2004R1973 — EN — 01.01.2007 — 009.001

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Amended by:





Corrected by:









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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1973/2004

of 29 October 2004

laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 as regards the support schemes provided for in Titles IV and IVa of that Regulation and the use of land set aside for the production of raw materials

CONTENTS Chapter 1 Scope and general provisions Chapter 2 Specific quality premium for durum wheat Chapter 3 Protein crop premium Chapter 4 Crop-specific payment for rice Chapter 5 Area payment for nuts Chapter 6 Aid for starch potato Chapter 7 Dairy premium and additional payments Chapter 8 Aid for energy crops Section 1 Definitions Section 2 Use of raw material Section 3 Amendments and termination of contract Section 4 Representative yields and quantities delivered Section 5 Condition of payment of the aid Section 6 Contract and obligations on applicants and first processors Section 7 Special rules for the use of raw material on the holding Section 8 Optional system of approval Section 9 Checks Chapter 9 Specific regional aid for arable crops Chapter 10 Seed aid Chapter 11 Arable crops area payment Section 1 General provisions for the eligibility for arable crops area payment Section 2 Special provisions covering certain arable crops Section 3 Base areas, reference yields and ceilings Section 4 Set aside Section 5 Communications Chapter 12 Sheep and goat premiums Section 1 Direct payments Section 2 Limits, Reserves and Transfers Section 3 Additional payments Section 4 General provisions Chapter 13 Beef and veal payments Section 1 Special premium (Article 123 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003) Section 2 Deseasonalisation premium (Article 124 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003) Section 3 Suckler cow premium (Articles 125 to 129 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003) Section 4 Provisions common to the special premium and the suckler cow premium Section 5 Slaughter premium (Article 130 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003) Section 6 Additional payments (Articles 133 to 136 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003) Section 7 General provisions Section 8 Transitional and final provisions Chapter 14 Single area payment scheme Chapter 15 Complementary national direct payments Chapter 15a Separate sugar payment Chapter 16 Use of land set aside for the production of raw materials Section 1 Scope and definitions Section 2 Contract Section 3 Amendment and termination of contracts Section 4 Representative yields and quantities delivered Section 5 Conditions of payment of the aid Section 6 Obligations on collectors and applicants Section 7 Securities Section 8 Documents for sale in, transfer to, or delivery to another Member State or export Section 9 Checks Section 10 Exclusion from the scheme and notifications Chapter 17 Hops area aid Chapter 17a Crop-specific payments for cotton Chapter 17b Aid for olive groves Chapter 17c Tobacco aid Chapter 18 Final provisions







CHAPTER 1

SCOPE AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Subject matter and scope

1. This Regulation lays down detailed rules for the implementation of the following supports schemes provided for in Titles IV and IVa of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003:

(a) specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Title IV Chapter 1 of that Regulation;

(b) protein crop premium provided for in Title IV Chapter 2 of that Regulation;

(c) crop-specific payment for rice provided for in Title IV Chapter 3 of that Regulation;

(d) area payment for nuts provided for in Title IV Chapter 4 of that Regulation;

(e) aid for energy crops provided for in Title IV Chapter 5 of that Regulation;

(f) aid for starch potato provided for in Title IV Chapter 6 of that Regulation;

(g) dairy premium and additional payments provided for in Title IV Chapter 7 of that Regulation;

(h) specific regional aid for arable crops provided for in Title IV Chapter 8 of that Regulation;

(i) seed aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 9 of that Regulation;

(j) arable crops area payment provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of that Regulation;

(k) sheep and goat premiums provided for in Title IV Chapter 11 of that Regulation;

(l) beef and veal payments provided for in Title IV Chapter 12 of that Regulation;

(m) grain legumes aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 13 of that Regulation;

(n) single area payment scheme provided for in Article 143b of that Regulation;

(o) complementary national direct payments provided for in Article 143c of that Regulation;

(p) hops area aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 10d of that Regulation;

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(q) crop specific payment for cotton provided for in Chapter 10a of Title IV of that Regulation;

(r) aid for olive groves provided for in Chapter 10b of Title IV of that Regulation;

(s) tobacco aid provided for in Chapter 10c of Title IV of that Regulation.

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2. This Regulation lays down detailed rules as regards the use of land set aside for the production of raw materials under the single payment scheme provided for in Title III of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and under arable crops area payment provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of that Regulation.

Article 2

Conditions for the payment

1. The direct payments referred to in Article 1(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), (i), (j), (m) and (p) shall be granted only for the areas, per each type of crop, which have been the subject of application in respect of at least 0.3 hectare, where each cultivated parcel exceeds the minimum size set by the Member State within the limit provided for in Article 14(4) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004.

In the case of Malta, the direct payments referred to in Article 1(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), (i), (j), (m) and (p) shall be granted only for the areas, per each type of crop, which have been the subject of application in respect of at least 0.1 hectare, where each cultivated parcel exceeds the minimum size set by the Member State within the limit provided for in Article 14(4) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004.

2. The direct payment referred to in Article 1(a), (b), (c), (h) and (j) shall be granted only for the areas entirely sown and on which all normal cultivation conditions have been performed in accordance with local standards.

However, in the case of the specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Title IV Chapter 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and of arable crops payment provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of that Regulation, crops grown on areas which are fully sown and which are cultivated in accordance with local standards, but which do not attain the stage of flowering as a result of exceptional weather conditions recognised by the Member State concerned, shall remain eligible for aid provided that the areas in question are not used for any other purpose up to this growing stage.

3. In a given year, no more than one application for an area payment under a scheme financed pursuant to Article 1(2)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 ( 23 ) may be made in respect of any cultivated parcel.

However:

(a) any cultivated parcel which is covered in respect of the same year by an application for specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Title IV Chapter 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or protein crop premium provided for in Title IV Chapter 2 of that Regulation may be the subject of an application for arable crops payments provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(b) any cultivated parcel which is covered in respect of the same year by an application for crop-specific payment for rice provided for in Title IV Chapter 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or protein crop premium provided for in Title IV Chapter 2 of that Regulation may be the subject of an application for seed aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(c) any cultivated parcel which is covered in respect of the same year by an application for aid for energy crops provided for in Title IV Chapter 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 may be the subject of an application for arable crops area payment provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, without prejudice to the second subparagraph of Article 90 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, or may be the subject of an application for crop specific payment for rice provided for in Title IV Chapter 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(d) any cultivated parcel which is covered in respect of the same year by an application for arable crops payments referred to in Title IV Chapter 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 may be the subject of an application for seed aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

4. Land used to produce raw materials referred to in Article 55 (b) and in the first indent of Article 107 (3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or cultivated under the energy crop aid provided for in Title IV Chapter 5 of that Regulation shall not be eligible for Community aid provided for in Title II Chapter VIII of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 ( 24 ), with the exception of support granted in respect of the costs of planting fast-growing species as provided for in the second subparagraph of Article 31(3) of that Regulation.

Raw materials referred to in Article 55 point b) and 107 (3) first indent of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 grown on land set aside and intermediate products, end products, co-products and by-products derived therefrom shall not be eligible for any financing by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund pursuant to Article 1(2) point a) and b) of Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999.

5. For the purpose of the protein crop premium provided for in Title IV Chapter 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and arable crops area payment provided for in Title IV Chapter 10 of that Regulation, ‘sweet lupins’ shall means those varieties of lupins producing seed comprising not more than 5 % bitter seeds. The bitter seed content shall be calculated in accordance with the test set out in Annex I to this Regulation.

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Article 3

Communications

1. The Member States shall communicate the following data to the Commission by electronic transmission:

(a) by 1 September of the year concerned at the latest: (i) the total area for which the aid has been claimed in the case of: — the specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Article 72 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the protein crop premium provided for in Article 76 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the crop-specific payment for rice provided for in Article 79 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, broken down for the indica and japonica varieties, — the area payment for nuts provided for in Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, expressed by categories of nut trees, — the aid for energy crops provided for in Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the arable crops area payment provided for in Article 100 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by base area as referred to in Annex IV to this Regulation and in the standardised format described in Annex IX to this Regulation, — the crop-specific payment for cotton provided for in Article 110a of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the aid for olive groves provided for in Article 110g of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by categories, — the hops area aid provided for in Article 110n of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the single area payment scheme (SAPS) provided for in Article 143b of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; (ii) the total quantity for which the aid has been claimed in the case of: — the dairy premium provided for in Article 95 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the additional payments to producers of dairy products provided for in Article 96 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; (iii) the total number of applications in the case of the sheep and goat premiums provided for in Article 111 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, using the model form set out in Annex XI to this Regulation;

(b) by 15 October of the year concerned at the latest, the total determined area in the case of: — the protein crop premium provided for in Article 76 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the aid for energy crops provided for in Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

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(b)a by 15 October following the end of the year in respect of which the aid is granted, all the information needed to evaluate the aid for energy crops and in particular: — the number of applications, — the areas corresponding to each species of raw material, — the quantities of each type of raw material and end product obtained;

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(c) ►M10 by 31 January of the following year at the latest: ◄ (i) the total determined area used for the calculation of the coefficient of reduction in the case of: — the specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Article 72 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the crop-specific payment for rice provided for in Article 79 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, broken down for the indica and japonica varieties, and also the detailed information by variety of rice and by base area and sub-base area using the model form set out in Annex III to this Regulation, — the area payment for nuts provided for in Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, expressed by categories of nut trees, — the arable crops area payment provided for in Article 100 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by base area as referred to in Annex IV to this Regulation and in the standardised format described in Annex IX to this Regulation, — the crop-specific payment for cotton provided for in Article 110a of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the aid for olive groves provided for in Article 110g of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by categories, — the hops area aid provided for in Article 110n of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the single area payment scheme (SAPS) provided for in Article 143b of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; (ii) the total determined quantity used for the calculation of the coefficient of reduction, in the case of the dairy premium provided for in Article 95 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; ▼M10 (iii) the total determined quantity in the case of the additional payments to producers of dairy products provided for in Article 96 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003. ▼M8 (iv) the amount of aid per hectare to be granted for each category of olive groves in the case of the aid for olive groves provided for in Article 110g of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(d) ►M10 by 31 March of the harvest year at the latest, the indicative aid amount per kg in the case of the tobacco aid provided for in Article 110j of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by group of tobacco varieties as listed in Annex XXV to this Regulation and, where applicable, per quality grade; ◄

(e) by 31 July of the following year at the latest: (i) the total area for which the aid has actually been paid in the case of: — the specific quality premium for durum wheat provided for in Article 72 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the protein crop premium provided for in Article 76 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the crop-specific payment for rice provided for in Article 79 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, broken down for the indica and japonica varieties, — the area payment for nuts provided for in Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, expressed by categories of nut trees, — the aid for energy crops provided for in Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the arable crops area payment provided for in Article 100 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by base area as referred to in Annex IV to this Regulation and in the standardised format described in Annex IX to this Regulation, — the crop-specific payment for cotton provided for in Article 110a of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the aid for olive groves provided for in Article 110g of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by categories, — the hops area aid provided for in Article 110n of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the single area payment scheme (SAPS) provided for in Article 143b of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; (ii) the total quantity for which the aid has actually been paid in the case of: — the aid for starch potato (in starch-equivalent) provided for in Article 93 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the dairy premium provided for in Article 95 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the additional payments to producers of dairy products provided for in Article 96 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the seed aid provided for in Article 99 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by seed species as listed in Annex XI to Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, — the tobacco aid provided for in Article 110j of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by tobacco varieties as listed in Annex XXV to this Regulation and by quality, — the transitional sugar payment provided for in Article 110p of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003; (iii) the final aid amount per kg in the case of the tobacco aid provided for in Article 110j of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, by group of tobacco varieties as listed in Annex XXV to this Regulation and, where applicable, per quality grade; (iv) the total number of sheep and goat premiums paid in the case of the sheep and goat premiums provided for in Article 111 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, using the model form set out in Annex XII to this Regulation.

2. In the communications provided for in paragraph 1, the areas shall be expressed in hectares to two decimal places, the quantities shall be expressed in tonnes to three decimal places, and the number of applications shall be expressed with no decimal places.

3. Where the information required under paragraph 1 changes, in particular as a result of the checks or corrections or improvements of previous figures, an update shall be communicated to the Commission within one month after the occurrence of the change.

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Article 4

The coefficient of reduction of areas in the case referred to in Articles 75, 78(2), 82, 85, 89(2), 98 and 143 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, or of quantities with the objective criteria in the case referred to in Article 95(4) of that Regulation, shall be fixed before the payments are granted to the farmers and at the latest by 31 January of the following year on the basis of the data communicated in accordance with Article 3(1)(b), (b)a and (c) of this Regulation.

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CHAPTER 2

SPECIFIC QUALITY PREMIUM FOR DURUM WHEAT

Article 5

Variety screening

1. Member States listed in Article 74(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall establish the list of durum wheat varieties eligible for the special quality premium provided for in Article 72 of that Regulation in accordance with the variety screening method laid down in paragraphs 2 to 5 of this Article.

2. Member States shall, at least every two years, identify at least two representative varieties. The representative varieties shall be the most certified durum wheat varieties.

3. Member States shall analyse durum wheat varieties according to the following quality parameters and assign to each parameter the relevant weighting:

(a) protein content (40 %);

(b) gluten quality (30 %):

(c) yellow index (20 %);

(d) specific weight or weight of one thousand kernels (10 %).

The sum of the averages of the quality parameters referred to in (a) to (d) of the first subparagraph, multiplied by the indicated value in percentage, shall constitute the quality index of the varieties.

Each Member State shall compare, over a period of at least two years, the quality indexes of the durum wheat varieties with those of the representative varieties at regional level. The varieties to be examined shall be those which are registered in the national catalogue of each Member State, with the exclusion of those varieties for which no analytical data are available for the last three years because they are not longer used or certified.

To that end, based on the average quality index of 100 attributed to the representative varieties, each Member State shall calculate, for each of the quality parameters provided for in points (a) to (d) of the first subparagraph, the percentage to be assigned to the other durum wheat varieties in comparison with the index of 100. Only durum wheat varieties with an index equal to or higher than 98 shall be eligible for the specific quality premium for durum wheat.

4. A Member State may exclude from the list of eligible varieties the varieties which have an average rate of loss of vitreous aspect of durum wheat (‘mitadinage’) exceeding 27 %.

5. Varieties which are registered in the national catalogue of another Member State may also be examined for their eligibility.

Article 6

Analysis methods

1. The analysis methods of the protein content, specific weight and the rate of loss of vitreous aspect of durum wheat (‘mitadinage’) shall be those laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 824/2000 ( 25 ).

2. The yellow index shall be measured in accordance with the ICC 152 method or an equivalent recognised method.

3. The gluten quality shall be measured in accordance with the ICC 158 method or according to the ICC 151 method.

Article 7

Quantity of certified seeds

Member States shall fix, before 1 October of the year preceding the year in respect of which the specific quality premium for durum wheat is granted, the minimum quantity of seed, certified in accordance with Directive 66/402/EEC ( 26 ), to be used in accordance with the current agricultural practices in the production zone concerned.

Article 8

Publications and communications

1. Member States shall publish the list of selected varieties which are eligible at national or regional level to the special quality premium for durum wheat, by 1 October at the latest for winter varieties, and by 31 December at the latest for spring varieties, of the year preceding the year in respect of which the premium is granted.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission, not later than one month after the dates provided for in paragraph 1, the list referred to in paragraph 1 as well as, if amended, the minimum quantity of certified seed to be used.

Article 9

Validity

1. The varieties included in the list referred to in Article 8(1) shall be eligible for the special quality premium for durum wheat for periods of five years starting from the date of their first inclusion in that list.

2. The eligibility of each variety may be extended for a period of five years, based on the results of the qualitative analyses carried out during the second and third year of the five-year eligibility period.

Article 10

Transitional measures

1. Member States shall publish the list of selected varieties which are eligible for the special quality premium for durum wheat in respect of the year 2005, by 1 October 2004 at the latest for winter varieties and by 31 December 2004 at the latest for spring varieties.

2. Member States shall establish the list referred to in paragraph 1 by eliminating from the list of varieties which are registered in the national catalogue the varieties which have not been certified in 2003 and 2004 and those which do not satisfy at least two of the four following parameters:

(a) a minimum protein content of 11.5 %;

(b) a minimum specific weight of 78 kg/hl or a minimum weight of one thousand kernels of 42 g;

(c) a maximum rate of loss of vitreous aspect of durum wheat (‘mitadinage’) of 27 %;

(d) a minimum gluten content of 10 %.

3. The lists of varieties which are eligible for the premium in 2005 and 2006 may include varieties which are in the list of selected varieties of another Member State on the basis of the results of the qualitative analyses carried out by that other Member State.

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4. Member States may opt to establish the list of selected varieties which are eligible for the special quality premium for durum wheat in respect of 2006 in accordance with the procedure referred to in paragraph 2, not later than 1 October 2005 as regards winter varieties and not later than 31 December 2005 as regards spring varieties.

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CHAPTER 3

PROTEIN CROP PREMIUM

Article 11

Mixture of cereals and protein crops

In regions where protein crops are traditionally sown in a mixture with cereals, the protein crop premium shall be paid at the request of the applicant provided that he proves, to the satisfaction of the competent authorities of the Member State concerned, that the protein crops are predominant in the mixture. The areas concerned shall not be eligible for the specific regional aid for arable crops provided for in Article 98 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.







CHAPTER 4

CROP SPECIFIC PAYMENT FOR RICE

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Article 12

Dates for sowings

To be eligible for the crop-specific payment for rice, the declared area shall be sown at the latest:

(a) on 30 June preceding the harvest in question, for Spain, Portugal and French Guiana;

(b) on 31 May for the other producing Member States, including mainland France, referred to in Article 80(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

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Article 13

Coefficient of reduction

The coefficient of reduction of the crop specific payment for rice referred to in Article 82 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be calculated in accordance with Annex II to this Regulation.

Article 14

Communications

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1. Member States shall communicate to the Commission by 1 September at the latest the list of the varieties registered in the national catalogue, classified according to the criteria defined in item 2 of Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 ( 27 ) in case of amendments to that list.

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3. Member States may revise annually the subdivision of their base area or areas in sub-base areas and the objective criteria on which those subdivisions are based. They shall communicate that information to the Commission by 15 May preceding the harvest in question at the latest.







CHAPTER 5

AREA PAYMENT FOR NUTS

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Article 15

Conditions of payment of Community aid

1. Only agricultural parcels planted with nut trees and meeting the conditions provided for in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article at the date to be fixed in accordance with Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 shall be eligible for the area payment provided for in Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

In the case of a parcel planted with different species of nut trees and when the aid is differentiated by species, eligibility shall be conditional on compliance for at least one of the species of nuts with the minimum number of trees per hectare laid down in paragraph 3 of this Article.

2. The minimum size of the parcel eligible for the area payment provided for in Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be 0,10 hectare. However, Member States may fix a higher minimum parcel size on the basis of objective criteria and taking into account the specific characteristics of the areas concerned.

3. The number of nut trees per hectare may not be less than:

(i) 125 for hazelnuts;

(ii) 50 for almonds;

(iii) 50 for walnuts;

(iv) 50 for pistachios;

(v) 30 for locust beans.

However, Member States may fix a higher tree density on the basis of objective criteria and taking into account the specific characteristics of the production concerned.

4. In the cases referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 1, the level of the aid to be granted is the level corresponding to the species for which the eligibility conditions are met and for which the amount is highest.

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Article 16

Eligibility conditions for national aid

Article 15 shall apply to the national aid provided for in Article 87 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

Without prejudice to Article 87 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, a Member State may establish further eligibility criteria, provided that such criteria are consistent with the environmental, rural, social and economic objectives of the aid scheme and do not introduce discrimination between producers. Member States shall establish the necessary arrangements in order to control that those eligibility criteria are respected by farmers.

Article 17

Communications

1. Member States shall communicate to the Commission in any case before the date for lodging an application fixed by Member States in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and at the latest:

(a) by 31 March, the higher levels and the criteria referred to in Article 15(4) and the additional criteria referred to in Article 16;

(b) by 15 May, where a Member State differentiates the aid in accordance with Article 83(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the level of the area payment per products and/or the modified national guaranteed area (‘the NGA’).

2. Any modification of the information to be communicated to the Commission pursuant to paragraph 1 shall apply to the following year and shall be immediately communicated by the Member State concerned to the Commission accompanied by the objective criteria justifying any such modification.

Article 18

Transitional measures

1. Member States may determine whether and under what conditions the improvement plans referred to in Article 86(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 may be ceased before their normal expiry and relative areas become eligible under the scheme provided for in Chapter 4 of Title IV of that Regulation.

2. When setting the conditions referred to in paragraph 1, the Member State shall ensure that:

(a) the plan is not ceased before the complete implementation of an annual period;

(b) the initial objectives of the plan have been reached to the satisfaction of the Member State.







CHAPTER 6

AID FOR STARCH POTATO

Article 19

Eligibility

The aid for starch potato provided for in Article 93 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be granted for potatoes which are covered by a cultivation contract as provided for in Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2236/2003 ( 28 ), on the basis of the net weight of the potatoes determined by one of the methods described in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2235/2003 ( 29 ) and the starch content of the potatoes delivered, in accordance with the rates fixed in Annex II to that Regulation.

No aid for starch potato shall be granted for potatoes whose starch content is less than 13 %, except where the second subparagraph of Article 5(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2236/2003 applies.

Article 20

Minimum price

The aid for starch potato shall be subject to the requirement that proof is provided that a price not less than that referred to in Article 4a of Regulation (EC) No 1868/94 has been paid at the delivered-to-factory stage in accordance with the rates fixed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2235/2003.

Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2236/2003 shall apply.

Article 21

Payment

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1. Without prejudice to Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the aid for potato starch shall be paid, by the Member State on whose territory is situated the holding delivering the potatoes for the manufacturing of the potato starch, per farmer once all his quantities for the marketing year have been delivered to the starch-producing undertaking within four months from the date on which the proof referred to in Article 20 of this Regulation has been provided and the conditions referred to in Article 19 of this Regulation have been respected.

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2. Member States may grant advances, as from 1 December of the marketing year, based on the different parts of the quantity of starch potatoes by farmer delivered to the starch-producing undertaking for that marketing year. Each advance payment shall be granted for the quantity of starch potatoes delivered for which the proof referred to in Article 20 has been provided and the conditions referred to in Article 19 have been respected.

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CHAPTER 7

DAIRY PREMIUM AND ADDITIONAL PAYMENT

Article 22

Cases of inactivity

1. When a natural or legal person holding an individual reference quantity does not come within the definition of producer provided for in Article 5(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1788/2003 during the twelve-month period ending on 31 March of the year concerned, no dairy premiums and additional payment shall be paid for the year concerned, unless he proves before the deadline for the application and to the satisfaction of the competent authority that production has been taken up.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply in cases of force majeure and in duly justified cases temporarily affecting the production capacity of the producers concerned and recognised by the competent authority.







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CHAPTER 8

AID FOR ENERGY CROPS







SECTION 1

Definitions

Article 23

Definitions

For the purposes of this Chapter:

(a) ‘applicant’ means any farmer cultivating the areas referred to in Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 with a view to obtaining the aid provided for in that Article;

(b) ‘aid’ means the aid for energy crops provided for in Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(c) ‘energy product’ means one of the energy products referred to in the second paragraph of Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(d) ‘first processor’ means any user of agricultural raw materials, apart from applicants using raw materials on the holding, who undertakes the first processing thereof with a view to obtaining one or more of the products referred to in the second paragraph of Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(e) ‘collector’ means any person concluding a contract with an applicant as referred to in Article 25, who purchases on his own account raw materials referred to in Article 24(1) and intended for the uses provided for in the second paragraph of Article 88 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.







SECTION 2

Use of raw material

Article 24

Use of raw material

1. Any agricultural raw material may be grown on the areas covered by the aid provided that they are intended primarily for use in the production of energy products under the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 to 8.

2. Sugar beet may be grown on the areas referred to in the paragraph 1 provided that any intermediate product is used in the production of energy products and that any co-product or by-product containing sugar is used in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 ( 30 ).

3. For hemp, Article 29 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 ( 31 ) and Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 shall apply.

4. The Member States may exclude any agricultural raw material from aid where such materials raise difficulties from the viewpoint of controls, public health, the environment, criminal law, or a reduced rate of final energy products.

5. For any raw material, the Member States may set a minimum cultivated area.

6. The economic value of the energy products obtained by processing raw materials shall be higher than that of all other products intended for other uses and obtained by such processing, as determined by the valuation method set out in Article 38(6) of this Regulation.

7. By way of derogation from paragraph 6, soya beans may be grown on the areas referred to in paragraph 1 provided that any intermediate product apart from soya bean meal is used in the production of energy products.

8. Energy products shall be obtained at the most by a third successive processor.

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SECTION 3

Amendment and termination of contracts

Article 27

Amendment and termination of contracts

Where the parties to a contract amend or terminate the contract after the applicant has lodged an aid application, the applicant may maintain such aid application only on condition that, with a view to allowing the requisite inspections to be carried out, he informs the competent authority of such amendment or termination, no later than the closing date set in the Member State concerned for amendment of the application.

Article 28

Exceptional circumstances

Without prejudice to Article 27, where an applicant informs his competent authority that, owing to exceptional circumstances, he will be unable to supply all or part of the raw materials specified in the contract, the competent authority may, after obtaining sufficient evidence of such exceptional circumstances, authorise such amendments to the contract as appear justified, or may authorise its termination.

Where the land covered by a contract is reduced as a result of amendments thereto or where a contract is terminated, the applicant shall forfeit his right to the aid referred to in this Chapter for the areas withdrawn from the contract.

Article 29

Changes in end uses

▼M7

Without prejudice to Article 27, collectors or first processors may alter the intended primary end uses of raw materials, as referred to in Article 26(2)(f), once the raw materials under contract have been delivered to them and once the conditions laid down in Article 31(1) and in the first subparagraph of Article 34(3) have been fulfilled.

▼B

Changes in end uses shall be made in compliance with the conditions laid down in the second subparagraph of Article 24(1) and in Article 39(3).

▼M7

The collectors or first processors shall give prior notice to their competent authorities with a view to the requisite controls.

▼B







SECTION 4

Representative yields and quantities delivered

Article 30

Representative yields

Each year the Member States shall establish, using an appropriate procedure, representative yields which must be attained, and shall inform the applicants concerned thereof.

Article 31

Quantities to be delivered

1. Applicants shall declare the total quantity of raw materials harvested by species to their competent authorities and shall confirm the quantities of raw materials delivered and the parties to whom such deliveries are made.

2. ►M7 The actual quantities to be delivered by the applicants to the collectors or first processors shall at least correspond to the representative yield. ◄

However, in duly justified cases, the Member States may, by way of an exception, accept a quantity up to 10 % below the representative yield.

Furthermore, where the competent authorities have authorised the amendment or termination of contracts in accordance with Article 28, they may, where it seems justified to do so, reduce the quantities that applicants are required to deliver under the first subparagraph of this paragraph.







SECTION 5

Conditions of payment of the aid

Article 32

Payment

►M7

The aid may be paid to applicants before the raw material is processed. However, such payments shall be made only where the requisite quantities of raw materials pursuant to this Chapter have been delivered to the collector or first processor and where:

◄

(a) the declaration provided for in Article 31(1) has been made;

▼M7

(b) a copy of the contract has been deposited with the collector’s or first processor's competent authority in accordance with Article 34(1) and the conditions provided for in Article 24(1) have been fulfilled;

▼B

(c) the competent authority has received proof that the full security provided for in Article 35(2) has been lodged;

(d) the competent authority responsible for the payment has checked that the conditions laid down in Article 26 have been met in respect of each application.

2. In the case of biennial crops, where the raw materials are harvested, and hence delivered, in the course of the second year of cultivation only, payment shall be made in each of the two years following the date of conclusion of the contract as provided for in Article 26, on condition that the competent authorities establish that:

(a) the obligations referred to in paragraph 1(b), (c) and (d) of this Article are fulfilled as from the first year of cultivation;

(b) the obligations referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article are fulfilled, and the information referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 34(3) is communicated, in the second year of cultivation.

In respect of the first year of cultivation, payments shall be made only if the competent authorities have received proof that the security provided for in Article 35(2) has been lodged. In respect of the second year of cultivation, payment may be made without security being lodged.

3. In the case of permanent or multi-annual crops, the payment of the aid shall be made each year from the date of conclusion of the contract. The conditions laid down in paragraph 2 shall be applied mutatis mutandis.







▼M7

SECTION 6

Obligations on applicants, collectors and first processors

Article 33

Number of processors

Energy products shall be obtained at the most by a third successive processor.

▼B

Article 34

Contract and obligations on applicants and first processors

▼M7

1. Collectors or first processors shall deposit a copy of the contract with their competent authorities under a timetable to be established by the Member State concerned and no later than the closing date for the submission of aid applications for the year in question in the Member State concerned.

Where applicants and collectors or first processors amend or terminate contracts prior to the date referred to in Article 27 in a given year, the collectors or first processors shall deposit with their competent authorities a copy of the amended or terminated contract, no later than that date.

▼B

2. First processors shall provide their competent authorities with the requisite information on the processing chain in question, in particular as regards prices and the technical processing coefficients to be used for determining the quantities of end products that may be obtained, as referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 40(1).

▼M7

3. Collectors or first processors who have taken over the raw materials from applicants shall inform their competent authorities of the quantities of raw materials received, specifying the species, the name and address of the party to the contract who delivered the raw materials, the place of delivery and the contract reference, within a time-limit to be set by the Member States that allows the payments to be made within the period specified in Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

Where the Member State of the collector or first processor is not the same Member State in which the raw materials have been grown, the competent authorities concerned shall inform the competent authority of the applicant of the total quantities of raw materials delivered, within 40 working days of receipt of the information referred to in the first subparagraph.

▼M10







SECTION 7

Special rules for the use of raw material on the holding

Article 33

Use of raw material on the holding

1. Notwithstanding Article 25(1), Member States may permit applicants to:

(a) use short rotation forest trees covered by ex 0602 90 41 or all the cereals or the oilseeds covered by CN codes 1201 00 90 , 1205 10 90 , 1205 90 00 , 1206 00 91 and 1206 00 99 harvested: (i) as fuel for heating their agricultural holding; (ii) for the production on the holding of power or biofuels;

(b) process into biogas covered by CN code 2711 29 00 on their holdings all raw materials harvested.

2. Where paragraph 1 of this Article applies, Article 25 shall not apply. Applicants shall, by the date provided for in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and in support of the single application, submit to their competent authorities a written declaration which shall contain at least the following information:

(a) the species of all raw materials concerned and the area planted with each species;

(b) where appropriate, the indication of the year foreseen for the first harvest;

(c) an undertaking by the applicant to use or process directly the raw material covered by the declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article and Article 24(1) and by a date to be fixed by the Member States which shall not be later than the 31 July of the second year following that of the harvest;

(d) the intended end use of the raw material and the technical description of the envisaged transformation.

3. Save as otherwise provided in this Section, the provision of this Chapter shall apply to the concerned farmers.

Article 34

Quantities of raw materials to be used on the holding

1. Applicants shall use on the holding:

(a) a quantity of raw material at least equal to the representative yield referred to in Article 26; or

(b) for raw material for which no representative yield has been established, all the raw material harvested.

Member States shall introduce adequate control measures to ensure compliance with the obligation provided for in point (b) of the first subparagraph.

2. Applicants shall, by a date to be fixed by the Member States, submit to the competent authority a harvest declaration that shall contain at least the following information:

(a) the date of the harvest;

(b) the quantities of raw materials harvested.

3. In case of exceptional circumstance or force majeure as provided for in Article 40(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, an applicant may, in accordance with Article 72 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004, inform his competent authority that he will be unable to harvest or to use all or part of quantity of raw material referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. The competent authority may, after obtaining sufficient evidence of such exceptional circumstances, authorise amendments to the quantities to be used on the holding.

Article 35

Controls

Without prejudice to the controls provided for in Articles 24 and 26 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and Articles 37(4) to 37(6) of this Regulation, Member States applying Article 33(1) of this Regulation shall introduce adequate control measures to ensure that:

(a) the relevant quantities of raw materials are harvested in accordance with Article 34. Such control measures shall cover at least the following: (i) administrative control for the compliance with Article 34 concerning the quantities harvested; (ii) on-the-spot checks on at least 10 % of the farms for checking the quantity harvested declared by the applicant in accordance with Article 34(2);

(b) the raw materials referred to in point (a) are directly used on the holding or processed into biogas falling within CN code 2711 29 00 .

Article 36

Payments

1. Without prejudice to the reductions and exclusions established in Article 51 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and in paragraph 2 of this Article, the aid shall be paid to applicants provided that:

(a) the requisite quantities of raw materials pursuant to Article 34 have been harvested;

(b) the declarations provided for in Articles 33(2) and 34(2) have been submitted to the competent authority;

(c) The checks provided for in Article 35(a) have been completed by the Competent Authority.

2. Without prejudice to Article 40 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, if it is revealed that an applicant has submitted intentionally a false harvest declaration referred to in Article 34(2) of this Regulation he shall not be eligible for the aid. If the aid has already been paid, it shall be recovered in accordance with Article 73 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004.

If the raw materials have not been processed into energy products by the date referred to in Article 33(2)(c), the aid paid for the harvest in question shall be recovered in accordance with Article 73 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and the farmer shall be excluded from the aid for energy crops for the following year.

Article 36a

Member States may decide to apply this Section as from 1 January 2008.







SECTION 8

Optional system of approval

Article 37

Optional system of approval

1. By way of derogation from Article 31, Member States may decide to set up a system of approval of the collectors and first processors (hereinafter referred to as approved operators).

Member States shall make available to public the decision referred to in the first subparagraph by 1 November of the year preceding its application. However, for 2007, Member States shall make their decision available to public by 1 March 2007.

Save as otherwise provided in this Section, the provisions of this Chapter shall apply to the Member States having decided to apply the first subparagraph.

2. Where a Member State has decided to apply paragraph 1, it shall adopt the necessary provisions and take the necessary measures to ensure that the provisions of this Chapter are complied with. In particular, Member States shall lay down conditions for approval of the operators ensuring that at least the following criteria are met:

(a) for collectors: (i) have the administrative capacities for operating as a collector and performing the record keeping referred to in Article 38; (ii) have a contractual relationship with at least one processor for the delivery of raw materials or have carried on trading activities for a sufficient period;

(b) for first processors: (i) have the administrative capacities for operating as a first processor and the administrative capacities for performing the record keeping referred to in Article 38; (ii) have the appropriate production capacities for the production of at least one energy product referred to in Article 24(1).

3. Member States shall set up a procedure of controls of the approval for approved operators before the list referred to in paragraph 6 is published.

4. Where it is found that an approved operator fails to comply with the obligations laid down in this Chapter or with the national provisions adopted on its basis, or where a collector or first processor does not accept or facilitate the on-the-spot checks to be performed by the competent authorities and/or does not provide the information referred to in Article 38, Member States shall impose appropriate penalties. The rate of penalties shall be calculated in the light of the seriousness of the infringement and proportionally to the securities forfeited for non-compliance with the requirements as set up in Article 32.

5. If an approved operator, as a result of a serious negligence to be determined by the Member State fails to comply with the provisions of this Chapter or with the national provisions, Member States may decide to withdraw its approval for a period to be determined by the Member State.

6. Before 15 December of the year prior to the year in respect of which the aid is granted, Member States shall make available to the public a list of approved collectors and first processors. However, for the aid to be granted in respect of the year 2007 the list of approved collectors and first processors shall be made available to the public by 15 April 2007 at the latest.

7. Where a Member State has decided to apply paragraph 1, the aid shall be paid only to applicants who have concluded contracts with approved collectors or processors.

▼B







SECTION 9

Checks

Article 39

Record keeping

1. ►M7 The competent authority of the Member State shall specify the records to be kept by collectors or processors and the frequency thereof, which shall be at least monthly. ◄

▼M7

In the case of processors, such records shall comprise at least the following information:

▼B

(a) the quantities of different raw materials purchased for processing;

(b) the quantities of raw materials processed and the quantities and types of end products, co-products and by-products obtained therefrom;

(c) wastage during processing;

(d) the quantities destroyed and the reasons for such destruction;

(e) the quantities and types of products sold or transferred by the processor and the prices obtained;

(f) where applicable, the names and addresses of the subsequent processors.

▼M7

In the case of collectors, such records shall comprise at least the following information:

(a) the quantities of all raw materials purchased and sold for processing under this scheme;

(b) the names and addresses of the first processors.

▼M7

2. The competent authority of the collector or first processor shall check that the contract submitted complies with the conditions laid down in Article 24(1). Where those conditions are not met, the applicants' competent authorities shall be notified.

▼B

3. With a view to calculating the economic value of the products referred to in Article 24(1), the competent authorities concerned shall, on the basis of the information referred to in Article 34(2), compare the sum of the values of all energy products with the sum of the values of all other products intended for other uses and obtained from the same processing operation. Each value shall equal the relevant quantity multiplied by the average of the ex-factory prices recorded during the previous marketing year. Where such prices are not available, the competent authorities shall determine the relevant prices, in particular on the basis of the information referred to in Article 34(2).

Article 40

Checks at the premises of processors

▼M7

1. The competent authorities of the Member States in which collectors are located shall carry out checks on the premises of at least 25 % of the collectors established in their territory, selected on the basis of a risk analysis. Such checks shall comprise physical checks and inspections of commercial documents, with a view to verifying consistency between the purchases of raw materials and the corresponding deliveries.

1a. The competent authorities of the Member States in which processing takes place shall check compliance with Article 24(1) at the premises of at least 25 % of the processors located in their territory, selected on the basis of a risk analysis. Such checks shall involve at least:

(a) a comparison of the sum of the values of all the energy products with the sum of the values of all other products intended for other uses and obtained from the same processing operation;

(b) analysis of the processor's production system, comprising physical checks and inspections of commercial documents, with a view to verifying, in the case of processors, that deliveries of raw materials, end products, co-products and by-products tally.

For the purpose of the checks referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph, the competent authorities shall base themselves in particular on the technical processing coefficients for the raw materials concerned. Where such coefficients exist for exports in Community legislation, they shall be applied. Where they do not, but other coefficients do exist in Community legislation, they shall be applied. In all other cases, inspection shall rely mainly on the coefficients generally accepted by the processing industry.

▼B

2. For the processing operations referred to in Article 25, checks shall be carried out on 10 % of applicants selected on the basis of a risk analysis taking account of:

(a) aid amounts;

(b) the number of agricultural parcels and the area covered by an aid application;

(c) developments since the previous year;

(d) the findings of checks made in past years;

(e) other parameters to be defined by the Member States, based on the representativeness of the declarations submitted.

3. Where the checks referred to in paragraph 2 reveal irregularities in at least 3 % of cases, the competent authority shall carry out additional checks during the year and shall consequently increase the percentage of farmers to be subject to an on-the-spot check the following year.

4. If it has been provided that certain elements of the checks referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 may be carried out on the basis of a sample, that sample shall guarantee a reliable and representative level of inspection.

5. Every on-the-spot check shall be the subject of an inspection report signed by the inspector giving the details of the checks carried out. The report shall indicate in particular:

(a) the date of the check;

(b) the persons present;

(c) the period checked;

(d) the checking techniques used including, where applicable, reference to sampling methods;

(e) results of the check.

Article 41

Hemp production

The provisions relating to hemp referred to in Article 29 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 ( 32 ) and in Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 shall apply.

Article 42

Additional measures and mutual assistance

1. The Member States shall take all further measures required for the proper application of this Chapter and shall give the mutual assistance needed for the purposes of checks required pursuant to this Chapter. Where this Chapter does not provide for appropriate reductions and exclusions, the Member States may apply appropriate national sanctions against market participants involved in the procedure for granting aid.

2. As far as necessary or as required by this Chapter, the Member States shall assist one another mutually to ensure effective controls, and enable the authenticity of documents submitted and the accuracy of the data exchanged to be verified.

▼M10 —————

▼B







CHAPTER 9

SPECIFIC REGIONAL AID FOR ARABLE CROPS

Article 45

Sowing date

To be eligible for the special regional aid for arable crops provided for in Article 98 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the declared area shall be sown by a date to be fixed by the Member States which shall not be later than 15 June.







CHAPTER 10

SEED AID

Article 46

Certified seeds

In the event of application of Article 99 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the aid shall be granted for production of basic and officially certified seed as defined by Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC and 2002/57/EC and complying with the standards and conditions laid down in those Directives, in accordance with Articles 47 to 50 of this Regulation.

Article 47

Production of seeds

1. The seed shall be produced:

(a) either under a growing contract concluded between a seed establishment or a breeder and a seed grower,

(b) or directly by the seed establishment or the breeder; such production being attested by a growing declaration.

2. The seed establishments and breeders referred to in paragraph 1 shall be approved or registered by Member States. Approval or registration by a Member State shall be valid throughout the Community.

3. A seed establishment or a breeder growing seed or having seed grown in a Member State other than that in which approval or registration referred to in paragraph 2 took place shall supply the competent authorities of that other Member State, on request, with all the information required for checking entitlement to aid.

Article 48

Territorial eligibility

Each Member State shall grant aid only in respect of seed harvested on its territory during the calendar year in which the marketing year for which the aid was fixed begins.

The aid shall be granted to all seed growers under conditions which ensure equal treatment for beneficiaries irrespective of the place of their establishment within the Community.

Article 49

Marketing of seeds

Aid shall be granted only on condition that the seed has in fact been marketed for sowing by the recipient by 15 June of the year following the harvest at the latest. ‘Marketed’ shall mean holding available or in stock, displaying for sale, offering for sale, sale or delivery to another person.

▼M4

Article 49a

Advance payments

Member Sates may grant advance payments to seed growers as from 1 December of the marketing year. Such payment shall be proportional to the quantity of seeds already marketed for sowing within the meaning of Article 49 provided that all the conditions of Chapter 10 are complied with.

▼B

Article 50

Cannabis sativa L. varieties

The varieties of Cannabis sativa L. eligible for aid under Article 99(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be those listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 796/2004.







CHAPTER 11

ARABLE CROPS AREA PAYMENT







SECTION 1

General provisions for the eligibility for arable crops area payment

Article 51

Eligible land

1. For the purposes of Chapter 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003:

(a) ‘permanent pasture’ shall mean ‘permanent pasture’ within the meaning of Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004;

(b) ‘permanent crops’ shall mean ‘permanent crops’ within the meaning of Article 2(c) of Regulation (EC) No 795/2004.

2. For the purposes of the first paragraph of Article 108 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, land under permanent pasture in 2003 shall be:

(a) land declared by a farmer in his aid application for 2003 as being under permanent pasture, and

(b) land not declared by a farmer in his aid application for 2003, unless it can be shown that that land was not under permanent pasture in 2003.

3. Pursuant to the third paragraph of Article 108 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, Member States may only derogate from the first paragraph of that Article only subject to the following conditions:

(a) for areas subject to a restructuring programme, defined as a ‘change to the structure and/or eligible area of a holding imposed by the public authorities’, Member States shall take action to prevent any significant increase in the total agricultural area eligible for arable area crops payment; this may in particular involve deeming previously eligible areas ineligible as an offsetting measure; areas newly declared eligible by the Member States under a restructuring programme shall not exceed the area newly declared ineligible under that programme by more than 5 %;

(b) in case of one or other form of public intervention, where such intervention results in a farmer growing crops on land previously regarded as ineligible for arable crops area payment in order to continue his normal agricultural activity and the intervention in question means that land originally eligible ceases to be so, Member Sates may not increase their total eligible agricultural area, either temporarily or permanently, by more than 0.1 % of their total base area;

(c) where farmers are able to give relevant and objective reasons for exchanging land ineligible for arable crops area payment for eligible land on their holdings, Member States shall check that there are no valid reasons for refusing such exchanges, in particular from the viewpoint of environmental risks, and shall provide proof in a plan submitted to the Commission that the total amount of eligible land remains unchanged; under no circumstances may exchanges result in any increase in the total area of eligible arable land on the holding; the Member States shall provide for a system for the prior notification and approval of such exchanges.

