COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 2347/84 of 31 July 1984 on dried grapes eligible for production aid
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 516/77 of 14 March 1977 on the common organization of the market in products processed from fruit and vegetables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 988/84 (2), and in particular Articles 3b (4), 3c (5) and 3d (4) thereof,
Whereas Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 516/77 provides for a system of production aid for certain products ; whereas under that system a minimum price must be paid to the producer and production aid is to be paid on the basis of the net weight of the processed product;
Whereas the quality of dried grapes intended for processing and of dried grapes ready to be offered for direct consumption varies ; whereas the minimum price and the production aid should be fixed for a specified category ; whereas the minimum price and the amount of aid for categories other than that for which they have been fixed should be derived from that category ; whereas the prices and amounts so derived should take into account the characteristics of the different categories ; whereas these categories must be defined;
Whereas Article 3d (1) (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 516/77 provides that processed products must meet minimum Community quality standards to be laid down ; whereas such standards are already in application for certain dried fruit, pursuant to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2425/81 (3) ; whereas that Regulation is applicable only to products harvested before the 1984/85 marketing year ; whereas new minimum quality standards should be established;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Products Processed from Fruit and Vegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. The minimum price payable to the producer for unprocessed dried grapes shall be fixed per 100 kilograms of sultanas of category 4.
For other categories of sultanas and for currants, the minimum price shall be multiplied by the coefficient listed in Annex I.
2. To qualify for payment of the minimum price, unprocessed dried grapes shall comply with the requirements and one of the classifications set out in Annex II.
Article 2
1. The production aid for dried grapes shall be fixed per 100 kilograms net of sultanas of category 4.
For other categories of sultanas and for currants, the amount of aid shall be multiplied by the coefficient listed in Annex I.
2. To qualify for payment of aid, the dried grapes shall comply with the requirements and one of the classifications set out in Annex III.
Article 3
1. In respect of unprocessed dried grapes, verifications of the requirements and the classifications shall be made (1) OJ No L 73, 21.3.1977, p. 1. (2) OJ No L 103, 16.4.1984, p. 11. (3) OJ No L 240, 24.8.1981, p. 1. on the basis of samples taken by the processor from a lot. For this purpose "a lot" means the number of containers presented jointly by the same producer or his recognized producers' group or association of groups handing over to the processor or his processors' group or association of groups. The samples shall be examined by the processor or alternatively on his behalf.
2. The result of the examination referred to in paragraph 1 shall be recorded. The Member States may prescribe a special form to be used for this purpose.
Article 4
The processor shall after processing take an appropriate number of samples of dried grapes to verify that the requirements laid down in Annex III are respected. The result of each verification shall be included in a format which shall contain at least the particulars referred to in Annex IV.
Article 5
1. The processor shall inform the competent authorities in writing each time a consignment of dried grapes is ready for inspection. The consignment may leave the processor only on the third working day after the day on which the information was received by the competent authorities, or with their authorization.
2. The competent authorities shall examine each consignment, in particular by opening between 3 and 5 % of the packings of a size which are not intended for retail sale, and shall take samples from at least one in every 20 for further verification. The result of each verification shall be included in a format which shall contain at least the particulars referred to in Annex IV.
3. In cases where the authorities have established that a consignment or a part thereof does not comply with the requirements laid down in Annex III, no production aid shall be payable for the whole consignment. A consignment for which production aid has been refused may be reprocessed.
Article 6
The Member States shall ensure that samples taken under Article 5 may, on request of the processor and on his behalf, be tested by a different agency from that having made the first test.
Article 7
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall apply from 1 September 1984.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 31 July 1984.