Commission Regulation (EC) No 1780/2003 of 10 October 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 laying down detailed rules for the application of the system of production aid for olive oil for the 1998/99 to 2003/04 marketing years
Date: 2003-10-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: aid system, olive oil, production aid

L 260/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

11.10.2003

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1780/2003

of 10 October 2003

amending Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 laying down detailed rules for the application of the system
of production aid for olive oil for the 1998/99 to 2003/04 marketing years

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 of 20
July 1998 amending Regulation No 136/66/EEC on the estab-
lishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and
fats (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1513/2001 (2),
and in particular Article 2(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 provides for
the creation of a geographical information system (GIS)
to improve knowledge of and checks on the production
of olive oil at the level of the individual producer. Article
2a of Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 provides that, as from
1 November 2003, olive trees and corresponding areas,
the presence of which is not attested by an olive cultiva-
tion GIS established in accordance with Article 2 of that
Regulation, cannot constitute a basis for aid to be paid
to olive producers under the common market organisa-
tion in oils and fats.

Articles 23 to 26 of Commission Regulation (EC) No
2366/98 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
2383/2002 (4), lay down rules for the application of the
olive cultivation GIS and the conditions under which it
may be deemed to have been completed at regional or
national level.

More particularly,
the third subparagraph of Article
26(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 provides for a
procedure under which the Commission is to determine
whether the olive cultivation GIS has been completed on
the basis of a report from the Member State concerned.
Given the fact that the creation of a GIS is to become a

compulsory requirement for obtaining olive oil produc-
tion aid, and in order to simplify administrative proce-
dures to enable the GIS to be used rapidly and effec-
tively, the requirement that that procedure be followed
should be abolished.

However, the Member States' obligation to inform the
Commission of the measures taken to create the olive
cultivation GIS and of its completion should be main-
tained.

Article 26(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 should
therefore be amended.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Oils and Fats,

(4)

(5)

(6)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 26(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 is hereby replaced
by the following:

The Member States shall inform the Commission of
‘3.
national measures taken under Articles 23 to 26 and of
completion of the olive cultivation GIS at Member State
level or, where applicable, regional level.’

Article 2

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

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

Done at Brussels, 10 October 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 210, 28.7.1998, p. 32.
(2) OJ L 201, 26.7.2001, p. 4.
(3) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998, p. 50.
(4) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 122.