Commission Regulation (EC) No 2730/1999 of 21 December 1999 introducing a transitional arrangement for the application of the special premium scheme for male bovine animals provided for in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2730/1999
of 21 December 1999
introducing a transitional arrangement for the application of the special premium scheme for male bovine animals provided for in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal(1), and in particular Article 50 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) some passports within the meaning of Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 of 21 April 1997 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products(2), accompanying steers, explicitly include a reference to the effect that eligibility expires during January 2000;
(2) in view of this reference, farmers in possession of steers with such passports may consider that they are entitled to the first instalment of the special premium for these animals, even though the amendment to the age limits introduced by Article 4(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 means that the animals are no longer eligible from 1 January 2000 onwards;
(3) to protect these farmers' legitimate expectations, Member States should accordingly be allowed to take account of these dates in the case of steers whose eligibility would normally end on 31 December 1999 under Article 2(2)(b) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2342/1999 of 28 October 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal as regards premium schemes(3);
(4) to discourage farmers from delaying the lodgement of their special premium applications and to ensure that they do not gain any undue benefit, the aid rate of be applied to the animals in question must be that for 1999;
(5) the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal,