9. 12. 97 Official Journal of the European Communities L 337/3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2430/97 of 8 December 1997 adopting for the 1998/99 production cycle the measures to improve the quality of olive oil production 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 organization of the market in oils and fats (), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/96 (3, and in par- ticular Article 5 (5) thereof, Whereas, pursuant to Article 5 (4) of Regulation No 136/ 66/EEC, a percentage of the production aid earmarked for olive oil producers may be allocated to financing action to improve the quality of olive oil production at regional level; whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regula- tion (EC) No 1583/96 (%), 1,4 % of the production aid earmarked for olive oil producers in the relevant Member States has been allocated to financing action to improve the quality of olive oil in those countries; Whereas rules for the execution and monitoring of the operations in question should be laid down; whereas the tasks that may be assigned to producers’ organizations should also be defined; Whereas the measures laid down for 1997 should be maintained so as to provide for a wide selection on the basis of the requirements and opportunities existing in each Member State; Whereas, with a view to aligning them more closely with the entire sector’s actual production cycle, the quality improvement measures should be carried out over a consecutve period of 12 months, starting on 1 June; Whereas account must, however, be taken of the producer Member States’ plans relating to certain actions in March, April and May 1998, provision should be made to allow the actions to be carried out between 1 March 1998 and 30 April 1999; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Qils and Fats, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. This Regulation specifies the action to be taken during the period 1 January 1998 to 30 April 1999 to improve the quality of olive oil production. () OJ 172, 30. 9. 1966, p. 3025/66. () OJ L 206, 16. 8. 1996, p. 11. () OF L 206, 16. 8. 1996, p. 14. 2. Action shall be taken in the following areas: (a) control of the olive fly (Dacus oleae) and, where appropriate, other harmful organisms; (b) improvement of the treatment of olive trees, of the cropping, storage and processing of olives and of the storage of the oils produced; (c) technical assistance during the year to olive growers and to mills with a view to improving the quality, production and processing of olives into oil; (d) the installation or the management of tasting rooms to assess the organoleptic characteristics of the virgin olive oils; e) the installation or the management at regional or Inst g 81 provincial level of laboratories to analyse the physical and chemical properties of olive oils; (f) collaboration with bodies specializing in research - programmes to improve the quality of olive oil. Article 2 Expenditure on action as defined in this Regulation shall be financed in particular by resources arising from the deduction made from the production aid pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1583/96. The distribution of resources for the financing of that action shall be based on the amount withheld in each Member State concerned. Article 3 On the basis of the resources available, each producer Member State shall draw up a programme covering part or all of the field of action indicated in Article 1. Article 4 In the case of action referred to in Article 1 (2) (a), the programme shall comprise: (a) a list of the olive oil production zones in which action against the olive fly is to be considered a matter of priority in view in particular of the likely impact of the programme on the quality of the oil produced and of the production volume concerned by the action;