Commission Regulation (EC) No 867/2002 of 24 May 2002 on the opening of a standing invitation to tender for the sale of lampante virgin olive oil held by the Italian intervention agency

Commission Regulation (EC) No 867/2002
of 24 May 2002
on the opening of a standing invitation to tender for the sale of lampante virgin olive oil held by the Italian intervention agency
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 of 20 July 1998 amending Regulation No 136/66/EEC on the establishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and fats(1), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1513/2001(2), and in particular Article 3(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The Spanish, Greek and Italian intervention agencies bought in olive oil before 1 November 1998 under the arrangements for intervention buying-in. The legal basis for those arrangements was repealed with effect from 1 November 1998 by Regulation (EC) No 1638/98. The Italian intervention agency still has certain quantities of lampante virgin olive oil in stock. To ensure a smooth transition from the intervention buying-in arrangements to the current situation in which such arrangements no longer exist and in order to dispose of any quantity still available at the Community intervention centres, authorisation should be given for the sale of olive oil bought in by the Italian intervention agency under the repealed arrangements and still in stock in Italy.
(2) Article 2(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2754/78 of 23 November 1978 on intervention in the olive oil sector(3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2203/90(4), lays down that the sale of olive oil held by intervention agencies must be by tender.
(3) Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2960/77 of 23 December 1977 on detailed rules for the sale of olive oil held by intervention agencies(5), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3818/85(6), lays down the conditions for the sale by tender of olive oil on the Community market and for export.
(4) Special rules must be laid down to ensure that the operations are properly carried out and monitored.
(5) To that end the Member State concerned must provide for all appropriate additional measures compatible with the provisions in force to ensure that the operations run smoothly and that the Commission is kept informed.
(6) The monitoring arrangements should accordingly be supplemented by allowing a reference sample to be taken.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Oils and Fats,