Council Regulation (EEC) No 1254/89 of 3 May 1989 fixing, for the 1989/90 marketing year, inter alia, certain sugar prices and the standard quality of beet

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 1254/89
of 3 May 1989
fixing, for the 1989/90 marketing year, inter alia, certain sugar prices and the standard quality of beet
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organization of the market in the sugar sector (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1069/89 (2), and in particular Articles 2 (3), 3 (4) and 4 (3) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (3),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (4),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (5),
Whereas, when sugar prices are fixed, account should be taken of the objectives of the common agricultural policy and of the contribution which the Community intends to make to the harmonious development of world trade; whereas the objectives of the common agricultural policy are in particular to ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, to assure the availability of supplies and ensure that they reach consumers at reasonable prices;
Whereas, in order to attain these objectives, the target price for sugar must be fixed at a level which, taking into account in particular the resultant level of the intervention price, ensures a fair remuneration for beet and sugar-cane producers while at the same time respecting consumers' interests, and which is likely to maintain the balance between the prices of the principal agricultural products;
Whereas, as a result of the characteristics of the sugar market, the risks involved in this trade are relatively slight; whereas, consequently, when the intervention price for sugar is being fixed, the difference between the target price and the intervention price may be fixed at a relatively low level;
Whereas the intervention prices to be fixed for the 1989/90 marketing year will be lower than those for the 1988/89 marketing year; whereas, in order to avoid any depreciation in stock which remain free at the end of the latter year and which form part of the quotas of those eligible for reimbursement for storage costs for such stocks under Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 it should be provided that if such stocks are disposed of between 1 July and 30 September 1989, they shall continue to benefit from the price for the 1988/89 marketing year;
Whereas the basic price for beet must take account of the intervention price and of the costs of processing and delivering the beet to factories and be based on an estimated Community yield of 130 kilograms of white sugar per tonne of beet at 16 % sugar content;
Whereas the production of sugar-cane and raw cane-sugar in the French overseas departments always encounters difficulties that are peculiar to the crop, environmental and operating conditions of this sector; whereas these crops represent an essential component of the economy of the French overseas departments; whereas, pursuant to Article 227 (2) of the Treaty, the Council is to take care, within the framework of the procedures provided for by the Treaty, that the economic and social development of the French overseas departments is made possible; whereas, moreover, Italy is carrying out a restructuring of the sugar-beet sector and sugar production by means of restructuring plans under Articles 92 to 94 of the Treaty; whereas, under these circumstances, Italy should be authorized to continue to grant, for the 1989/90 and 1990/91 marketing years, national aid on downward-sliding terms as compared with the overall financial commitment already authorized for aid for the 1988/89
marketing year; whereas it is neverthelses desirable that, for the marketing years concerned and without prejudice to Articles 92 to 94 of the Treaty, the authorization to adjust this aid should be maintained when the aid is linked to restructuring plans; whereas, for the aforesaid reasons, provision should also be made for the extension, pending the decisions to be adopted for sugar under the programme of options specific to the remote and insular nature of the French overseas departments, 'Poseidom', of the system of national aid authorized by Article 46 of Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 applicable to the cane and sugar produced in the French overseas departments,