Commission Regulati on (EC) No 1985/2006 
of 22 December 2006 
laying down detailed rules for calculating aid granted by Member States to producer 
organisations in the fisheries and aquaculture sector 
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the 
detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector
1, 
and in particular Ar ticle 15(4) thereof, 
Whereas: (1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 908/2000 of 2 May 2000 laying down detailed rules for 
calculating aid granted by Member States to producer organisations in the fisheries and 
aquaculture sector
2 has been substantially amended3. In the interests of clarity and rationality 
the said Regulation should be codified. 
(2) Article 15(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/ 1999 lays down the general conditions for 
granting and financing aid from the Member St ates to producer organisations recognised 
under Article 5 and, where appropriate, specifi cally recognised under Article 12 of Council 
Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17 Decemb er 1999 on the common organisation of the 
markets in fishery and aquaculture products4. 
(3) To ensure that such aids are granted and fi nanced under identical c onditions, detailed rules 
should be laid down for calculating the valu e of the production marketed by producer 
organisations and the administra tive expenses of such organisations and such calculations 
should be done on the basis of supporting accounting documents. In view of the difficulty of 
obtaining such documents in some cases, howev er, a flat-rate method should be available by 
way of an alternative. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 337, 30.12.1999, p. 10. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 485/2005 (OJ L 81, 
30.3.2005, p. 1). 
2 OJ L 105, 3.5.2000, p. 15. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2438/2000 (OJ L 280, 4.11.2000, p. 
37). 
3 See Annex I. 
4 OJ L 17, 21.1.2000, p. 22. Regulation as amended by the 2003 Act of Accession. 29.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 387/13
(4) The aid for which an association of producer  organisations may qualify should be limited to 
a maximum overall amount, given that each of  the member organisations may qualify for 
foundation and operating aid. 
(5) Detailed rules should be laid down defining ex penses in connection w ith the implementation 
of a quality improvement plan by a producer organisation. 
(6) Detailed rules should be laid down govern ing the reimbursement of the Community 
contribution towards aid granted by Member States after 1 January 2000 on the basis of 
Articles 7 and 7b of Counc il Regulation (EEC) No 3759/925. 
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the 
Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
This Regulation lays down detailed rules on grantin g aid to producer organisations in fisheries and 
aquaculture under Article 15(1)(a) a nd (b) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999. 
Article 2 
1. Members whose production can be taken into acc ount for the application of Article 15(1)(a) of 
Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 shall be: 
(a) producers who were members of the organi sation when it was recognised and who have 
remained members throughout the year to  which the aid application relates; 
(b) producers who joined the organisation after it was recognised and who have been members 
for the last nine months of the year to which the aid application relates. 
2. An association of producer organisations may be  granted aid under Article  15(1)(a) of Regulation 
(EC) No 2792/1999 up to a maximum of EUR 180 000. 
Article 3 
1. To calculate the aid provided for in Article  15(1)(a)(i) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999, the 
value of production marketed by the producer organi sation shall be established on a flat-rate basis, 
for each year, by multiplying for each product covered by the organisation: (a) the weighted average production, expressed in 100 kg net, marketed by the members 
during the three calendar years preceding the period to which the aid application relates, 
                                                
 
5 OJ L 388, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation repealed by Regulation (EC) No 104/2000. L 387/14 EN Official Journal of the European Union 29.12.2006
by 
(b) the weighted average producer price obtaine d by those producers during the same period, 
calculated per 100 kg net. 
2. To calculate the average production referred to  in paragraph 1(a), the production marketed by 
members during each of the three years mentioned therein shall be determined: 
(a) on the basis of available supportin g commercial and accounting documents, 
or, failing that, 
(b) by means of a flat-rate valuation by the competent authorities of the Member State, on the 
basis of parameters determin ed in advance depending on th e types of production involved. 
3. To calculate the average price referred to in paragraph 1(b), the average price obtained by 
producers for each of the three years concerned sha ll be determined by the competent services of 
the Member State: 
(a) on the basis of available supportin g commercial and accounting documents, 
or, failing that, 
(b) by calculating the average annual price for each product on the principal market in the area 
of activity of the producer organisation in question. 
Article 4 
1. The administrative expenses within the meaning of Article 15(1)(a)(ii) of Regulation (EC) No 
2792/1999 shall be the expenditure act ually paid by the producer organisation in establishing itself 
and operating, falling within the following headings: 
(a) expenditure in connection with the preparatory work for setting up the organisation and 
drawing up or amending its constituting act and its statutes; 
(b) expenditure on checking compliance with the rules referred to in Article 5(1) of Regulation 
(EC) No 104/2000; 
(c) personnel expenditure (wages and salaries, tr aining expenses, social security charges and 
mission expenses) and fees for t echnical services and advice; 
(d) expenditure on correspondence and telecommunications; (e) expenditure on office equipment and depr eciation or expenditure on leasing such 
equipment; 
(f) expenditure on the means of transport available for the organisation's staff; 29.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 387/15
(g) rent or, in the case of pu rchase, interest charges actually paid and other expenditure and 
charges arising from occupation of the premises used for the administrative operation of 
the producer organisation; 
(h) expenditure on insurance relating to staff transport and administrative buildings and 
contents. 
2. The producer organisation shall have the option of spreading the expenses referred to in 
paragraph 1 over the years during which the aid is granted. 
3. The amount of the administrative expenses as de fined in paragraph 1 must  be established on the 
basis of supporting commercia l and accounting documents. 
Article 5 
1. The expenses referred to in Article 15(1 )(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 shall be the 
expenditure actually paid by the producer organi sation for drawing up and implementing the quality 
improvement plan approved unde r Article 12 of Regulation (EC)  No 104/2000, falling within the 
following headings: (a) expenditure in connection with preliminary studies, drawing up and amending the plan; (b) expenditure referred to in Article 4( 1)(c), (d) and (e) of this Regulation; 
(c) expenditure on measures to inform me mbers about technical means and skills for 
improving quality; 
(d) expenditure on establishing and implementing a system for checking compliance with the 
measures adopted by the organisation fo r applying the quality improvement plan. 
2. The producer organisation shall have the option of spreading the expenses referred to in 
paragraph 1 over the years during which the aid is granted. 3. The amount of the administrative expenses as de fined in paragraph 1 must  be established on the 
basis of supporting commercial and accounting doc uments clearly showing that the expenditure 
relates to implementing the plan. 
Article 6 
In the case of aid decided on by Member States after 1 January 2000 on the basis of Articles 7 and 
7b of Regulation (EEC) No 3759/ 92, reimbursement sha ll be made in the context of the 
programming of the Structural Funds for the Me mber State concerned for the period 2000 to 2006. 
Article 7 
Regulation (EC) No 908/2000 is repealed. L 387/16 EN Official Journal of the European Union 29.12.2006
References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as references to this Regulation and shall 
be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex II. 
Article 8 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.  
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, 22 December 2006. 
 For the Commission 
 The President  José Manuel BARROSO 29.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 387/17
ANNEX I  
Repealed Regulation with its amendment 
Commission Regulation (EC) No 908/2000 (OJ L 105, 3.5.2000, p. 15) 
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2438/2000 (OJ L 280, 4.11.2000, p. 37) 
_____________L 387/18 EN Official Journal of the European Union 29.12.2006
ANNEX II  
CORRELATION TABLE  
Regulation (EC) No 908/2000 This Regulation 
Article 1 Article 1 
Article 2 Article 2 
Article 3 Article 3 
Article 4 Article 4 
Article 5 Article 5 
Article 6, first paragraph _____ 
Article 6, second paragraph _____ 
Article 6, third paragraph Article 6 
_____ Article 7 
Article 7 Article 8 
_____ Annex I 
_____ Annex II 
_____________ 29.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 387/19