Council Regulation (EC) No 696/2003 of 14 April 2003 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: 2003-04-14
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EU aid, accession to the European Union, aid to agriculture, rural development

L 99/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

17.4.2003

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 696/2003

of 14 April 2003

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

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 181A thereof,

Article 1

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

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

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),

Article 8 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 8

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (3),

Rate of Community contribution

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

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 appropriately to such exceptional natural disas-
ters whenever they occur in candidate countries, using
various instruments including the pre-accession instru-
ment set up under Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/
1999 (4), 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.

No special provision is included in that Regulation for
actions to help restore rural areas following exceptional
natural disasters.

Appropriate action by the Community in the wake of
such disasters is needed. These events place inter alia a
considerable economic burden on the affected parties
both in the public and private sectors and coincide with
the preparation for accession. Under a co-financing
policy instrument such as that set up under Regulation
(EC) No 1268/1999, appropriate action for the 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.

The Community contribution may amount to up to
1.
75 % of the total eligible public expenditure except for the
following:

(a) for relevant projects under any measure where the
Commission determines that exceptional natural disas-
ters have occurred, the Community contribution may
amount
the total eligible public
expenditure;

to up to 85 % of

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

2.

For revenue generating investments,

(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.’

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 should therefore be
amended accordingly,

Article 2

(1) OJ C 331E, 31.12.2002, p. 195.
(2) Opinion delivered on 11 March 2003 (not yet published in the Offi-

cial Journal).

(3) OJ C 61, 14.3.2003, p. 194.
(4) 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).

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

It shall apply from 1 July 2002.

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 99/25

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

Done at Luxembourg, 14 April 2003.

For the Council

The President

A. GIANNITSIS