Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 3730/87 laying down the general rules for the supply of food from intervention stocks to designated organizations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community
Date: 1995-07-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, aid to disadvantaged groups, food aid, intervention stock, meat product, voluntary organisation

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  20.07.1995 
COM(95)  371  final 

95/0198(CNS) 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC) 

amending  Regulation  (EEC) No 3730/87 laying down  the general  rules 
for  the supply  of food  from  intervention  stocks  to designated  organizations 
for distribution  to the most deprived persons  in the Community 

(presented  by the  Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

The  arrangements  for  the  supply  of  food  from  intervention  stocks  to  the  most 
deprived  persons  in  the  Community  are well  established  in  the  Member  States 
since their introduction in late 1987. Reports from  the Member States and various 
charitable organizations involved  in the scheme indicate that it is of considerable 
value to the beneficiaries, with more organizations applying each year to take part. 

The  funds  earmarked  for  the  implementation  of  the  plan  are  rising  steadily.  In 
1988  they  amounted  to  ECU  100 million,  in  1989  to  1993  they  stood  at 
ECU  150 million,  in  1994  at  ECU  175 million  and  currently  they  come  to 
ECU 200 million. 

The arrangements are based on the provision of supplies from  intervention stocks. 
The  present  downward  trend  in  the  level  of  public  stocks  is  threatening  the 
implementation,  in  certain  market  sectors,  of the annual  plan  for  supplies  in the 
coming year  starting  on  1 October  1995. 

In  order  to  ensure  the operation  of the  arrangements  and  the implementation  of 
the  annual  plan,  it  is  proposed  introducing,  as  an  'interim'  measure,  the 
mobilization  on  the  Community  market  of  products  temporarily  unavailable  in 
intervention  agency  stocks. 

2. 

The 'interim'  system  would  involve the purchase on the Community  market  of a 
number of products under certain conditions. The use of intervention stocks would 
remain  the basis for  the arrangements,  and  mobilization  on the market  restricted 
to  a  number  of  products  for  periods  when  those  products  are  unavailable  and 
under  certain  conditions  would  function  as an 'interim'  mechanism. 

This mechanism  would  have to be applied when it was established  that  stocks of 
the products  sought were not available. 
It  is  proposed  providing  for  the  same  possibility  of  mobilization  on  the 
Community  market,  in  the  interests  of  sound  administrative  and  financial 
management,  where  implementation  of  the  annual  plan  is  conditional  on  the 
transfer  between  Member  States  of  small  quantities  of  products  held  in 
intervention. 

The system would  operate only in the case of the supply of products bought in to 
intervention  under the market  regulations. Implementing  conditions will  have to 
be laid  down  in  accordance with  the Management  Committee  procedure. 

A 

Proposal  for 

Council  Regulation  (EC) No  ...795 
of 
amending  Regulation  (EEC) No 3730/87  laying  down  the general  rules 
for  the supply  of food  from  intervention  stocks  to designated  organizations 
for  distribution  to the most deprived  persons  in the  Community 

THE COUNCIL  OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard  to the Treaty  establishing the European  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 the arrangements laid  down by Council Regulation  (EEC) No 3730/871 for  the supply 

of food  to the most deprived  persons  in the Community  are based  on the  availability  of  public 

stocks as a result of buying-in  by intervention  agencies, pursuant to the mechanisms  for  certain 

common market organizations; whereas implementation  of the annual plan for the supply of food 

can  be  made  difficult  by  the  temporary  unavailability  of  certain  basic  products  over  the  year; 

whereas this threat is liable to increase in the light of the measures taken to control markets more 

effectively  and to adapt production  to requirements; whereas it seems appropriate,  as an interim 

measure  in  such  circumstances  and  in  order  not  to  jeopardize  implementation  of  the  supply 

programmes,  to  provide  for  the  possibility  of  mobilizing  the  products  concerned  on  the 

Community  market,  but  on  terms  which  will  not  undermine  the  principle  of  the  supply  of 

products  from  intervention; 

Whereas,  in  order to guarantee  the  satisfactory  administration  of the arrangements,  it would  be 

appropriate  also  to  provide  for  the  possibility  of  mobilizing  the  products  on  the  Community 

market  where  implementation  of  the  annual  supply  plan  would  entail,  given  the  geographical 

location  of the  public  stocks in the  Community,  the transfer  of  small  quantities  of  intervention 

products between  two  or  more Member  States; 

OJ  NoL  352,  15.12.1987,  p.  1. 

