Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a 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 (COM(2004) 163 final – 2004/0054 (CNS))
Date: 2004-06-02
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: Bulgaria, Romania, accession to the European Union, aid to agriculture, rural development, terms for aid

28.9.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 241/21

3.2
Each Member State will continue to be responsible for
the systems under which the recycling targets are achieved. A
wide range of requirements, processes, incentives and disincen-
tives are in place across the Community and the EESC urges
that work continues by the Commission on establishing best
practice and the promulgation of exemplar case studies.

Brussels, 2 June 2004.

4. Conclusions

The Committee welcomes and fully supports the proposal as an
important driving force in encouraging national legislation to
introduce systems for selective collection in the acceding States.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regu-
lation (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’

(COM(2004) 163 final – 2004/0054 CNS)

(2004/C 241/07)

On 2 April 2004, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 37 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation
amending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agri-
culture and rural development in the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the pre-accession
period’.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing
the Committee's work on this subject, adopted its opinion on 6 May 2004. The rapporteur was
Mr Donnelly.

At its 409th plenary session (meeting of 2 June 2004), the European Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following opinion by 182 votes to 2, with 14 abstentions:

1. Introduction

1.1
The accession negotiations in December 2002 provided
for accession in 2004 of eight of the countries currently bene-
fiting from the provisions of this Regulation.

and Romania to prepare and implement local rural develop-
ment strategies; (ii) an adaptation of the aid intensities to levels
similar to those granted to countries acceding to the Union in
2004 and (iii) further clarification of the limits on aid rates.
The latter modification shall have retrospective effect vis-à-vis
all beneficiary countries.

1.2
The Commission considers the Regulation should be
modified in favour of beneficiary countries not due to join the
European Union in 2004, to take account of experience with
the instrument it set up, whilst respecting its underlying objec-
tives.

2. Gist of Commission Proposal

1.3 Modifications are be made to align certain provisions on
those applicable to new Member States. The proposed modifi-
cations are the following: (i) an inclusion of a new eligible
measure which would enable the rural communities of Bulgaria

2.1
The Community contribution shall not exceed the
ceiling of 75 % of the total eligible public expenditure. The
Commission proposal will not
involve additional spending
from the Community budget as it will be financed from the
allocations already made.

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Official Journal of the European Union

28.9.2004

The Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 (1) as

2.2
regards limits on aid rates will be clarified and amended.

This amendment will ensure that in all cases the ceilings

2.3
laid down in the Europe Agreements are complied with.

The proposal also involves increased EU contribution

2.4
level for certain measures on Article 2.

The aid intensities in hill and mountain regions of
2.5
Bulgaria and Romania will be aligned from 1 January 2004
similar to Less-Favoured Areas of countries acceding to the
Union on 1 May 2004.

3. General comments

3.1
The EESC supports the Commission proposal to imple-
ment local rural development strategies in order to strengthen
rural economies.

3.2
The EESC endorses the increased aid intensities as a
necessary support to agriculture development and to meet stan-
dards of food production and protection of the environment.

4. Specific comments

4.1
The EESC is conscious of the problems that beneficiaries
may have in raising funds in advance of receiving investment
aid.

4.2
The EESC would ask therefore the Commission to find
procedures, which will allow those countries to maximise the
draw-down of funding.

5. Conclusions

The EESC fully supports the Commission proposal

5.1
amending the Regulation.

Brussels, 2 June 2004.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

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

(EC) No 696/2003 (OJ L 99, 17.4.2003, p. 24).