Council Regulation (EC) No 472/2009 of 25 May 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 as regards the national restructuring programmes for the cotton sector

9.6.2009 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 144/1
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 472/2009
of 25 May 2009
amending Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 as regards the national restructuring programmes for the cotton sector
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 37(2) thereof,
Having regard to the Act of Accession of 1979, and in particular paragraph 6 of Protocol No 4 on cotton (1) annexed thereto,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,
Whereas:
(1) Chapter 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 of 23 June 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and establishing national restructuring programmes for the cotton sector (2) contains provisions on four-year restructuring programmes to be decided at Member State level to finance, inter alia, specific measures to assist the ginning industry.
(2) As a result of recent developments in the economic situation of the cotton sector in the Community, and the consequential need to carry out substantial restructuring operations immediately, and to include all ginning companies concerned, the introduction of an eight-year restructuring programming period is justified. Where a Member State introduces such an eight-year restructuring programme, the transfer to the national ceiling as determined in Annex VIII to Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 of 19 January 2009 establishing common rules for direct support schemes for farmers under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers (3) should follow immediately.
(3) Article 7(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 provides that the beneficiaries of the aid under Chapter IV of Council Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001 of 22 May 2001 on production aid for cotton (4) in the marketing year 2005/2006 are the beneficiaries of the measures referred to in Article 7(1)(a), (b) and (d) of Regulation (EC) No 637/2008. However, since some ginning factories were not operated by their owners in that reference marketing year and those owners were not beneficiaries under Chapter IV of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001, those ginning factories were excluded from participating in the restructuring process. For the national restructuring programmes to be effective all ginning factories that were active in the reference marketing year 2005/2006 and eligible for support under Chapter IV of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001 should be covered by the measures under Article 7(1)(a), (b) and (d) of Regulation (EC) No 637/2008. Therefore, it is appropriate that as regards that marketing year, the owner of the factory should qualify as the beneficiary under the restructuring programme concerned.
(4) Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 should therefore be amended accordingly,