31. 3. 98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 98/21 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 708/98 of 30 March 1998 on the taking over of paddy rice by the intervention agencies and fixing the corrective amounts and the price increases and reductions to be applied THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 of 22 December 1995 on the common organisation of the market in rice ('), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 192/98 (3, and in particular Article 8(b) thereof, Whereas Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 lays down that the intervention price is fixed for paddy rice of a specific standard quality and that, if the quality of the rice offered for intervention differs from that standard quality, the intervention price is adjusted by applying price increases or reductions; Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 3073/95 (}) deter- mines the standard quality of paddy rice for which the intervention price is fixed, tightening up the requirements under the previous arrangements; Whereas to ensure the satisfactory management of inter- vention, a minimum quantity should be fixed for each offer; whereas, however, provision should be made for setting a higher limit so that account can be taken of the trading customs and conditions pertaining on the whole- sale market in some Member States; Whereas paddy rice whose quality does not permit suitable use or storage should not be accepted for inter- vention; whereas in fixing the minimum quality particular consideration should be given to weather conditions in the rice-growing areas of the Community; whereas, in order to allow uniform lots to be taken over; it should be specified that a lot is to be made up of the same rice variety; Whereas, for the application of the price increases and reductions, account should be taken of the basic charac- teristics of the paddy rice, thereby allowing objective assessment of its quality; whereas the moisture content, the yield after processing and grain defects can be assessed by simple and effective methods, thus meeting this requirement; () OJ L 329, 30. 12. 1995, p. 18. () OJ L 20, 27. 1. 1998, p. 16. () OJ L 329, 30. 12. 1995, p. 33. Whereas, to make the intervention scheme as simple and efficient as possible, offers should be submitted to the intervention centre closest to the place where the goods are stored and the provisions on the costs of their trans- port to the store where the intervention agency takes them over should be laid down; Whereas the checks to ensure that the requirements on the weight and quality of the goods offered are complied with should be precisely laid down; whereas a distinction must be made between, on the one hand, acceptance of the goods offered after the quantity and compliance with the minimum quality requirements have been checked and, on the other hand, fixing the price to be paid to the applicant after the necessary tests have been carried out to identify the precise characteristics of each lot based on representative samples; Whereas the specific provisions applying to cases where goods are taken over in the applicant’s stores should be laid down; whereas in such cases reference should be made to the applicant’s stock accounts, subject to addi- tional checks to ensure that the intervention agency’s requirements on taking over are complied with; Whereas this Regulation is to replace Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 1528/96(*); whereas that Regulation should therefore be repealed; Whereas the Management Committee for Cereals has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. During the buying-in period fixed in Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 3072/95, any holder of a lot of at least 20 tonnes of paddy rice harvested in the Community shall be entitled to offer such rice to the intervention agency. A lot shall be made up of rice of the same variety. The Member States may fix a higher minimum quantity. () OJ L 190, 31. 7. 1996, p. 25.