Commission Regulation (EC) No 1757/96 of 10 September 1996 adopting exceptional additional support measures for the beef market in the United Kingdom

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1757/96 of 10 September 1996 adopting exceptional additional support measures for the beef market in the United Kingdom
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1588/96 (2) and, in particular, Article 23 thereof,
Whereas Commission Decision 96/239/EC of 27 March 1996 on emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (3), as amended by Decision 96/362/EC (4), prohibits the exportation of live bovine animals, or any part of them from the United Kingdom to other Member States and their export to third countries as a result of the incidence of BSE in the United Kingdom; whereas the United Kingdom has prohibited the introduction of bovine animals of more than 30 months at the time of slaughter into the human food and animal feed chains; whereas these measures lead to noticeable restrictions in the free movement of beef and involve serious disturbances in the market of the United Kingdom; whereas it is therefore necessary to take exceptional additional measures to support this market;
Whereas in the light of the age structure of the beef bought into intervention by the United Kingdom Intervention Board before 27 March 1996 it is appropriate to remove such products completely from the market; whereas the United Kingdom intervention stocks which had been sold before 27 March 1996 and are still available on the market should therefore be re-purchased, under certain conditions as to their treatment, quality and packaging, by the United Kingdom Intervention Board; whereas, moreover, the UK Intervention Board should be authorized to dispose of these repurchased quantities and of the residual United Kingdom intervention beef which was still in public storage on 27 March 1996, by incineration; whereas, in order to ensure a speedy execution of this measure, it is appropriate to fix a deadline for the incineration of the stocks to be disposed of;
Whereas a Community cofinancing system similar to the one provided for by Commission Regulation (EC) No 716/96 of 19 April 1996 adopting exceptional support measures for the beef market in the United Kingdom (5), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1512/96 (6) should be established relating to the costs of such operations; whereas, however, the Community shall not cofinance any expenditure related to the transport, take-over, storage and removal of repurchased stocks, and to the transport, rendering and incineration of the repurchased and residual stocks, nor to any technical and financial costs involved with these operations;
Whereas for budgetary reasons deadlines should be laid down for the repurchasing of ex-intervention beef, the payment of the relevant amounts as well as the operations of incineration;
Whereas, it is necessary to ensure that the stocks concerned are destroyed in a manner which does not pose any threat to human health or the health of other animals; whereas, it is therefore necessary, in particular, to specify the conditions of the controls to be carried out by the United Kingdom authorities;
Whereas provision should be made for Commission experts to check compliance with the conditions as specified;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal,