Commission Regulation (EC) No 2702/2000 of 11 December 2000 postponing for the year 2000 the decision date of the national authorities for certain operational programmes
Date: 2000-11-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: financial aid, fruit, operational programme, producer organisation, rural development, vegetable

12.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 311/23

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2702/2000

of 11 December 2000

postponing for the year 2000 the decision date of the national authorities for certain operational
programmes

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Approval of operational programmes for implementa-
tion in 2001 can only be made adequately by taking
into account the ceiling of financial assistance on opera-
tional
funds and the contents of rural development
plans. To enable Member States to approve operational
programmes,
in
Articles 5(1) and (4), 6(2) and 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No
411/97 may be postponed.

the time limit of 15 December set

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28
October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in
fruit and vegetables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
1257/1999 (2), and in particular Article 46 thereof,

(6)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
the Management
accordance with the opinion of
Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 411/97 (3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1923/1999 (4),
lays
down detailed rules for operational programmes, opera-
tional funds and Community financial assistance.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Articles 5, 6 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 411/97 set a
time limit of 15 December
for Member States to
approve operational programmes of producer organ-
isations and to notify producer organisations of
the
amount of the operational fund.

The ceiling on the amount of Community financial assis-
tance granted to any individual producer organisation,
set in Article 15(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, has
been amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2699/
2000 (5). Producer organisations have not been able to
take this ceiling into account when submitting opera-
tional programmes for implementation in 2001.

Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 provides a framework
for the elaboration and implementation of rural develop-
ment plans. According to Article 37(3) of Regulation
(EC) No 1257/1999, consistency shall be ensured
between these measures and measures in the common
market organisations. Certain delays have occurred with
respect to the time-frames for submission and approval
of rural development plans set in Article 44(2).

For operational programmes to be implemented in 2001,
Member States may accept requests for amendments from
producer organisations, where the amendments
take into
account:

— the maximum amount of financial assistance set in Article

15(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, and/or

— approved rural development plans according to Regulation

(EC) No 1257/1999.

Article 2

For the approval of new or amended operational programmes
to be implemented in 2001 and for the notification of the
maximum estimated amount of the Community contribution
to the operational
fund, Member States may postpone the
deadline of 15 December 2000, applicable in accordance with
Articles 5(1) and (4), 6(2) and 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No
411/97.

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(3) OJ L 62, 4.3.1997, p. 9.
(4) OJ L 238, 9.9.1999, p. 11.
(5) See page 9 of this Official Journal.

Article 3

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

L 311/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.12.2000

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

Done at Brussels, 11 December 2000.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission