Commission Regulation (EC) No 141/2004 of 28 January 2004 laying down rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 as regards the transitional rural development measures applicable to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia

Commission Regulation (EC) No 141/2004
of 28 January 2004
laying down rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 as regards the transitional rural development measures applicable to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to the Treaty of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia and in particular paragraph 3 of Article 2 thereof,
Having regard to the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia and in particular the first paragraph of Article 41 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Chapter IXa of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations(1) introduced by the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, defines in general terms the conditions under which temporary additional support is to be granted for transitional rural development measures in the new Member States. Implementing rules should be adopted to supplement those conditions and adapt certain rules foreseen by Commission Regulation (EC) No 445/2002 of 26 February 2002 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)(2).
(2) Those rules must conform to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and must therefore be limited to what is necessary to achieve the objectives pursued.
(3) Conditions of eligibility for certain transitional measures must therefore be specified and the support ceilings for the specific measures applicable to Malta should be fixed.
(4) To facilitate the establishment of rural development plans comprising those measures, and their examination and approval by the Commission, common rules relating to their structure and content must be laid down on the basis of Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 in particular.
(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development,