Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2641/88 of 25 August 1988 laying down detailed rules for the application of the aid scheme for the use of grapes, grape must and concentrated grape must to produce grape juice

COMMISSION  REGULATION (EEC) No 2641/88
of 25 August 1988
laying down detailed rules for the application of the aid scheme for the use of grapes, grape must and concentrated grape must to produce grape juice
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of 16 March 1987 on the common organization of the market in wine (1), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2253/88 (2), and in particular Articles 46 (5), 47 (3), 67 (8) and 81 thereof,
Whereas the first indent of the first subparagraph of Article 46 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 institutes an aid scheme for the use of grape must and concentrated grape must from grapes produced within the Community for the purpose of manufacturing grape juice; whereas Article 46 (2) provides that the aid scheme may also be applied to the use of grapes of Community origin; whereas eligibility for the aid should also be extended to the latter to take account of grape juice manufacturing practices;
Whereas Article 47 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that only producers who have complied with the obligations in Article 35 and, where appropriate, Articles 36 and 39 of that Regulation for a reference period to be determined are eligible for intervention measures; whereas that period should accordingly be fixed;
Whereas the application of the aid scheme calls for an administrative system to monitor both the origin of the product eligible for the aid and the use to which it is to be put;
Whereas the economic aim of the aid scheme is to encourage the use, in the manufacture of grape juice, of raw materials of Community origin rather than imported raw materials; whereas the aid should accordingly be granted to the users of the raw materials, i.e. the processors;
Whereas, to ensure that the aid scheme and the controls operate, properly, provision should be made for the processors concerned to submit a written statement containing the necessary particulars to enable the operations to be monitored;
Whereas for the aid scheme to have a significant quantitative impact on the use of Community raw materials, a minimum quantity should be fixed for each product to which a statement may relate;
Whereas it should be stipulated that the aid is granted only for raw materials with the quality characteristics required for processing into grape juice; whereas it should accordingly be specified in particular that the grapes and grape must to which a statement relates must have a density at 20 Â°C of between 1,055 and 1,100 grams per cubic centimetre;
Whereas Article 46 (4) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that up to the 1989/90 wine year, a part of the aid is to be set aside for the organization of campaigns to promote the consumption of grape juice; whereas, having regard to the need to finance such compaigns, the percentage of the aid should be fixed at a level enabling sufficient funds to be obtained for the effective promotion of the product;
Whereas processing is carried out both by occasional processors and by undertakings working continuously; whereas the detailed rules for the application of the aid scheme must take account of that difference in structures;
Whereas, in order to enable the competent authorities of the Member States to conduct the necessary controls, the obligations of processors regarding the keeping of stock accounts should be specified, without prejudice to Title II of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1153/75 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 418/86 (4);
Whereas, in order to avoid unwarranted expenditure and for control reasons, a maximum ratio, based on normal processing techniques between the raw materials used and the grape juice obtained, should be specified;
Whereas, for commercial reasons, some operators store the grape juice obtained for a long time before putting it up for consumption; whereas, in those circumstances, a system of advances should be instituted with a view to making advances on the payment of the aid to the operators while guaranteeing the competent authorities, by means of a suitable security, against the risk of undue payment; whereas the time limits for the payment of advances should accordingly be specified, together with the detailed rules for the release of the security;
Whereas, to qualify for the aid, the parties concerned must submit an application together with certain supporting documents; whereas, to ensure that the system operates in the same way in all the Member States, provision should be made for time limits for the submission of applications and for payment of the aid to processors;
Whereas the second subparagraph of Article 67 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 prohibits the vinification of grape juice and its addition to wine; whereas, in order to ensure that that provision is complied with, the obligations and special controls devolving on processors and bottlers of grape juice should be specified;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,