EN Official Journal of the European Union L 104/8

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 434/2007

of 20 April 2007

amending Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 by reason of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (1), and in particular Articles 34(3) and 56 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (2) and in particular Article 91 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Article 34 and Annex VIII of the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania defines in general terms the conditions under which temporary additional support is to be granted for transitional rural development measures in these new Member States. Implementing rules should be adopted to supplement those conditions and adapt certain rules foreseen by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 of 15 December 2006 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (3).

(2) Those rules should conform to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and should therefore be limited to what is necessary to achieve the objectives pursued.

(3) Conditions of eligibility for certain transitional measures should therefore be specified.

(4) To facilitate the establishment of rural development programmes comprising those measures, and their examination and approval by the Commission, common rules relating to their structure and content should be laid down on the basis of Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 in particular.

(5) Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 should be amended accordingly.

(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Rural Development Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1974/2006 is amended as follows:

1. In Chapter III, section I, subsection 1, the following Article 25a is added: ‘Article 25a 1. Support for the provision of farm advisory and extension services referred to in Annex VIII Section I D of the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania can be granted to the authorities and bodies delivering these services to farmers. This concerns in particular drawing up business plans, assistance in making applications for rural development measures, advice and extension related to respect of good agricultural and environmental conditions and statutory management requirements provided for in Articles 4 and 5 of and in Annexes III and IV to Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers; 2. The authorities and bodies selected to provide advisory and extension services to farmers shall avail of appropriate resources in the form of qualified staff, administrative and technical facilities and advisory experience and reliability with respect to the services to be provided. 3. For the period 2007-09, Bulgaria and Romania may implement, as regards the provision of advisory services to farmers, either this measure, or the measure “use of advisory services by farmers and forest holders” referred to in Article 20(a)(iv) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.’;

2. In Chapter III, section I, subsection 4, the following sentence is added to Article 37(2): ‘In Bulgaria and Romania the first call for proposals shall be organised no later than three years after the approval of the programme.’;

3. In Chapter III, section I, subsection 4, the following Article 37a is added: ‘Article 37a In Bulgaria and Romania acquiring skills as referred to in Article 63(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 may cover also the costs related to building representative local development partnerships, drawing up integrated development strategies, financing research and preparing applications for the selection of local action groups. Such costs are eligible for potential local action groups.’;

4. In Chapter III, Section 1, the following subsection 4a is added: ‘Subsection 4a Temporary additional measure for Bulgaria and Romania Article 39a Eligibility conditions for granting support under the measure foreseen in Section I point E of Annex VIII to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania “complements to direct payments” are defined by the Commission decision approving the complementary national direct payments.’;

5. Annex II is amended in accordance with Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2007.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 20 April 2007. For the Commission Mariann FISCHER BOEL Member of the Commission

(1) The Act of Accession was adapted by Council Decisions 2006/663/EC (OJ L 277, 9.10.2006, p. 2) and 2006/664/EC (OJ L 277, 9.10.2006, p. 4).

(2) OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2012/2006 (OJ L 384, 29.12.2006, p. 8).

(3) OJ L 368, 23.12.2006, p. 15.