2. 

Whereas  provision  should  be  made  for  this  Regulation  to  apply  from  the  start  of  the 

implementation  period  for  the  annual  supply  plan, 

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

Article  1 

The  following  paragraphs  are hereby  added  to  Article  1 of Regulation  (EEC)  No  3730/87: 

"Where  a  product  is  temporarily  unavailable  in  Community 

intervention  stocks  during 

implementation  of the annual  plan referred  to in the preceding paragraph, to the extent  necessary 

to  allow  implementation  of  the  plan  in  one  or  more  Member  States,  the  product  may  be 

mobilized  on  the  Community  market.  Mobilization  on  that  market  may  take  place  also  where 

implementation  of the plan would involve the transfer between Member States of small  quantities 

of  products  in  intervention  in  a Member  State  other than  that  or those  in  which  the  product  is 

required. 

The conditions of  mobilization  on the Community  market shall be laid down in accordance with 

the  procedure  provided  for  in  Article 6." 

Article  2 

This  Regulation  shall  enter  into  force  on  the third  day  following  its  publication  in  the  Official 

Journal  of  the  European  Communities. 

It  shall  apply  from  1 October  1995. 

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

Done  at Brussels, 

For the  Council 

3 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

Date 

BUDGET HEADING:  Bl-350 

APPROPRIAI?ONS: ECU  200 million 

TITLE:Proposal  for  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No ...795 amending Regulation  (EEC)  No 3730/87  laying down the 
general  rules for  the supply  of food  from  intervention stocks to designated  organizations for  distribution  to the most 
deprived persons  in the  Community 

LEGAL  BASIS; Article  43 of the Treaty 

AIMS: 
Where certain basic products are temporarily  unavailable  in intervention  storage, to provide for  the possibility  of 
mobilizing those products on the Community  market 

FINANCIAL  IMPLICATIONS: 

PERIOD  OF  12 
MONTHS 

(ECU  million) 

CURRENT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(95) 
(ECU  million) 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(96) 
(ECU  million) 

5.0. 

EXPENDITURE 
-  CHARGED TO THE  EC BUDGET 

(INTERVENTION) 

- NATIONAL  AUTHORITIES 
-OTHER 

5.1 

REVENUE 
- OWN  RESOURCES  OF THE EC 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS  DUTIES) 

-  NATIONAL 

5.0.1. 
5.1.1, 

ESTIMATED  EXPENDITURE 
ESTIMATED  REVENUE 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

5.2. 

6 0. 

6.1. 

6.2. 

6.3. 

METHOD  OF CALCULATION: 

CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED  FROM APPROPRIATIONS  ENTERED  IN THE  RELEVANT 
CHAPTER  OF THE  CURRENT BUDGET? 

YES^ 

CAN THE  PROJECT  BE FINANCED  BY TRANSFER  BETWEEN  CHAPTERS  OF THE  CURRENT 
BUDGET? 

WILL  A SUPPLEMENTARY  BUDGET  BE NECESSARY? 

WILL  FUTURE  BUDGET  APPROPRIATIONS  BE NECESSARY? 

OBSERVATIONS  The  aim of  the  measure  is to ensure that  the aid  programme for  the  most deprived  persons can  continue 

where  there  is a  shortage  of products  in public  intervention  storage  and that  the budget  appropriations 
allocated  to this operation  are used. 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(95) 371  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

05  03 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-95-405-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-92222-2 

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 

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