Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 on the common organisation of the market in hops

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

It is proposed that the Council adopt the attached proposal for a Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 of 26 July 1971 on the common organisation of the market in hops.

The proposed amendments involve deleting provisions which are no longer applicable either because of the time factor (expiry of the deadline) or in view of the content of the common organisation of the market in hops. With the exception of Austria, the Member States producing hops no longer have the right to aid for setting up producer groups as the period fixed for the aid scheme has now expired; Articles 8, 10 and 17(2) may therefore be deleted.

Moreover, since the Council fixed a flat rate of aid to producers for a five-year period, there is no longer a need for the Commission to submit a report to the Council on the situation regarding the production and marketing of hops each year - as was the case when the rate of aid was fixed on an annual basis. Article 11 may therefore be deleted.

This proposal does not have any budgetary impact.

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 on the common organisation of the market in hops

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 36 and 37 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

(1) OJ C

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),

(2) Opinion delivered on .....

(1) Whereas the aid scheme for setting up producer groups no longer applies in the Member States producing hops, with the exception of Austria, which is authorised under its Treaty of Accession to apply this scheme until 31 December 1999; whereas, therefore, for the sake of clarity, Article 8 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1554/97 (4), should be deleted, while providing a temporary derogation for Austria;

(3) OJ L 175, 4.8.1971, p. 1

(4) OJ L 208, 2.8.1997, p. 1

(2) Whereas the Council fixed a flat-rate aid to producers of EUR 480 per hectare per annum for a period of five years from the 1996 harvest, up to and including the 2000 harvest; whereas it is therefore no longer necessary for the Commission to submit a report to the Council on the situation regarding the production and marketing of hops each year, since Article 18 provides for the submission of a summary report after the expiry of the five-year period when the Council will have to decide on the amount of aid for the period starting from the 2001 harvest; whereas Article 11 may therefore be deleted,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 is amended as follows:

Articles 8, 10, 11 and 17(2) are deleted.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. However, Articles 8, 10 and 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 shall remain applicable in Austria until 31 December 1999.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

>TABLE>