Article 52

Conditions for payment

Without prejudice to Article 2, arable crops area payments shall be paid solely on areas:

(a) located in regions climatically and agriculturally suitable for growing arable crops; the Member States shall have the power to decide that any region is not suitable for producing certain arable crops;

(b) on which the crop is maintained until at least the beginning of flowering under conditions of normal growth.

As regards durum wheat, crops shall in addition be cultivated in accordance with local standards at least until 30 June in respect of which the payment is granted, unless they are harvested at full maturity before that date.

Article 53

Regional amount

1. Where a producer's areas eligible for arable crops area payment are located in more than one region of production, the amount payable shall be determined by the location of each area covered by his application.

2. Member States that treat maize separately in regions where maize is grown principally for silage shall be authorised to apply the yield for a feed grain in that region to all areas under maize in the regions in question.







SECTION 2

Special provisions covering certain arable crops

Article 54

Silage grass

1. For the purposes of Article 100(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, ‘silage grass’ shall mean the crop grown on areas mainly sown to herbaceous grasses and harvested green at least once a year with a view to preservation in an enclosed environment by anaerobic fermentation.

Areas registered for growing grass seed certified in accordance with Directive 66/401/EEC during the marketing year in question shall not qualify for arable crops area payments.

2. The provisions of this Chapter, with the exception of the condition relating to flowering in point (b) of the first paragraph of Article 52, shall apply to silage grass.

3. In the Member States that make provision for a specific area for silage grass as set out in Annex IV, farmers shall be eligible for area payments in respect of silage grass.

Article 55

Durum wheat

1. Aid applications in respect of durum wheat supplement and special aid laid down in Article 105 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be valid only where:

(a) an application for an area payment, as referred to in Article 101 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, is submitted in respect of the same number of hectares under durum wheat;

(b) a minimum quantity of seed certified in accordance with Directive 66/402/EEC is used.

2. The Member States shall, before 1 October of the year preceding the year in respect of which the aid is granted, fix and notify to the farmers the minimum quantity of certified seed to be used in accordance with agricultural practice in the Member State concerned.

Article 56

Flax and hemp grown for fibre

1. The area payment for flax and hemp grown for fibre is subject to the following conditions:

(a) the submission of a copy of the contract or commitment referred to in the first paragraph of Article 106 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 by 15 September of the year in respect of which the payment is granted at the latest or by an earlier date laid down by the Member State;

(b) the use of seed of the following varieties: ▼M1 ————— ▼B (ii) for hemp grown for fibre, varieties listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 on 15 May of the year in respect of which the payment is granted and certified in accordance with Directive 2002/57/EEC ( 33 ).

2. For the purposes of granting the area payment for hemp grown for fibre, the Member States may fix the minimum sowing rate compatible with good hemp-growing practice.

Article 57

Sowing date

By way of derogation from Article 109 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the Member States may defer the final date for sowing to no later than 15 June for the crops listed in Annex VIII to this Regulation and in the zones, to be defined by the Member States concerned, located in the regions specified in that Annex.







SECTION 3

Base areas, reference yields and ceilings

Article 58

Irrigated and non-irrigated land

1. Where regionalisation plans referred to in Article 103 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provide for different yields for irrigated and non-irrigated land, the Member States shall lay down rules to determine whether or not areas are irrigated in the course of a marketing year. They shall in particular lay down:

(a) a list of arable crops on which area payments may be granted at the rate for the irrigated yield;

(b) a description of the irrigation equipment which the farmer must have at his disposal; such equipment must be commensurate with the area concerned and must allow for the supply of the water needed for the normal development of plants during their growth cycle;

(c) the relevant irrigation period.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to ‘regadío’ production regions in Spain or other regions where irrigation is a historical feature linked to the parcels and allows them to be distinguished and listed.

Article 59

Base area overshoot

1. For the purposes of determining any overshoots in regional base areas in accordance with Article 102 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the competent authority of the Member State concerned shall take account of:

(a) the regional base area as set out in Annex IV to this Regulation;

(b) the sum of areas covered by applications for area payments submitted in respect of each crop, including, in the event of application of Article 71 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the corresponding compulsory set-aside.

Any voluntary set-aside shall be included with areas other than irrigated, other than under maize and/or other than under silage grass.

2. The sum of the areas covered by aid applications submitted shall not include areas, or parts thereof, covered by applications that administrative checks show to be clearly unjustified.

Where applicable, the area actually determined during on-the-spot checks pursuant to Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be taken into account.

3. Areas sown to arable crops in accordance with Chapter 10 of Title IV of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and used in support of aid applications under Chapter 12 of Title IV of that Regulation shall be added to the sum of the areas covered by applications submitted, adjusted in accordance with paragraph 2.

4. The base area overshoot shall be calculated in accordance with the table in Annex VI.

Article 60

Durum wheat limited area overshoot

1. For the purposes of determining any overshoot in the limited area for durum wheat eligible for the supplement to the area payment laid down in Article 105(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the competent authorities of the Member States shall take account of the sum of the areas covered by applications for the supplement to area payments in respect of durum wheat, adjusted in accordance with Article 59(2) of this Regulation and, where applicable, reduced in accordance with Article 102 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

2. Paragraph 1 shall apply for the purposes of determining any overshoot in the limited areas eligible for the special aid for durum wheat set out in Article 105(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

Article 61

Definitive rate of areas overshoot and coefficient of reduction

▼M10

1. Where the areas referred to in Articles 59 and 60 are found to be exceeded, the Member State concerned shall determine the definitive rate of overshoot truncated to two decimal points, before the payments are granted to the farmers and by 31 January of the following year at the latest.

▼B

2. The definitive rate of overshoot thus determined shall be used to calculate the proportional reduction in the area eligible for:

(a) the arable crop area payment in accordance with Article 102(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003;

(b) the supplement thereto and the special aid for durum wheat in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and after Article 102(1) of that Regulation has been applied.

Article 62

Sub-base areas

▼M8

For the purposes of Article 102(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the Member States shall, by 1 September of the year in respect of which the area payment is applied for at the latest, determine the following:

▼B

(a) the national base area to be subdivided;

(b) the criteria used by the Member State to establish the sub-base areas;

(c) the sub-base areas (number, name and size);

(d) the detailed rules for concentrating measures applicable in case of overshoot.

Article 63

Ceiling of the sum of the payments

For the purposes of determining any overshoot in the ceiling of the payments and the corresponding reduction coefficient provided for in Article 102(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the competent authorities of the Member States shall take account of the proportional reduction in the eligible areas provided for in Article 102(1) and Article 105(2) of that Regulation.







SECTION 4

Set-aside

▼M8

Article 64

Definition

For the purposes of Article 107 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, ‘set-aside’ shall mean leaving fallow an area eligible for area payments pursuant to Article 108 of that Regulation.

▼B

Article 65

Conditions

1. Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 shall apply.

2. By way of derogation from Article 107(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and for the years 2005 and 2006, Malta may set the minimum size requirements for set aside areas at less than 0.1 ha in size and 10 metres wide.

Article 66

Regional breakdown

1. Aid applications referred to in Title II of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be broken down by region in accordance with the regionalisation plan referred to in Article 103 of that Regulation.

2. For each area payment application in a given region of production, there shall be a corresponding set-aside declaration in respect of at least the corresponding number of hectares in the same region of production.

3. The Member State may provide for derogation from paragraph 2 in accordance with objective criteria.

4. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, the compulsory set-aside corresponding to an application for area payment submitted may be effected in whole or in part:

(a) in Spain, in the ‘secano’ region in the case of holdings situated in ‘secano’ and ‘regadío’ production regions;

(b) in another region of production, provided that the areas to be set aside are located in regions of production adjacent to those in which the cultivated areas are situated.

5. Where paragraphs 3 and 4 are applied, the area to be set aside shall be adjusted to take account of the difference between the yields used to calculate the payment in respect of set-aside in the regions concerned. However, the application of this paragraph shall not lead to fewer hectares being set aside than the obligation requires.

Article 67

Legume crops

1. For the purposes of applying the second indent of Article 107(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, ‘legume crops’ shall mean areas sown with one or more species of the fodder legumes listed in Annex VII to this Regulation. Sowing in a mixture with cereals and/or grasses shall be allowed subject to the following conditions:

(a) the area is sown mainly with fodder legumes;

(b) they cannot be harvested separately.

Where specific regional environmental standards established by the Member States for organic crops set a ceiling on area sown with fodder legumes, the condition concerning areas sown mainly with fodder legumes laid down in (a) shall be met if at least 85 % of the limit fixed by the Member States is complied with.

