Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 1098/98 introducing special temporary measures for hops

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

It is proposed that the Council adopt the annexed proposal for a Regulation the purpose of which is to extend for one year application of the special temporary measures for hops introduced in 1998. Those measures are of two types: temporary resting and grubbing-up.

The aim of the measures is to reduce the amount of land under hops in the European Union so as to better balance supply and demand and thus stabilise the market.

Although the area of land has been reduced by 10% (by comparison with 1997), the balance has yet to be achieved and it is therefore necessary to continue to reduce the amount of land for another year.

The evaluation report which the Commission is obliged to present to the Council by 31 December 2003 at the latest will, of course, cover all provisions under the common market organisation, including the special measures.

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EC) No 1098/98 introducing special temporary measures for hops

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 of 26 July 1971 on the common organisation of the market in hops [1], as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1514/2001 [2], and in particular Article 16a thereof,

[1] OJ L 175, 4.8.1971, p. 1.

[2] OJ L 201, 26.7.2001, p. 8.

Whereas:

(1) To rectify a surplus on the market in hops Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/98 of 25 May 1998 [3] introduces special temporary measures under the procedure provided for in Article 16a of Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71. Thus, in the Member States deciding to apply those special measures, producer groups may, up to and including the 2002 harvest, have recourse to temporary resting and/or permanent grubbing-up of land under hops.

[3] OJ L 157, 25.5.1998, p. 7.

(2) Although application of the special resting and grubbing-up measures over the first four years of the five-year programme adopted by the Council has permitted a reduction in land under hops of 10% by comparison with 1997, efforts to balance the market are still required and the measures should be retained for another year.

(3) Articles 2 and 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/98 should therefore be amended,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1098/98 is amended as follows:

1. In Article 2(1):

- in the first subparagraph "2002 harvest" is replaced by "2003 harvest",

- in the second subparagraph "2003 harvest" is replaced by "2004 harvest".

2. In Article 4, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"It shall apply from the 1998 harvest up to and including the 2004 harvest".

Article 2

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

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

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