1997R0412 — EN — 06.08.1997 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 412/97
of 3 March 1997
laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards
the recognition of producer organizations
(OJ L 62, 4.3.1997, p. 16)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EC) No 1119/97 of 19 June 1997 L163 11 20.6.1997
►M2Commission Regulation (EC) No 1493/97 of 29 July 1997 L202 32 30.7.1997
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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 412/97
of 3 March 1997
layingdowndetailedrulesfortheapplicationofCouncilRegulation
(EC) No 2200/96 as regards the recognition of producer organ-
izations
THE COMMISSIONOF THE EUROPEANCOMMUN ITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October
1996 on the common organization of the market in fruit and veget-ables(
1), and in particular Articles 11 (2) (a) and 48 thereof,
Whereas a minimum number of members and a minimum volume of
marketableproductionshouldbelaiddownusingapragmaticapproachand taking into account the structural, economic and administrativesituation in the Member States; whereas these minimum conditionsshould be modulated for different categories of producer organizationstotakeaccountofdifferentcircumstancesofproductionandofexperi-enceacquired;whereastheMemberStatesshouldthereforebeallowedtolaydownminimumconditionsmorestringentthanthoseprovidedforby this Regulation;
Whereas the minimum volume of marketable production should be
expressed in ecus so that it may be more representative; whereasMember States should nevertheless be permitted to express theminimumvolumeasapercentageofproductioninaneconomicregionwhere producers are established in order to take account of specificsituations;
Whereas,inordertoensurethatproducerorganizationsgenuinelyrepre-
sentaminimumnumberofproducers,MemberStatesshouldtakestepstoensurethataminorityofmemberswhomayaccountforthebulkofproduction in the producer organization do not unduly dominate itsmanagement and operation;
Whereas the main and essential activities of a producer organization
shouldrelatetotheproductionofitsmembers;whereasneverthelesstheproducer organization should be allowed to engage in other activities,whetherornotofacommercialnature,withoutprejudicetotherightofMember States to lay down stricter limits;
Whereas, in view of the nature of the products, their production and
their marketing, the holdings of members of a producer organizationmaybelocatedinMemberStatesotherthanthatinwhichtheproducerorganization has its head office;
Whereas Article 11 (1) (a) and (3) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96
make provision for different types of producer organizations; whereasall producer organizations for which an application for recognition issubmitted should fall into one of the categories laid down;
Whereas,inordertofacilitatetheconcentrationofsupply,themergerof
existing producer organizations to form new ones should be encour-aged;whereastheacquiredrightsreferredtoinArticle53ofRegulation(EC) No 2200/96 apply to the new producer organizations resultingfrom the merger of organizations already recognized under Regulation(EEC)No1035/72(
2),aslastamendedbyCommissionRegulation(EC)
No 1363/95(3);
Whereas,inordertohelpachievethegoalsofthecommonorganization
of markets and to ensure that producer organizations carry out theirwork in a sustainable and effective way, there should be the utmoststability within producer organizations; whereas membership of a
(1) OJ No L 297, 21. 11. 1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ No L 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1.
(3) OJ No L 132, 16. 6. 1995, p. 8.
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producerorganizationshouldthereforebeforaminimumperiod,partic-
ularly with regard to the obligations relating to an operationalprogrammeofthetypereferredtoinArticle15ofRegulation(EC)No2200/96; whereas the minimum period of membership should be laiddown within certain limits, without prejudice to the right of MemberStates to lay down stricter limits;
Whereas, in order to ensure the sound operation of the market organ-
ization,MemberStatesshouldkeeptheCommissionregularlyinformedaboutthesituationanddevelopmentsinthesector;whereasthearrange-ments for so doing should be laid down;
Whereas, the recognition of organizations of citrus-fruit producers, on
the basis of certain specific conditions, is included in this Regulation;whereas, accordingly, Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2602/90 of 7September 1990 laying down detailed rules concerning citrus-fruitproducers’ organizations(
1) should be repealed;
Whereas the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. ThisRegulationlaysdownthedetailedrulesfortheapplicationof
Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards the conditions for recognitionof producer organizations pursuant to Article 11 of that Regulation.
2. For the purposes of this Regulation:
(a) ‘producer' shall mean any individual or legal person who is a
memberofaproducerorganizationtowhichhedelivershisproduc-tionformarketinginaccordancewithRegulation(EC)No2200/96;
(b) ‘marketed production'shall mean the production of members of a
producerorganization,disposedofinaccordancewithArticle11(1)(c)(3)ofRegulation(EC)No2200/96forthecategoryofproductsfor which recognition is requested, measured at the ‘ex-producerorganization'stageand,whereapplicable,as‘packagedorpreparedbut not processed product';
(c) ‘marketableproduction'shallmeanmarketedproduction,pluswith-
drawals.
Article 2
1. The minimum number of producers and the minimum volume of
marketable production referred to in Article 11 (2) (a) of Regulation(EC) No 2200/96 are given in Annexes I and II to this Regulation.
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M2
Where a producer organization is made up in whole or in part ofmemberswho,inturn,arelegalpersonsmadeupexclusivelyofprodu-cers,theminimumnumberofproducersreferredtointhefirstsubpara-graph shall be calculated on the basis of the number of producers whoare members of each of the legal persons.
