Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the pre-accession period
Date: 2002-09-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EU aid, accession to the European Union, aid to agriculture, enlargement of the Union, natural disaster, rural development

31.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 331 E/195

Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community
support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant
countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the pre-accession period

(2002/C 331 E/37)

COM(2002) 519 final — 2002/0227(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 18 September 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

In mid August 2002 considerable damage was caused inter alia in various candidate countries by floods.
These floods severely affected the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Commission considers that the Community needs to be able to respond appropriately to such
exceptional natural disasters whenever they occur in candidate countries through various instruments
including the pre-accession SAPARD instrument set up under Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999.

The scope of the SAPARD instrument does not however have any specific provisions relating to actions
taken in the wake of natural disasters. However Article 1.2(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 includes
as an objective ‘solving priority and specific problems for the sustainable adaptation of the agricultural
sector and rural areas in the applicant countries’. The Commission considers that actions to help restore
rural areas following exceptional natural disasters can be considered as falling within the scope of SAPARD
and that consequently specific provisions should be made for such action within Regulation (EC)
No 1268/1999. In the view of the Commission the appropriate action is to increase the ceiling on
public aid from 50 % to 75 %, and the Community contribution from 75 % to 85 % of public aid, for
relevant projects in areas affected by exceptional natural disasters. This is the purpose of the present
proposal.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 308 thereof,

occur in candidate countries using various instruments
set up under
including the pre-accession instrument
Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 (1), one of
its
objectives being to solve priority and specific problems
for the sustainable adaptation of the agricultural sector
and rural areas in these countries,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

(2) No special provision is included in the Regulation for
actions to help restore rural areas following exceptional
natural disasters,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Whereas:

(1) In mid August 2002 considerable damage was caused inter
alia in various candidate countries by floods in their rural
areas. The Community needs to be able to respond appro-
priately to such exceptional natural disasters whenever they

inter

events place

is needed. These

(3) Appropriate action by the Community in the wake of such
disasters
alia a
considerable economic burden on the affected parties
both in the public and private sectors and coincide with
those to prepare for accession. Under a co-financing policy
instrument such as that set up under Regulation (EC)
No 1268/1999 appropriate
relevant
projects in the countries concerned should include an
increase both in the rate of Community assistance and in
the normal ceilings on aid intensities. Regulation (EC) No
1268/1999 should be modified accordingly,

action for

the

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 2500/2001 (OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 1).

C 331 E/196

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

31.12.2002

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

2.

For revenue generating investments

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 is hereby amended as follows:

Article 8 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 8

Rate of Community contribution

The Community contribution may amount to up to

1.
75 % of the total eligible public expenditure except:

(a)

determines

for relevant projects under any measure where the
Commission
natural
disasters have occurred the Community contribution
may amount to up to 85 % of the total eligible public
expenditure;

exceptional

that

(a) except those referred to in paragraph 1(a), public aid
may amount to up to 50 % of the total eligible cost of
which the Community contribution may amount to up
to 75 %;

(b) referred to in paragraph 1(a) public aid may amount to
up to 75 % of
the total eligible cost of which the
Community contribution may amount to up to 85 %
of the public aid.

In any case the Community contribution shall comply with
the ceilings on rates of aid and cumulation laid down for
State aid.

The financial support and the payments shall be

3.
expressed in euro.’

Article 2

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

(b) for measures referred to in the last indent of Article 2
and Article 7(4),
the Community contribution to
financing may amount to up to 100 % of the total
eligible cost.

It shall apply from [1 July 2002].

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