Commission Regulation (EC) No 968/2007 of 17 August 2007 as regards the Community contribution to the costs of restructuring and conversion provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for the 2007/08 wine year
Date: 2007-08-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: aid for restructuring, common organisation of markets, redevelopment aid, redirection of production, vineyard, viticulture

L 215/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

18.8.2007

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 968/2007

of 17 August 2007

as regards the Community contribution to the costs of restructuring and conversion provided for in
Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for the 2007/08 wine year

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of
17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market
in wine (1), and in particular Article 80(b) thereof,

Whereas:

(4)

(5)

(1)

(2)

Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 provides
for that in regions classified as Objective 1 in accordance
with Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June
1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural
Funds (2), the Community contribution to the costs of
restructuring and conversion is
limited to 75 % of
those costs.

Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 was repealed by Council
Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (3), which lays down
general provisions on the European Regional Devel-
the European Social Fund and the
opment Fund,
Cohesion Fund, with effect from 1 January 2007.
In
accordance with Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999, regions covered by Objective 1 were the
regions corresponding to level II of the Nomenclature
of Territorial Statistical Units (NUTS) whose per capita
GDP, measured in purchasing power parities has been
less than 75 % of the Community average. In accordance
with Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, such
regions are eligible for funding under the Convergence
objective.

(3)

Some regions which have been covered by Objective 1
are not covered by the Convergence objective. On the

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1198/2006 (OJ L 223, 15.8.2006, p. 1).

(3) OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 1989/2006 (OJ L 411, 30.12.2006, p. 6).

contrary,
covered
obviously not covered by Objective 1.

the territory of Bulgaria and Romania is
but was
by

the Convergence

objective

This causes specific practical problems in case of the
application of restructuring and conversion plans to be
prepared and approved for the wine year 2007/08 since
the present wording of Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC)
No 1493/1999 allows neither the higher funding for
Objective 1 regions, as they no longer exist, nor for
Convergence regions, as they are not targeted by the
said provision. Yet, the objective should evidently be to
provide for a higher aid rate for less developed regions.

applicable

transitional

arrangement

at present,
The
provided for
in Commission Regulation (EC) No
225/2007 (4), offers a solution only for the 2006/07
wine year. Therefore, pending the
the
common organisation of the market in wine, it is appro-
priate to provide for the possibility, for the wine year
2007/08, to grant the higher support rate foreseen in
Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for
Convergence regions.

reform of

(6)

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 shall apply for
the 2007/08 wine year to regions which are classified as
Convergence regions in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
1083/2006, excluding the regions referred to in Article 8(1)
and (2) of that Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following
the European
that of
Union.

its publication in the Official

Journal of

(4) OJ L 64, 2.3.2007, p. 25.

18.8.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 215/5

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

Done at Brussels, 17 August 2007.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission