Article 4
1. The competent national authorities listed in Annex III may, from 10.00 on 5 January 2004, notify the Commission of the amounts covered by requests for import authorisations. The time fixed in the first subparagraph shall be understood as Brussels time. Requests from the competent national authorities of Member States set out in section A of Annex III shall be processed initially by deduction from the first tranche. When the quantitative limit on a category of the first tranche is exhausted further requests shall be processed against the second tranche. Requests from the competent national authorities of Member States set out in section B of Annex III shall be processed only against the second tranche. 2. The competent national authorities shall issue authorisations only after being notified by the Commission pursuant to Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 517/94 that quantities are available for importation. The competent national authorities of acceding States may only issue import authorisations for goods to be imported on or after 1 May. They shall issue authorisations only if an operator: (a) proves the existence of a contract relating to the provision of the goods; and (b) certifies in writing that, in respect of the categories and countries concerned: (i) he/she has not already been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation; or (ii) he/she has been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation but has used up at least 50 % of it. 3. Import authorisations shall be valid for nine months from the date of issue, but until 31 December 2004 at the latest. The competent national authorities may, however, at the importer's request, grant a three-month extension for authorisations which are at least 50 % used up at the time of the request. Such extension shall in no circumstances expire later than 31 March 2005.