Commission Regulation (EC) No 1477/97 of 28 July 1997 on transitional measures concerning the application of quotas of fresh tomatoes intended for processing for the 1996/97 marketing year

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1477/97 of 28 July 1997 on transitional measures concerning the application of quotas of fresh tomatoes intended for processing for the 1996/97 marketing year
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the markets in processed fruit and vegetable products (1), and in particular Article 26 thereof,
Whereas the quantities of fresh tomatoes which qualify for production aid in the 1996/97 marketing year are fixed in Regulation (EEC) No 668/93 on the introduction of a limit to the granting of production aid for processed tomato products (2); whereas, in that marketing year, production exceeded those quantities in certain Member States and in certain groups of products, while remaining lower than those quantities for another group;
Whereas, under the new common organisation of the market adopted by Regulation (EC) No 2201/96, quotas are fixed for those products for the grant of production aid applicable from the 1997/98 harvest, adapting them to the economic development of the market for each product; whereas, as a result, in some cases the quota has been increased in relation to that for the preceding marketing year; whereas it is necessary to take account of this new orientation to facilitate the transition from the old arrangements to the new ones by providing for the transfer, for the 1996/97 marketing year, of the remaining quantities for a given group of products to those groups which exceeded the quotas, within the quota limit laid down for each group and Member State referred to in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 2201/96;
Whereas, in order to qualify for production aid, processing enterprises must provide proof to the satisfaction of the competent authorities in the Member States that a price at least equal to the minimum price has been paid to the producers;
Whereas, pursuant to Commission Regulations (EEC) Nos 1558/91 (3) and 1794/93 (4), the Member States have notified the Commission of the quantities for which aid applications have been made as well as the total quantities of tomatoes processed in the 1996/97 marketing year;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Products Processed from Fruit and Vegetables,