Commission Regulation (EC) No 1329/2008 of 22 December 2008 adopting emergency support measures for the pigmeat market in form of private storage aid in part of the United Kingdom
Date: 2008-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, pigmeat, private stock, storage premium

L 345/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

23.12.2008

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1329/2008

of 22 December 2008

adopting emergency support measures for the pigmeat market in form of private storage aid in part
of the United Kingdom

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of
22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agri­
cultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agri­
cultural products (‘Single CMO’ Regulation) (1), and in particular
Articles 37, 43(a) and (d), 191, in conjunction with Article 4
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 37 of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provides
that when the average Community market price for pig
carcasses as established by reference to the prices
recorded in each Member State on the representative
markets of the Community and weighted by means of
coefficients reflecting the relative size of the pig herd in
each Member State is, and is likely to remain, at less than
103 % of
the Commission may
decide to grant aid for private storage.

the reference price,

Market prices have fallen below that level and, given
seasonal and cyclical trends, this situation could persist.

the pigmeat market

in Ireland and
The situation of
Northern Ireland is particularly critical
taken into
account the recent findings of elevated levels of dioxins
in pigmeat originating in Ireland. The competent auth­
orities have taken various measures
the
situation.

to address

Contaminated animal feed was delivered to pig farms in
Ireland. The contaminated feed constitutes a very large
portion of the pig diet resulting in high levels of dioxins
in meat from pigs from the affected farms. Given the
difficulties in tracing back the pigmeat
to farms and
given the high levels of dioxin found in the affected
pigmeat, the competent authorities decided to recall, as
a precautionary measure, all pigmeat and pigmeat
products from the market.

The application of those measures is causing very serious
disturbance of the pigmeat market in Northern Ireland.
Given the exceptional circumstances and the practical
difficulties that the pigmeat market in Northern Ireland
is experiencing, it is therefore appropriate to provide for
Community emergency market
support measures by
granting aid for private storage in Northern Ireland, for
a limited period and relating to a limited quantity of
products.

Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provides
that a private storage aid may be granted for pigmeat and
that aid shall be fixed by the Commission in advance or
by means of tendering procedure.

As the situation on the pigmeat market
in Northern
Ireland requires rapid practical action, the most appro­
priate procedure to grant an aid for private storage would
be fixing it in advance.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 826/2008 of 20 August
2008 laying down common rules for the granting of
private storage aid for certain agricultural products (2)
has established common rules for the implementation
of the private storage aid scheme.

Pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008,
an aid fixed in advance is to be granted in accordance
with the detailed rules and conditions provided for in
Chapter III of that Regulation.

ascertained

In view of the particular circumstances, it is necessary to
require that the products to be placed into storage are
derived from pigs that were reared on farms for which it
is
by
contaminated feed. Moreover, it is necessary to provide
that the products concerned originate from pigs raised in
Ireland or Northern Ireland and slaughtered in Northern
Ireland.

these were not

affected

that

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

In order to facilitate the management of the measure, the
pigmeat products are classified according to similarities
with regard to the level of storage cost.

(1) OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1

(2) OJ L 223, 21.8.2008, p. 3.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(12)

In order to facilitate the administrative and control work
relating to the conclusion of contracts, minimum quan­
tities of products each applicant must provide for should
be fixed.

(13) A security should be fixed in order

to ensure the
operators fulfil
their contractual obligations and that
the measure will have its desired effect on the market.

Exports of pigmeat products contribute to restoring the
balance on the market. Therefore, provisions of
Article 28(3) of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008 should
apply when the storage period is
shortened where
products removed from storage are intended for export.
Daily amounts to be applied for the reduction of the
amount of the aid as referred to in that Article should
be fixed.

For the purpose of application of the first subparagraph
of Article 28(3) of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008 and for
is
reason of consistency and clarity for operators,
necessary to express in days the period of 2 months
referred therein.

it

(14)

(15)

(16)

Article 3

Submission of applications

From the date of entry into force of

this Regulation,
1.
the categories of
applications
pigmeat products eligible for aid under Article 1 may be
lodged in Northern Ireland.

for private storage aid for

Applications shall relate to a storage period of 90, 120,

2.
150 or 180 days.

Applications shall be lodged for only one of the categories
3.
of products listed in the Annex, indicating the relevant CN code
within that category.

The

4.
necessary to ensure compliance with Article 1(1).

competent

authorities

shall

take

all measures

Article 4

Minimum quantities

The minimum quantities per application shall be:

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural
Markets,

(a) 10 tonnes for boned products;

(b) 15 tonnes for other products.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Scope

Aid for private storage shall be granted in respect of

1.
pigmeat products fulfilling the following conditions:

(a)

they come from pigs which were raised in Ireland or
Northern Ireland for at least the last two months before
slaughtering in Northern Ireland;

(b) they are of sound, fair and marketable quality and come
from pigs reared on farms for which it is established that
they have not used feed contaminated by elevated levels of
dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

The list of categories of products eligible for aid and the

2.
relevant amounts are set out in the Annex.

Article 2

Applicable rules

Regulation (EC) No 826/2008 shall apply save as otherwise
provided for in this Regulation.

Article 5

Securities

The applications shall be accompanied by a security equal to
20 % of the amounts of the aid fixed in columns 3 to 6 of the
Annex.

Article 6

Total quantity

The total quantity for which contracts may be concluded,
in
accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008,
shall not exceed 15 000 tonnes of product weight.

Article 7

Removal from storage of product intended for export

For the purpose of the application of the first subpara­
1.
graph of Article 28(3) of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008 the
expiry of a minimum storage period of 60 days shall be
required.

2.
For the purpose of the application of the third subpara­
graph of Article 28(3) of Regulation (EC) No 826/2008, the
daily amounts are set in column 7 of the Annex to this Regu­
lation.

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Official Journal of the European Union

23.12.2008

Article 8

Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of 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, 22 December 2008.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 345/59

ANNEX

Products in respect of which aid is granted

Amount of aid for a storage period of
(EUR/tonne)

Deduction
(EUR)

90 days

120 days

150 days

180 days

per day

2

3

4

5

6

7

Categories of
products

1

Category 1

ex 0203 11 10 Half-carcases without

the

forefoot,

tail,

278

315

352

389

1,24

kidney, thin skirt and spinal cord (1)

Category 2

ex 0203 12 11 Hams

ex 0203 12 19

Shoulders

ex 0203 19 11

Fore-ends

ex 0203 19 13

Loins, with or without
the neck-end, or
neck-ends separately, loins with or without
the chump (2) (3)

337

379

421

463

1,41

ex 0203 19 55

Category 3

shoulders,

fore-ends,

loins with or
the neck-end, or neck-ends sepa­
the chump,

loins with or without

Legs,
without
rately,
boned (4) (5)

ex 0203 19 15

Bellies, whole or trimmed by rectangular cut

164

197

230

263

1,09

ex 0203 19 55

Bellies, whole or trimmed by rectangular cut,
without rind and ribs

Category 4

ex 0203 19 55

Cuts corresponding to ‘middles’, with or
without rind or fat, boned (6)

255

290

325

360

1,17

(1) The aid may also be granted for half-carcases presented as Wiltshire sides, i.e. without the head, cheek, chap, feet, tail, flare fat, kidney,

tenderloin, blade bone, sternum, vertebral column, pelvic bone and diaphragm.

(2) Loins and neck-ends may be with or without rind but the adherent layer of fat may not exceed 25 mm in depth.
(3) The quantity contracted may cover any combination of the products referred to.
(4) Loins and neck-ends may be with or without rind but the adherent layer of fat may not exceed 25 mm in depth.
(5) The quantity contracted may cover any combination of the products referred to.
(6) Same presentation as for products falling within CN code 0210 19 20.