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B
2. Member States may replace the volume of production set out inAnnex I by a percentage of the marketable production of a producerorganization in terms of the average total production of the economicregion where the producers in the organization are established. Thispercentage shall not be lower than 15 %. In such cases, the minimumnumber of producers shall be twenty for the producer organizationsreferred to in Article 11 (1) (a) (i) to (iv) of Regulation (EC) No2200/96andfivefortheproducerorganizationsreferredtoinparagraph(1) (a) (vi) and (vii) and paragraph (3) of that Article.
(1) OJ No L 245, 8. 9. 1990, p. 13.
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MemberStatesshalldeterminetheeconomicregionsinthelightofthe
existing conditions of production and marketing. They shall notify theCommission of these regions.
3. Forthepurposesofapplyingparagraphs1and2,thevolumetobe
taken into consideration shall be the average volume of marketableproduction of all member producers during the three marketing yearspreceding recognition.
4. Member States may fix minimum numbers of producers and
minimum volumes of marketable production greater than those laiddowninparagraphs1and2.TheyshallnotifytheCommissionthereof.
Article 3
Member States shall take such measures as are required to avoid any
abuseofpowerorinfluencebyoneormoreproducersonthemanage-ment and operation of the producer organization. They shall notify theCommission of the measures taken before 1 July 1997.
Article 4
The turnover of a producer organization arising from the sale, where
applicableafterprocessing,oftheproductionofitsmembersmaynotbelessthantheturnovergeneratedbythegroup’sotheractivities.Activi-tiesrelatingtotheproductionofotheragriculturalproductsand,whereapplicable, their development shall not be taken into consideration.
Article 5
Inthecaseoftransnationalproducerorganizations,therulesapplicable
under this Regulation shall be those applicable in the Member State inwhich the organization’s head office is located.
TheheadofficeoftheorganizationmustbelocatedinaMemberState
wheretheorganizationhassignificantholdingsorasignificantnumberof members.
Article 6
Applications for recognition submitted by producer organizations shall
indicate, from amongst those listed in Article 11 (1) (a) or 11 (3) ofRegulation (EC) No 2200/96, the product category for which recogni-tion is requested.
Article 7
Newproducerorganizationsresultingfromthemergerofbodiesrecog-
nized under Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 shall retain the acquiredrightsreferredtoinArticle53ofRegulation(EC)No2200/96.Iftheydo not secure recognition under Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No2200/96, they shall be considered producer organizations as providedfor in Article 13 (1) of that Regulation.
Article 8
1. The minimum membership period of a producer shall not be less
thanoneyear.However,whereanoperationalplanpursuanttoRegula-tion(EC)No2200/96hasbeensubmitted,nomembermaydisclaimhisobligations under that programme during the period of its implementa-tion, except where the producer organization concerned gives itsapproval.
2. Resignation of membership shall be notified to the group in
writing no later than 31 May, to take effect on 1 January of thefollowing year. The rules of the producer organization may require alonger period of notice to be given.
Article 9
Member States shall submit a report relating to the preceding calendar
year in accordance with the model set out in Annex III before 1 July.
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Article 9a
Asatransitionalmeasurefor1997,MemberStates,actingintheinter-
ests of the producer organizations concerned, may, in duly justifiedcases,extendbytwomonthsthetimelimitreferredtoinArticle12(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.
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B
Article 10
Regulation (EEC) No 2602/90 is hereby repealed.
Article 11
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceontheseventhdayfollowingthat
ofitspublicationinthe Official Journal of the European Communities .
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicablein
all Member States.
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ANNEXI
RECOGNITION CRITERIA FOR PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS
OTHER THAN FOR CITRUS FRUITS
MemberStatesorspecificProducerorganizations
Article11(1)(a)categories
(i)to(iv)Producerorganizations
Article11(1)(a)categories
(vi)and(vii)andArticle11
(3)
regions
Minimum
numberof
producersMinimum
volume
(million
ecus)Minimum
numberof
producersMinimum
volume
(millionecus)
Belgium, Germany,
Spain (except Balearic401,5 5 0,25
Islands and Canaries),France, Greece(
1), Italy,or15 2,5
Netherlands, Austria,United Kingdom (exceptNorthern Ireland)or5 3
Denmark, Ireland,Northern Ireland,Greece(
2), Balearic and150,5
Canary Islands, Portugal(except Madeira andAzores) or5 1
Finland, Sweden, Greece100,25(Nomoi(regions) other
than under(1) and(2))or5 0,5
Greece (islands), Luxem-bourg, Madeira andAzores 50,1 50,1
(1)Nomoi:Imathias, Pellas, Artas, Argolidas, Korinthias, Viotias, Serron, Kavallas.
(2)Nomoi:Larisas, Magnisias, Karditsas, Evrou, Thessalonikis, Prevezas, Kilkis, Pierias,
Lakonias, Kastorias.
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ANNEXII
RECOGNITION CRITERIA FOR PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS FOR
CITRUS FRUITS
ProducerorganizationsArticle11(1)(a)category(v)
MemberStatesMinimumnumberofprodu-
cersMinimumvolume(tonnes)
GREECE
Nomoi(regions)(1) 100 5000
Nomoi(regions)(2) 50 1500
Other 20 100
SPAIN
All regions 25 2500
Balearic Islands 25 1200
FRANCE 20 2000
ITALY
Sicily and Calabria 100 10000
Other 100 5000
PORTUGAL 10 1000
Other Member States 10 100
(1)Nomoi:Piraias, Chania, Preveza, Arta, Achaia, Arkadia, Argolida.
(2)Nomoi:Korinthias, Messinia, Aitoloakarnania, Ilia, Lakonia, Thesprotia, Zakynthos,
Chios.
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ANNEXIII

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