Article 4
1. In order to ensure that quantities for which import authorisations are issued do not exceed at any moment the total quantitative ceiling for the product concerned, the national authorities shall issue import authorisations only upon confirmation by the Commission that there are still quantities available within the quantitative ceiling for the product concerned. 2. The authorised imports shall be counted against the quantitative ceiling laid down for the year in which the request for import authorisation was submitted to the national authorities. 3. For the purpose of applying paragraph 1, before issuing import authorisations, the national authorities shall notify the Commission of the amounts of the requests for import authorisations, supported by the contract, which they have received. By return, the Commission shall notify whether the requested amount(s) of quantities are available for release for free circulation in the chronological order in which notifications of the national authorities are received (first come first served). 4. The requests included in the notifications to the Commission shall be valid if they establish clearly in each case the exporting country, the applicable TARIC code, the quantities to be imported, the number of the contract, the CIF or DAF (as applicable and as defined in Incoterms 2000) value of the product concerned at Community frontier by TARIC code and the applicable year of the quantitative ceiling. 5. The notifications referred to in paragraphs 3 to 4 shall be communicated electronically within the integrated network set up for this purpose, unless for imperative technical reasons it is necessary to use other means of communication temporarily.