2. Areas on which legume crops as referred to in paragraph 1 qualify between 15 January and 31 August under the aid scheme provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1786/2003 ( 34 ) shall not qualify for area payments.

Article 68

Payments on land voluntarily set-aside

For the purposes of Article 107(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 in the event of application of Article 66 of that Regulation, Member States shall allow farmers to set-aside up to at least 10 % of the area for which an arable crops area payment application is made and which is not used to give right to the payment of set-aside entitlements. Higher percentage may be set by a Member State taking into account specific situations and ensuring sufficient occupation of farmland.

The basic amount for voluntary set-aside shall be EUR 63.00/t from the marketing year 2005/2006. Where different yields are set for irrigated and non-irrigated land, the payments for set-aside for non-irrigated land shall apply.

The Member States shall apply suitable measures compatible with the specific situation of areas voluntarily set-aside in order to ensure they are maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition and the environment is protected.







SECTION 5

Communications

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Article 69

Communications

Where the areas referred to in Articles 59 and 60 are found to have been exceeded, the Member State concerned shall fix the definitive rate of the overshoot before the payments are granted to the farmers and by 31 January of the following year at the latest and shall communicate it to the Commission by 31 January of the following year at the latest. The data used to calculate the rate by which a base area is exceeded shall be communicated using the form set out in Annex VI.

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CHAPTER 12

SHEEP AND GOAT PREMIUMS







SECTION 1

Direct Payments

Article 70

Applications and retention period

1. In addition to the requirements under the integrated administration and control system provided for in Chapter 4 of Title II of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 (‘the integrated system’), farmers shall indicate in their application for ewe and goat premiums and supplementary premiums whether or not they are marketing sheep's milk, or milk products based on sheep's milk, during the year in respect of which the premium is requested.

2. Applications for a premium in favour of farmers keeping ewes and/or she-goats shall be submitted to the competent authority, during a unique period fixed by the Member State concerned commencing not before 1 November and ending not later than 30 April, respectively, preceding and following the commencement of the year in respect of which the applications are submitted.

However, the United Kingdom may set a different period in respect of Northern Ireland from that set for Great Britain.

3. The period referred to in Article 115(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 during which the farmer undertakes to keep on his holding the number of ewes and/or she-goats in respect of which the premium is requested (‘the retention period’) shall be 100 days starting on the first day following the last day of the period for the submission of applications referred to in paragraph 2.

Article 71

Areas eligible for goat premium

The criteria referred to in Article 113(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 are met in the areas listed in Annex X.

However, Member States shall, on a regular basis, verify whether these criteria continue to be met in all the areas listed in Annex X falling within their respective territories. Following this evaluation, Member States shall notify the Commission of any need for amending Annex X before 31 July of the year preceding the year in respect of which the amendment shall apply. The notification shall, in particular, indicate the zones, or parts of zones, listed in Annex X that do not further meet the criteria referred to in Article 113(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, as well as the eventual zones that meet these criteria but are not yet listed in Annex X. For these potential new zones, the Member States shall supply the Commission with a detailed justification of their proposal.

Article 72

Application for supplementary premium and for the goat premium

1. In order to benefit from the supplementary premium or the goat premium, a farmer whose holding has at least 50 % but less than 100 % of its area used for agriculture situated in areas referred to in Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or in areas listed in Annex X to this Regulation, shall submit a declaration or declarations indicating the location of his land, in accordance paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article:

2. A farmer who is required to submit each year a declaration of the total utilised agricultural area of his holding, at the occasion of an aid application, as provided for in Article 22(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, shall indicate in that declaration those parcels used for agriculture which are located in areas referred to in Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or in areas listed in Annex X to this Regulation as appropriate;

A farmer who is not required to submit the declaration referred to in the first paragraph shall submit each year a specific declaration using, where appropriate, the system for identifying agricultural parcels provided for under the integrated system.

That specific declaration shall indicate the location of all the land the farmer owns, rents or uses under whatever arrangements, indicating its area and detailing those parcels used for agriculture which are located in areas referred to in Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or in areas listed in Annex X of this Regulation as appropriate. Member States may provide for the specific declaration to be included in the application for the ewe and/or goat premium. Member States may also demand that the specific declaration be made by means of a ‘single payment application’ form.

3. The competent national authority may demand the presentation of a property deed, a rental contract or a written agreement between farmers and, where appropriate, an attestation from the local or regional authority which has made land used for agriculture available to the farmer concerned. The attestation shall indicate the area of land granted to the producer and the parcels located in areas referred to in Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or areas listed in Annex X to this Regulation as appropriate.

Article 73

Farmers practising transhumance

1. Premium applications submitted by farmers the registered addresses of whose farms are in one of the geographical areas referred to in Article 114(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and who wish to qualify for the supplementary premium shall indicate:

(a) the place or places where transhumance is to be carried out for the current year;

(b) the period of at least 90 days referred to in Article 114(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and laid down for the current year.

2. Premium applications from farmers referred to in paragraph 1 shall be accompanied by documents certifying that transhumance has actually been carried out, except in cases of force majeure or due to the impact of duly justified natural circumstances affecting the life of the flock, during the two previous years and in particular by an attestation from the local or regional authority at the place of transhumance certifying that it has actually taken place during at least 90 consecutive days.

When carrying out administrative checks on applications Member States shall ensure that the place of transhumance specified in the premium application is actually within an area referred to in Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

Article 74

Eligibility

1. Premiums shall be paid to farmers on the basis of the number of ewes and/or she-goats kept on their holding throughout the retention period referred to in Article 70(3).

2. Animals satisfying the conditions provided for in the definitions referred to in Article 112 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 on the final day of the retention period shall be considered eligible animals.

Article 75

Inventory of farmers marketing sheep's milk or sheep's milk products

For each year Member States shall draw up, no later than the thirtieth day of the retention period, an inventory of farmers marketing sheep's milk or sheep's milk products on the basis of the farmers' declarations referred to in Article 70(1).

When drawing up the inventory, Member States shall take account of the results of controls and any other source of information available to the competent authority, in particular information obtained from processors or distributors relating to the marketing of sheep's milk or sheep's milk products by farmers.

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Article 76

Notification

Member States shall notify the Commission, by 31 October of each year at the latest, of any changes in the list of geographical areas practising transhumance referred to in Article 114(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and Article 73 of this Regulation.

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SECTION 2

Limits, Reserves and Transfers

Article 77

Rights obtained free of charge

Except in duly justified exceptional circumstances, where a farmer has obtained premium rights free of charge from the national reserve he shall not be authorised to transfer his rights or to lease them temporarily for a period of three years from the date he obtained those rights.

Article 78

Use of rights

1. A farmer holding rights may make use of them by availing himself of those rights and/or leasing those rights to another farmer.

2. Where a farmer has not made use of the minimum percentage of his rights provided for paragraph 4, during each year, the part not used shall be transferred to the national reserve, except in the following cases:

(a) in the case of farmers holding a maximum of 20 premium rights, where this farmer has not made use of the minimum percentage of his rights, during each of two consecutive calendar years, only the part not used during the last calendar year shall be transferred to the national reserve;

(b) in the case of a farmer participating in an extensification programme recognised by the Commission;

(c) in the case of a farmer participating in an early retirement scheme recognised by the Commission in which the transfer and/or temporary leasing of rights is not obligatory;

(d) in exceptional and duly justified circumstances.

3. Temporary leasing shall be only in respect of whole years and shall involve at least the minimum number of animals provided for in Article 79(1). At the end of each period of temporary leasing, which may not exceed three consecutive years, a farmer shall, except in the event of a transfer of rights, recover all his rights for himself, for at least two consecutive years. If the farmer does not avail himself of at least the minimum percentage of his rights provided for paragraph 4 during each of the two years, the Member State shall, except in exceptional and duly justified cases, withdraw and return annually to the national reserve that part of the rights not used by the farmer.

However, in the case of farmers participating in early retirement schemes recognised by the Commission, Member States may provide for the total duration of the temporary leasing on the basis of such schemes to be increased.

Farmers who have undertaken to participate in an extensification programme in accordance with the measure referred to in Article 2(1)(c) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 ( 35 ) or in an extensification programme in accordance with Articles 22 and 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 shall not be authorised to temporarily lease and/or to transfer their rights throughout the period of that participation. However, this provision shall not apply in cases where the programme permits the transfer and/or temporary leasing of rights to farmers whose participation in measures other than those referred to in this subparagraph requires the acquisition of rights.

4. The minimum percentage of use of rights to the premium shall be 70 %.

However, Member States may increase that percentage up to 100 %. They shall inform the Commission in advance of the percentage they intend to apply.

Article 79

Transfer of rights and temporary leasing

1. Member States may lay down, on the basis of their production structures, a minimum number of premium rights which may be the subject of a partial transfer not involving the transfer of a holding. This minimum may not exceed 10 premium rights.

2. Transfers of premium rights and temporary leasing of such rights shall be effective only after they have been notified to the competent authorities of the Member State by the farmer transferring and/or leasing the rights and by the farmer receiving the rights.

Such notification shall take place within a deadline set by the Member State and not later than the date on which the premium application period ends in that Member State, except in those cases where the transfer takes place through an inheritance. In those cases, the farmer who receives the rights shall be in a position to furnish appropriate legal documents to prove that he/she is the beneficiary of the deceased farmer.

3. In the case of a transfer without a transfer of the holding, the number of rights transferred without compensation to the national reserve may in no case be less than one.

Article 80

Change of individual ceiling

In the case of transfers or temporary leasing of premium rights, Member States shall set the new individual ceiling and shall notify the farmers concerned of the number of premium rights to which they are entitled not later than 60 days from the last day of the period during which the producer submitted his application.

The first paragraph shall not apply in the case where the transfer takes effect through an inheritance as referred to in Article 79(2).

Article 81

Farmers who do not own the land they farm

Farmers farming only publicly or collectively owned land who decide to stop using that land for grazing and to transfer all their rights to another farmer shall be treated in the same way as farmers selling or transferring their holdings. In all other cases such farmers shall be treated in the same way as farmers transferring their premium rights only.

Article 82

Transfer through the national reserve

Where Member States provide that the transfer of rights is to take place via the national reserve, they shall apply national provisions analogous to those in this Chapter. Moreover, in such cases:

(a) Member States may provide for temporary leasing to be carried out via the national reserve;

(b) in the event of the transfer of premium rights or temporary leasing pursuant to point (a), transfer to the reserve shall not become effective until after notification by the competent authorities of the Member State to the farmer transferring and/or leasing the rights, and transfers from the reserve to another farmer shall not become effective until after notification to that farmer by the authorities.

In addition, the national provisions referred to in the first paragraph shall ensure that the part of the rights not covered by the second subparagraph of Article 117(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 must be offset by a payment by the Member State corresponding to the payment which would have resulted from a direct transfer between farmers, account being taken in particular of the trend in production in the Member State concerned. That payment shall be equal to the payment charged to a farmer who receives equivalent rights from the national reserve.

Article 83

Calculation of individual limits

Only whole numbers shall be used in the initial calculations and in subsequent adjustments to individual limits on premium rights.

To that end, where the final result of the arithmetical calculations is not a whole number, the nearest whole number shall be used. However, where the result of the calculations falls exactly between whole numbers, the higher whole number shall be used.

Article 84

Notification

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1. Member States shall notify the Commission, before 1 January each year , of any amendment to the part of the premiums rights transferred which shall be surrendered to the national reserve in accordance with Article 117(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and, where applicable, of the measures taken under Article 117(3) of that Regulation.

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2. ►M8 Using the table set out in Annex XIII, Member States shall notify the Commission by 30 April at the latest for each year of: ◄

(a) the number of premium rights returned without compensatory payment to the national reserve following transfers of rights without transfers of holdings during the preceding year;

(b) the number of unused premium rights as referred to in Article 118(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 transferred to the national reserve during the preceding year;

(c) the number of rights granted under Article 118(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 during the preceding year;

(d) the number of premium rights granted to farmers in less-favoured areas from the national reserve during the preceding year.

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SECTION 3

Additional Payments

Article 85

Additional payments

Member States applying Article 71 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall provide information to the Commission on their national arrangements concerning the granting of the additional payments provided for under Article 119 of that Regulation. Where applicable that information shall include in particular:

(a) as regards headage payments: (i) indicative amounts per head and grant arrangements; (ii) an indicative forecast of total expenditure and the number of animals concerned; (iii) specific stocking density requirements; (iv) other information on the rules of application;

(b) as regards area payments, where necessary: (i) calculation of regional base areas; (ii) indicative amounts per hectare; (iii) an indicative forecast of total expenditure and of the number of hectares concerned; (iv) other information on the rules of application;

(c) details of other schemes that have been established to make additional payments.

Member States shall notify the Commission of any changes in their national arrangements within a period of one month from the date of any such changes.







SECTION 4

General Provisions

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CHAPTER 13

BEEF AND VEAL PAYMENTS







SECTION 1

Special premium

(Article 123 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003)

Article 87

Applications

1. 1. In addition to the requirements under the integrated system, each application for direct payments as referred to in Article 22 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall contain:

(a) the breakdown of the number of animals by age bracket;

(b) a reference to the passports or administrative documents accompanying the animals which are the subject of the application.

2. Applications may only be submitted in respect of animals which on the date of commencement of the retention period referred to in Article 90 are:

(a) in the case of bulls, not less than seven months old;

(b) in the case of steers: (i) not less than seven months nor more than 19 months old in the case of the first age bracket; (ii) at least 20 months old in the case of the second age bracket.

Article 88

Grant of premium

Animals which have not qualified for the special premium either on account of the application of the proportional reduction provided for in Article 123(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 or of application of the stocking density provided for in Article 131 of that Regulation may no longer be the subject of an application for the same age bracket and shall be considered to have been the subject of payment of the premium.

Article 89

Passports and administrative documents

1. Where, under the conditions laid down in Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, the passport is not available, it shall be replaced by a national administrative document as provided for in Article 123(3)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

2. The competent authorities of the Member State shall ensure that passports or administrative documents ensure that only one premium is granted per animal and per age bracket. Member States shall assist one another, as necessary, to this end.

3. Member States may provide that the national administrative document referred to in paragraph 1 shall take the form of:

(a) a document accompanying each individual animal;

(b) a comprehensive list, held by the farmer, containing all the information required for the administrative document, on condition that the animals concerned remain, from the date on which the first application is made, with the same farmer until they are placed on the market for the purpose of being slaughtered;

(c) a comprehensive list, held by the central authorities, containing all the information required for the administrative document, on condition that the Member State or region of a Member State availing itself of this possibility carries out on-the-spot checks on all the animals covered by an application, checks the movements of those animals and makes a distinctive mark on each animal checked which the farmers shall be required to permit;

(d) a comprehensive list, held by the central authorities, containing all the information required for the administrative document, on condition that the Member State takes the measures necessary to ensure that the premium is not granted twice for the same age bracket and provides information as to the premium status of each animal immediately upon request.

4. Member States which decide to avail themselves of one or more of the possibilities provided for in paragraph 3 shall notify the Commission thereof in due time and forward to it the relevant implementing provisions.

For the purposes of point (c) of paragraph 3, Great Britain and Northern Ireland alone shall be considered to be regions of a Member State.

Article 90

Retention period

The duration of the retention period referred to in Article 123(3) (a) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 shall be two months, starting on the day following that on which the application is submitted.

However, Member States may provide that other starting dates may be set by the farmer on condition that they do not begin more than two months following the day on which the application is submitted.

Article 91

Regional ceiling

1. Where the application of the proportional reduction provided for in Article 123(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 gives a number of eligible animals which is less than a whole number, there shall be granted in respect of the decimal part a corresponding fraction of the unit amount of the premium. For this purpose, account shall be taken of the first decimal place only.

2. Where Member States decide to introduce different regions within the meaning of Article 122(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, or to modify the existing regions within their territory, they shall inform the Commission of their decision before 1 January of the year concerned, giving a definition of the region and the ceiling set. Any subsequent modification shall be notified to the Commission before 1 January of the year concerned.

Article 92

Limits on the number of animals per holding

1. Where Member States decide to amend the limit of 90 heads of cattle per holding and per age bracket referred to in Article 123(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, or to derogate from it, they shall inform the Commission before 1 January of the calendar year concerned.

Where, moreover, Member States fix a minimum number of animals per holding, below which the proportional reduction will not be applied, they shall inform the Commission before 1 January of the calendar year concerned.

2. Any subsequent amendment in the application of paragraph 1 shall be notified to the Commission before 1 January of the year concerned.

Article 93

Granting at the time of slaughter

1. Member States may grant the special premium at the time of slaughter as follows:

(a) in the case of bulls, for the single age bracket;

(b) in the case of steers, for the first or second age bracket or by combining the granting of the premiums for the two age brackets.

2. Member States which decide to grant the special premium at the time of slaughter in accordance with paragraph 1 shall provide that the premium is also to be granted when eligible animals are being dispatched to another Member State or being exported to a third country.

3. Where Member States decide to grant the special premium at the time of slaughter in accordance with paragraph 1, this Section and Article 120 and Article 121(1) and (2) shall apply mutatis mutandis to the grant of the premium.

4. In addition to the information referred to in Article 121(1), aid applications shall indicate whether the animal is a bull or a steer, and shall be accompanied by a document containing the details required for the purposes of Article 89(2). That document shall be one of the following, at the choice of the Member State:

(a) the passport or a copy of the passport where the type used consists of several copies;

(b) a copy of the passport where the type of passport used consists of one copy only which must be returned to the competent authority for the purposes of Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000; in that case the Member State shall take steps to ensure that the information contained in the copy corresponds to the original;

(c) the national administrative do