Commission Regulation (EC) No 2251/2002 of 17 December 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2759/1999 laying down rules for the application of Council 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 (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-12-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EU aid, accession to the European Union, aid to agriculture, rural development

L 343/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

18.12.2002

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2251/2002

of 17 December 2002

amending Regulation (EC) No 2759/1999 laying down rules for the application of Council Regula-
tion (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

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21
June 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 (1), as
amended by Regulation (EC) No 2500/2001 (2), and in parti-
cular Article 12(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

One of the objectives of Article 1(2)(b) of Regulation
(EC) No 1268/1999 is to solve priority and specific
problems for the sustainable adaptation of the agricul-
tural sector and rural areas in the applicant countries.
Damage caused to agriculture and rural areas, including
woodland, by exceptional natural disasters can constitute
such problems as demonstrated by the flooding which in
August 2002 caused considerable damage in various
applicant countries. The Community needs to be able to
respond appropriately to such exceptional natural disas-
ters using various instruments including the pre-acces-
sion instrument set up under Regulation (EC) No 1268/
1999.

(2) When exceptional natural disasters,

including those
involving fires, adversely affect forests in various appli-
cant countries, it should be possible to support certain
actions in favour of that sector. Moreover, it should also
be possible to take the preventive actions set out under
the sixth indent of Article 30(1) of Council Regulation
(EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for
rural development
from the European Agricultural
Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending
and repealing certain Regulations (3).

(3)

Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2759/
1999 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2251/
2001 (5), makes it possible to grant support for voca-
tional training that contributes to the improvement of
the occupational skill and competence of farmers and
other persons involved in agricultural and forestry activ-
ities and their conversion. In the absence of any other
instrument
pre-accession
supporting vocational
for
such training to any persons for activities that could

financial
training, extending support

community

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87.
(2) OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(4) OJ L 331, 23.12.1999, p. 51.
(5) OJ L 304, 21.11.2001, p. 6.

benefit from pre-accession measures for agriculture and
rural development (Sapard) would contribute more effec-
tively to the achievement of the objectives of Sapard.

(4)

(5)

Regulation (EC) No 2759/1999 should therefore be
amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Agricultural Struc-
tures and Rural Development Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2759/1999 is amended as follows:

1. Article 5 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 5

1.
Support for vocational training may be granted to
contribute to the improvement of the occupational skill and
competence of farmers and other persons involved in agri-
cultural activities and forestry activities and their conversion.
In addition, support may be granted for the vocational
training of other persons potentially engaged in activities
eligible to any other measure in the Programme, except
those referred to in the last indent of Article 2 of Regulation
(EC) No 1268/1999.

Support

for vocational

2.
include
courses of instruction or training which form part of normal
programmes or systems of education at secondary or higher
levels.’

training shall not

2. Article 7(1) is replaced by the following:

‘1.
Support may be granted for the actions provided for
in Articles 29 and 30 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999
and subject to the conditions set out in those articles.

However, support to restore forestry production potential
may only be granted where the Commission determines that
an exceptional natural disaster,
irrespective of cause, has
occurred.’

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.

18.12.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 343/9

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

Done at Brussels, 17 December 2002.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission