Commission Regulation (EC) No 2134/1999 of 7 October 1999 amending Regulation (EC) No 921/1999 as regards bearing the transport costs of fruit and vegetables withdrawn from the market and distributed to people originating in Kosovo

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2134/1999
of 7 October 1999
amending Regulation (EC) No 921/1999 as regards bearing the transport costs of fruit and vegetables withdrawn from the market and distributed to people originating in Kosovo
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables(1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999(2), and in particular Article 30(7) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 659/97(3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 729/1999(4), lays down detailed rules for applying Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards intervention arrangements in the fruit and vegetables sector and especially the free distribution of products withdrawn from the market as humanitarian aid outside the Community and bearing the transport costs of these products between the point of withdrawal and the point of exit from the Community;
(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 921/1999(5) provides for special measures to distribute fruit and vegetables withdrawn from the market to refugees from Kosovo;
(3) Although many refugees have now returned to Kosovo, they are still in difficulty, as are many other inhabitants of the province, although not refugees. The free distribution to them of products withdrawn from the market should be permitted. In order to maintain their eligibility for the special measures for refugees provided for in Regulation (EC) No 921/1999 and to extend these to the inhabitants of the region, the words "refugees from Kosovo" and "Kosovo refugees" should be replaced by "people originating in Kosovo";
(4) To facilitate aid to these people, the transport costs from the Community exit point to the place of delivery should also be borne, until further notice. This provision should consequently be added to Regulation (EC) No 921/1999;
(5) The Commission should closely monitor the special measures adopted by the Member States in application of Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 659/97;
(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables,