Article 4
1. The competent national authorities listed in Annex II may, from 10 a.m. on 4 January 2006, 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. 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. 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 has not already been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation, or (ii) he 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 2006 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 2007.