Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

This proposal for a Council Regulation amends Article 47a of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 in order to prevent any difference in treatment between the Member States making up the Community at 30 April 2004 and the Member States which joined on 1 May 2004 as regards the rate of the financial contribution for the agri-environmental measures applicable to the latter Member States. The rate shall be brought into line with that applicable to the Member States making up the Community at 30 April 2004 as from the date of accession (1 May 2004).

The proposed measure does not involve additional spending from the Community budget.

2004/0234(CNS)

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

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,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) The third indent of the second subparagraph of Article 47(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 [1], as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1783/2003 [2], lays down that the Community contribution to agri-environmental measures may not exceed 85% in areas covered by Objective 1 and 60% in the other areas.

[1] OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 583/2004 (OJ L 91, 30.3.2004, p. 1).

[2] OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 70.

(2) Article 47a(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, which lays down specific financial provisions for the Member States which acceded on 1 May 2004, specifies that Article 47 of that Regulation does not apply to the financing of the measures referred to in Article 47a(1), which include agri-environmental measures. For those measures, the Community financial contribution may amount to 80% in areas covered by Objective 1, in accordance with Article 47b(1).

(3) In order to prevent any difference in treatment between the Member States making up the Community at 30 April 2004 and the Member States which joined on 1 May 2004 as regards the financing of agri-environmental measures in the areas covered by Objective 1, the rate of the financial contribution applicable to the latter should be brought into line with that applicable to the former as from the date of accession, in accordance with the third indent of the second subparagraph of Article 47(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.

(4) Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 47a(3)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 is replaced by the following:

"(b) Articles 35(1), 35(2), second indent, 36(2) and 47, with the exception of the third indent of the second subparagraph of paragraph 2, of this Regulation."

Article 2

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

It shall apply from 1 May 2004.

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President