Commission Regulation (EC) No 824/2003 of 13 May 2003 laying down detailed rules of application for Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 (as regards private storage aid for certain cheeses in the 2003/2004 marketing year)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 824/2003
of 13 May 2003
laying down detailed rules of application for Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 (as regards private storage aid for certain cheeses in the 2003/2004 marketing year)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products(1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 509/2002(2), and in particular Article 10 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Under Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 private storage aid may be granted for long-keeping cheeses and for cheeses made from sheep's or goat's milk that require at least six months' maturing, if the price trend and stock situation for them indicate a serious imbalance of the market that can be eliminated or reduced by seasonal storage.
(2) The difficulties arising from the seasonal nature of the production of certain long-keeping cheeses and of Pecorino Romano, Kefalo-Tyri and Kasseri are aggravated by a seasonality of consumption that is the inverse of that of production. The unconsolidated production system for such cheeses further aggravates these difficulties. Provision should therefore be made for recourse to seasonal storage of a quantity corresponding to the difference between summer and winter production.
(3) The types of cheese eligible for aid and the maximum quantities on which it may be granted should be laid down, and also the duration of the contracts, which should reflect the real requirements of the market and the keeping qualities of the cheeses.
(4) It is necessary to specify the terms of the storage contract and the essential steps to enable the cheese covered by a contract to be identified and subjected to checks. The aid must be fixed with reference to storage costs and the balance to be maintained between cheese for which aid is granted and other cheese sold on the market.
(5) Detailed rules should also be set on documentation, accounting and the frequency and nature of checks. Member States should be allowed to charge all or part of the check costs to the contractor.
(6) The Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products has not issued an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,