Commission Regulation (EC) No 1244/2004 of 6 July 2004 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards the granting of private storage aid for certain cheeses in the 2004/05 storage period

7.7.2004 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 236/5
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1244/2004
of 6 July 2004
laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards the granting of private storage aid for certain cheeses in the 2004/05 storage period
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products (1), and in particular Article 10 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 private storage aid may be granted for long-keeping cheeses and for cheeses which are manufactured from sheeps’ and/or goats’ milk and require at least six months for maturing, if for those cheeses price developments and the stock situation indicate a serious imbalance of the market which may be eliminated or reduced by seasonal storage.
(2) The seasonal nature of the production of certain long-keeping cheeses and Pecorino Romano, Kefalotyri and Kasseri cheese is aggravated by the fact that the seasonality of consumption is the inverse of the seasonality of production. The fragmented production of such cheeses further aggravates the consequences of that seasonality. Therefore, provision should be made for recourse to seasonal storage in respect of a quantity corresponding to the difference between summer and winter production.
(3) The types of cheeses, including those from the new Member States, eligible for aid and the maximum quantities which may qualify for it should be laid down, as well as the duration of the contracts in relation to the real requirements of the market and the keeping qualities of the cheeses in question. The cheeses eligible for aid in Ireland should also be specified, targeting those which might cause a market imbalance.
(4) The market situation of Pecorino Romano, with surpluses and a marked drop in prices, justifies making a larger quantity of that cheese eligible for aid than in the past.
(5) It is necessary to specify the terms of the storage contract and the essential measures to enable the cheese covered by a contract to be identified and subjected to checks. The amount of aid must be fixed with reference to storage costs and the balance to be maintained between cheeses qualifying for the aid and other cheeses marketed. To that end the amount for the fixed costs should be reduced and the amount for the financial costs should be calculated on the basis of an interest rate of 2 %.
(6) Detailed rules should also be laid down regarding documentation, accounting and the frequency and nature of checks. In this connection, it should be laid down that the Member States may charge the costs of checks fully or in part charged to the contractor.
(7) To ensure monitoring of the implementation of the storage aid scheme, information about the quantities of cheese involved should be transmitted to the Commission on a regular basis.
(8) The Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products has not delivered an opinion within the time-limit set by its chairman,