No C 300/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 88 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 on the 
common organization of the market in beef and veal and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 
1302/73 
COM(88) 529 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 20 October 1988) 
(88/C 300/15) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof; 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission; 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament; 
Whereas Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 
805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of 
the market in beef and veal ('), as last amended by 
Regulation (EEC) No 2248/88 (2), provided for public 
buying-in as the main instrument for support of the 
market in beef and veal; whereas Article 6a of this Regu­
lation provided for a temporary scheme for a period 
from 6 April 1987 to 31 December 1988 the aim of 
which was to reduce recourse to intervention and to 
restore to that facility its original function as a safety 
net; whereas, however, these temporary arrangements 
have failed to curb the quantities sent to intervention, 
mainly because buying-in is an automatic facility and 
because the buying-in price calculation procedures have 
entailed heavy sales to the agencies at prices exceeding 
the market price; whereas the outlook for production is 
such that these sales are unlikely to decline; whereas the 
efforts already made to restore order on this market by 
further restricting sales to intervention must therefore be 
pursued; 
Whereas, accordingly, while the conditions governing 
activation of intervention related to market price levels in 
the Community and in the Member States should be 
retained, with adaptation of the thresholds, this scheme 
should now also allow of control of the quantities 
bought in on the basis of an annual overall quantity not to be exceeded except in cases of abnormal market situ­
ations, and its operation should be subject to an 
assessment of the need to ensure reasonable support of 
the market on the basis, in particular, of seasonal 
changes in production; whereas, for this purpose, a 
system of buying-in by tendering procedures under 
which prices and quantities would be determined on the 
basis of the tenders received is appropriate to 
requirements; 
Whereas, for beef and veal, prices and production 
conditions vary very widely from one Member State to 
another; whereas, as a result, a facility may be needed 
whereby these quantities and prices can be fixed by 
Member States or region of a Member State; 
Whereas alteration of the intervention arrangements will 
necessitate maintenance beyond 31 December 1988 of 
the special premium scheme provided for in Article 4a of 
Regulation (EEC) No 805/68, which has proved an 
effective method of support for farmers' incomes, and its 
extension to the Member States operating until that date 
the calf premium and the variable slaughter premium; 
Whereas alteration of the intervention arrangements will 
also necessitate the repeal of Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 1302/73 of 15 May 1973 laying down general rules 
for intervention on the market in beef and veal (3), as last 
amended by Regulation (EEC) No 427/77 (4), 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 is hereby amended as 
follows: 
1. In Article 4a: 
— the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 is replaced 
by the following: 
(') OJ No L 148, 28. 6. 1968, p. 24. 
(2) OJ No L 198, 26. 7. 1988, p. 24. (5) OJ No L 132, 19. 5. 1973, p. 3. 
(4) OJ No L 61, 5. 3. 1977, p. 16. 
25. 11. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 300/13 
'1. Beef and veal producers shall qualify, in 
respect of a given number and certain 
categories of animals held on their farms, for a 
special premium.', 
— paragraph 2 is deleted, 
— paragraph 3 becomes paragraph 2 and paragraph 
4 becomes paragraph 3. 
2. Article 6 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 6 
1. Where the conditions laid down in paragraph 2 
are met, buying-in by intervention agencies in one or 
more Member States or in a region of a Member 
State of one or more categories, qualities or quality 
groups, to be determined, of fresh or chilled meat 
falling within CN codes 0201 10 and 0201 20 11 to 
0201 20 59 may be organized under tender 
procedures arranged with a view to ensuring 
reasonable support of the market, having regard to 
seasonal developments as regards slaughterings. The 
total quantity bought in under such arrangements 
shall not exceed 200 000 tonnes per year for the entire 
Community. 
2. For each quality or quality group that may be 
bought in, the tender procedures may be opened as 
provided in paragraph 5 whenever, in a Member State 
or in a region of a Member State the following two 
conditions are both met for a period of two conse­
cutive weeks: 
— the average Community market price ascertained 
on the basis of the Community classification scale 
for the carcases of adult bovine animals is less 
than 88 % of the intervention price, 
— the average market price ascertained on the basis 
of the said scale in the Member State or States or 
region of a Member State is less than 84 % of the 
intervention price. 
3. Tender arrangements for one or more qualities 
or quality groups shall be suspended in any one of the 
following three situations: 
— where the maximum quantity referred to in 
paragraph 1 has been reached, 
— where, for two consecutive weeks, the two 
conditions referred to in paragraph 2 are no 
longer both met, 
— where buying-in is no longer appropriate in view 
of the criteria set out in paragraph 1. 4. Where the maximum quantity referred to in 
paragraph 1 is reached, tender procedures can be 
reopened according to the procedure laid down in 
paragraph 6 in the Member State or Member States 
or region of a Member State if one of the following 
two situations arises: 
— the conditions set out in paragraph 2 being met, 
exceptional circumstances are ascertained, 
— for two consecutive weeks, the average 
Community market price and the average market 
price recorded on the basis of the Community 
classification scale for adult bovine carcases fall 
short of 84 % and 80 % of the intervention price, 
respectively. 
5. For each quality or quality group eligible for 
buying in, the buying-in prices and the quantities 
accepted by the agencies shall be determined under 
tendering procedures and may be fixed by Member 
State or region of a Member State on the basis of 
recorded average market prices. 
The tender procedures must ensure equality of access 
for all persons interested. They shall be opened on the 
basis of specifications to be determined. 
6. Under the procedure provided for in Article 27: 
— the categories, qualities or quality groups of 
products eligible for intervention shall be 
determined, 
— the opening or reopening of tender procedures 
and their suspension in the case referred to in the 
last indent of paragraph 3 shall be decided, 
— the buying-in prices and the quantities accepted 
for intervention shall be fixed, 
— the procedures implementing this Article and in 
particular those designed to prevent market prices 
spiralling down shall be adopted. 
In the cases referred to in the first and second indents 
of paragraph 3, suspension of tendering procedures 
shall be the responsibility of the Commission.' 
Article 2 
Regulation (EEC) No 1302/73 is hereby repealed. 
Article 3 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day 
following its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Communities. It shall apply from 1 January 
onwards. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States.