Commission Regulation (EC) No 1983/2002 of 7 November 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 laying down detailed rules for the application of the quota buy-back programme in the raw tobacco sector

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1983/2002
of 7 November 2002
amending Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 laying down detailed rules for the application of the quota buy-back programme in the raw tobacco sector
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco(1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 546/2002(2), and in particular Articles 14 and 14a thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 36 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 of 22 December 1998 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 as regards the premium scheme, production quotas and the specific aid to be granted to producer groups in the raw tobacco sector(3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1501/2002(4), set the amounts to which producers were entitled whose quotas were bought under the quota buy-back programme during the 1999, 2000, 2001 and subsequent harvests.
(2) Since the measure entered into force for the 1999 harvest, only insignificant quantities have been bought back for each group of varieties. Under the current rules for this arrangement it has not been possible to meet the planned objectives of rationalising production, since producers are continuing to have great difficulty in selling their production of certain groups of tobacco varieties, for which they can secure only extremely low prices.
(3) To make the arrangement more attractive, therefore, the buy-back prices should be increased considerably for groups III and V and to a lesser degree for the other groups, starting with the 2002 harvest, and the period during which the buy-back price is paid should be extended.
(4) In addition, the producer Member States should be required to widely publicise the buy-back terms and a time limit should be laid down for the payment of the buy-back price to producers.
(5) Most tobacco growers hold very small production quotas, the economic viability of which is extremely doubtful, especially in the case of types of tobacco sold at very low prices. The programme should be made more attractive for small producers by modulating the buy-back prices according to the size of the production quota, in order to help them switch production.
(6) In order to allow producers interested in selling their quotas for the 2002 harvest sufficient time in which to decide to leave the sector, the final date for announcing their decision should be deferred for the 2002 harvest year.
(7) Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 should therefore be amended.
(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Tobacco,