Commission Regulation (EC) No 843/98 of 22 April 1998 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/97 as regards the breakdown between the Member States of areas under apple trees, pear trees, peach trees and nectarine trees for which grubbing-up premiums can be granted

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 843/98 of 22 April 1998 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/97 as regards the breakdown between the Member States of areas under apple trees, pear trees, peach trees and nectarine trees for which grubbing-up premiums can be granted
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/97 of 30 October 1997 on the improvement of the Community production of apples, pears, peaches and nectarines (1), and in particular Article 1(2) thereof,
Whereas Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/97 breaks down between the Member States the area in respect of which grubbing-up premiums as provided for in Article 1(1) of that Regulation can be granted; whereas Article 1(2) of that Regulation stipulates the limit and the procedure applying to amendments to that breakdown;
Whereas, according to information received by the Commission up to 1 April 1998, applications for grubbing-up premiums in certain Member States cover areas smaller than those mentioned in Article 1(2) of the abovementioned Regulation; whereas the total areas still available amount to 630 hectares in the case of apple trees and pear trees and 1 264 hectares in the case of peach trees and nectarine trees; whereas those areas should be allocated to Member States where the areas covered by applications exceed those mentioned in Article 1(2) of the abovementioned Regulation and, as a priority, to those Member States where withdrawals represent the highest percentages of production; whereas, however, transfers should not involve areas of less than about 50 hectares;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables,