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COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 1294/87
of 8 May 1987
on exceptional measures to be taken in the beef and veal sector following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in certain regions of Italy
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 467/87 (2), and in particular Article 23 thereof,
Whereas because of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in certain production regions in Italy, the introduction of live bovine animals and certain fresh beef or veal products from the said regions of Italy into the other Member States has been temporarily prohibited pursuant to Commission Decision 86/448/EEC of 4 September 1986 on certain protective measures against foot-and-mouth disease in Italy (3), as last amended by Decision 86/625/EEC (4);
Whereas because of numerous recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, the infection zone has been widened significantly;
Whereas, in order to take account of the limitations to free circulation resulting from the situation, exceptional measures to support the market but strictly limited to the needs observed must be taken in the regions concerned;
Whereas it is appropriate, for this purpose, to extend Community purchasing of hindquarters to the abovementioned regions or to authorize Italy to purchase at a higher price, costs being met from the national budget, and to grant national aid to facilitate withdrawal from the market of the forequarters corresponding to the hindquarters which have been sent into intervention;
Whereas, in the Italian regions concerned, it is no longer possible either to affix to beef and veal the health marking, or to issue the health certificate, provided for in Article 3(1) A(e) and (f) of Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat (5), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3768/85 (6);
Whereas such meat may therefore not be bought in by intervention pursuant to Article 6 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2226/78 (7), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 827/87 (8); whereas provision should be made for buying in the meat in question while ensuring that, on removal from storage, the meat to which the measures herein provided for have been applied may be readily distinguished;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. With effect from 11 May 1987, the Italian intervention agency may buy in a maximum quantity of 6 000 tonnes of meat of the categories listed in the Annex at the price given against each such category.
2. The Italian intervention agency may also purchase the quantities and qualities referred to in paragraph 1 but at prices corresponding to those given in the Annex plus 60 ECU per 100 kilograms. Where this is done, all the costs shall be borne by Italy.
3. To enable the forequarters corresponding to the hindquarters sent into intervention pursuant to paragraphs 1 or 2 to be withdrawn from the market, Italy may grant a national aid of up to 106,178 ECU per 100 kilograms of forequarters to cover, in particular, deterioration of the product due to freezing.
Article 2
1. The measures referred to in Article 1 may apply only to meat obtained from adult bovine animals reared in local health units in which foot-and-mouth disease has been detected and which have not been declared free of the disease or meat obtained from adult bovine animals reared in local health units which share a boundary with such local health units. Meat obtained from adult bovine animals reared in local health units in which no cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been recorded for three months or from adult bovine animals reared in local health units which share a boundary with such local health units shall no longer qualify for this buying-in operation.
Modifications to the boundary of the infection zone shall be notified immediately by the Italian authorities to the Commission.
2. Meat to which the measures provided for in Article 1 apply shall bear a distinctive marking equivalent to that provided for in Article 3(1) A(e) of Directive 64/433/EEC.
It shall be stored separately and in readily identifiable lots.
Article 3
Meat to which the measures provided for in Article 1 (2) have applied shall be offered for sale by the Italian intervention agency on terms which prevent any disruption of the market.
Article 4
The communications provided for in Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 2226/78 shall be made separately in respect of the meat referred to in Article 1 (1).
Article 5
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 8 May 1987.