Commission Regulation (EC) No 1654/2001 of 14 August 2001 amending Regulation (EC) No 649/2001 derogating, with regard to agri-environment measures, from Regulation (EC) No 1750/1999
Date: 2001-08-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural policy, cattle, environmental policy, intensive livestock farming

15.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 220/15

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1654/2001

of 14 August 2001

amending Regulation (EC) No 649/2001 derogating, with regard to agri-environment measures,
from Regulation (EC) No 1750/1999

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

and farmers may accordingly not receive the aid and be
penalised for not complying with their undertaking.

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 of 30
June 1992 on agricultural production methods compatible
with the requirements of the protection of the environment
and the maintenance of the countryside (1), as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2772/95 (2), and in particular
Article 9 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17
May 1999 on support for rural development from the Euro-
pean Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and
amending and repealing certain Regulations (3), and in partic-
ular Article 34 thereof,

(3)

(4)

(5)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 649/2001 (6) provides,
on the one hand, for the application, until 16 April
2001, of a coefficient to correct the number of livestock
units recorded on the holding and, on the other hand,
for withdrawal by the farmers concerned from their
agri-environmental undertakings without imposition of
the penalties that normally apply in such cases. This
withdrawal can take place between 1 April and 15 June
2001.

As the difficult market situation still persists, the period
in which farmers can withdraw from their undertakings
should be extended by four months.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Agri-
cultural Structures and Regional Development,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1750/
1999 of 23 July 1999 laying down detailed rules for the
application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999
on support for rural development from the European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (4),
as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 672/2001 (5),
lays down the conditions with which all agri-environ-
ment undertakings to extensify livestock farming or
otherwise to manage livestock farming must comply.
Under that Article,
livestock density is defined taking
into account all grazing livestock kept on the farm.

Because of the difficult situation on the beef and veal
market resulting from the sharp drop in demand, due in
particular to consumers turning away from beef because
of concerns about the increased number of cases of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more cattle are
remaining on farms. These animals are taken into
account when establishing the holding's stocking density

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The first paragraph of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 649/
2001 is replaced by the following:

‘In the period between the date of entry into force of this
Regulation and 15 October 2001, farmers may withdraw
the agri-environment undertaking given under Regulation
(EEC) No 2078/92 or Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, or
the part of that undertaking concerning the extensification
of cattle farming, without the penalties provided for in such
situations being applied.’

Article 2

(1) OJ L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 85.
(2) OJ L 288, 1.12.1995, p. 35.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(4) OJ L 214, 13.8.1999, p. 31.
(5) OJ L 93, 3.4.2001, p. 28.

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

(6) OJ L 91, 31.3.2001, p. 49.

L 220/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

15.8.2001

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

Done at Brussels, 14 August 2001.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission