Commission Regulation (EC) No 94/98 of 14 January 1998 on olive oil storage contracts for the 1997/98 marketing year

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 94/98 of 14 January 1998 on olive oil storage contracts for the 1997/98 marketing year
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22 September 1966 on the establishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and fats (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/96 (2), and in particular Article 20d(3) and (4) thereof,
Whereas Article 20d(3) of Regulation No 136/66/EEC provides that, when certain conditions are met, a decision may be taken that producer groups and associations recognised pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1360/78 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3669/93 (4), may conclude storage contracts for olive oil; whereas the market prices in certain producer Member States, at the production stage and primarily for the quality of olive oil which is of greatest importance in terms of the prices of most of the olive oils consumed in the Community, have been found to be close to the intervention price; whereas therefore the conditions laid down by Regulation No 136/66/EEC and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 314/88 (5), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3788/89 (6), are met in those Member States; whereas permission to conclude storage contracts should therefore be granted for this marketing year;
Whereas the aim behind private storage contracts is temporary withdrawal of products from a market in imbalance, without change of ownership, so that they can be put on the market again when the situation has returned to normal; whereas it should therefore be specified that storage contracts may be entered into only for olive oil produced during the current marketing year and ceilings for each country should be fixed;
Whereas only recognized groups and associations may be authorised to store oil produced by their members; whereas in order to enable them to refrain from marketing the oil that they hold, aid should be granted;
Whereas the aim behind private storage must be the improved marketing of olive oil; whereas the period during which storage contracts may be concluded should therefore be restricted; whereas, moreover, the offering of oil for intervention on expiry of the storage contract should be discouraged; whereas it is accordingly desirable to reduce the storage aid if the oil is subsequently offered for intervention;
Whereas it is desirable to specify that entitlement to aid for a storage contract is annulled by the acceptance of an export declaration;
Whereas the Management Committee for Oils and Fats has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman,