Article 4
1. The competent national authorities listed in Annex II may, from 10 a.m. on 8 January 2014, 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) the operator has not already been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation; or (ii) the operator has been allocated an authorisation under this Regulation but has used up at least 50 per cent of it. 3. Import authorisations shall be valid for nine months from the date of issue, but until 31 December 2014 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 per cent used up at the time of the request. Such extension shall in no circumstances expire later than 31 March 2015.