a tariff quota for turkey meat originating in and coming from Israel as provided for in the Association Agreement and the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the State of Israel (8), and in particular Article 2 thereof,

Depending on the degree of decentralisation provided for in the ACP-EC Agreement and in the Overseas Association Decision and the measures implementing that Decision, the Commission shall strive to encourage the beneficiary ACP States and the OCTs to adhere, when exercising the powers entrusted to them under the ACP-EC Agreement and under the Overseas Association Decision, to the principle of sound financial management set out in Article 4, in particular the progressive application of the following criteria:

endorses contracts and programme estimates, as provided for in Article 80(4) of this Regulation, in accordance with Article 36(2)(i) of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Agreement, or the relevant provisions of the measures implementing the Overseas Association Decision;

Council Regulation (EC) No 3383/94 of 19 December 1994 on certain procedures for applying the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria, of the other part

amending Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, and for applyingthe Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia

Council Directive 1999/63/EC of 21 June 1999 concerning the Agreement on the organisation of working time of seafarers concluded by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) and the Federation of Transport Workers' Unions in the European Union (FST) - Annex: European Agreement on the organisation of working time of seafarers

Where the Commission acts as contracting authority for the implementation of humanitarian aid or emergency aid within the framework of the ACP-EC Agreement or the Overseas Association Decision, it shall be required to comply with the relevant Community rules on procurement.

The balances remaining from previous EDFs shall be used to finance projects, programmes and other forms of action that contribute to attaining the objectives of the ACP-EC Agreement and the Overseas Association Decision, in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement or that Decision, and with the conditions laid down in this Title.

Council Regulation (EC) No 312/2003 of 18 February 2003 implementing for the Community the tariff provisions laid down in the Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part

In the case of a practice which is liable to warrant application by the Community of the measures provided for in Article 23(1) of the Interim Agreement, and thereafter Article 36(1) of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the introduction of anti- dumping measures shall be decided upon in accordance with the provisions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped import from countries not members of the European Community fn and the procedure provided for in Article 23(2) of the Interim Agreement, and thereafter Article 36(2) of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

In the case of a practice which is liable to warrant application by the Community of the measures provided for in Article 24(1) of the Interim Agreement, and thereafter Article 37(1) of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the introduction of anti - dumping measures shall be decided upon in accordance with the provisions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community fn and the procedure provided for in Article 24(2) of the Interim Agreement, and thereafter Article 37(2) of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

Council Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 of 19 November 2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia

amendingRegulation (EC) No 153/2002 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

(1) Council Decision 2002/979/EC of 18 November 2002 on the signature and provisional application of certain provisions of an Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part(3), provides that certain provisions of the Agreement be applied temporarily pending its entry into force.

Whereas Regulation (EC) No 2008/97 provides that where the conditions of the special arrangements provided for in the Association Agreement are amended, in particular as regards the amounts, or where a new agreement is concluded, the resultant adjustments to that Regulation may be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 38 of Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/96 (4);

Save in cases where management is centralised, operations relating to the implementation of programmes or projects shall be carried out by the national or regional authorising officer, as defined in Article 35 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Agreement and in the measures implementing the Overseas Association Decision, in close cooperation, in the ACP States, with the head of delegation in accordance with Articles 35 and 36 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Agreement.

Those resources shall be granted for the purposes set out in Annex II to the ACP-EC Agreement and in the Overseas Association Decision, in accordance with the conditions provided for by its statutes and the relevant provisions of the terms and conditions for investment financing as laid down in that Annex and Decision.

(4) The outcome of these consultations is an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Community and the Kingdom of Morocco, which is attached to this Decision, providing for a temporary derogation from Protocol No 1 to the Association Agreement and introducing for the period from 1 October 2002 to 31 May 2003 only arrangements similar to those laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2264/2001.

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 of 19 November 2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia ( 3 ), as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2/2003 ( 4 ), and in particular Articles 4 and 5 thereof,

In the case of the specific provisions relating to preferential imports not subject to quotas as referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1706/98, Annex I to Protocol 1 to Decision No 1/98 of the EC-Turkey Association Council, Annex IV to the Agreement with South Africa, and under the Agreement with Switzerland, it should be specified that the reduced rate of duty is to be applied only on presentation of the proof of origin provided for in the relevant Protocols to those Agreements.

The Chief Authorising Officer shall take all measures necessary to ensure that national, regional or local authorising officers perform the tasks for which they are responsible by virtue of the ACP-EC Agreement, and in particular Annex IV thereto, and by virtue of the Overseas Association Decision or measures implementing that Decision.

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 of 19 November 2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia (1), and in particular Articles 4 and 5 thereof,

The conversion rates to be used for final accounting of payments made under the projects or programmes referred to in Part 4 of the ACP-EC Agreement and Annex IV thereto or in the Overseas Association Decision shall be the rates applicable on the date on which the Commission accounts referred to in Article 28 of this Regulation were debited.

(2) Council Decision 2003/285/EC fn, which approved the Protocol adjusting the trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, to take account of the outcome of negotiations between the Parties on new mutual agricultural concessions, repealed Council Regulation (EC) No 1408/2002 fn.

The implementation by ACP States and OCTs of operations financed from EDF resources shall be subject to Commission scrutiny, which may be exercised by prior approval, by ex post checks or by a combined procedure, in accordance with the provisions of the ACP-EC Agreement, the Overseas Association Decision and the measures implementing that Decision.

(3) Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2248/2001 of 19 November 2001 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia(5) and Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 153/2002 of 21 January 2002 on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, and for applying the Interim Agreement between the European Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(6) provide that detailed rules for the implementation of concessions on "baby beef" should be laid down.

Rules should be laid down for the treatment of any balances remaining from previous EDFs, in particular as regards the detailed arrangements for their transfer to the 9th EDF, their allocation to the various cooperation instruments provided for by the ACP-EC Agreement or by the Overseas Association Decision, and the rules applicable for their implementation.