27. 2. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 49/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 426/86 of 24 February 1986 on the common organization of the market in products processed from fruit and vegetables THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parli- ament (%), Whereas the basic provisions concerning the organization of the market in products processed from fruit and vege- tables have been amended a number of times; whereas, by reason of their number, complexity and dispersal among various Official Journals, these texts are difficult to use, and thus lack the clarity which should be an essential feature of all legislation ; whereas they should therefore be consolidated in a single text, and at the same time certain amendments which experience has shown to be desirable should be made; Whereas the operation and development of the common market in agricultural products must be accompanied by the establishment of a common agricultural policy to include in particular a common organization of agricul- tural markets which may take various forms depending on the product; ‘ ' Whereas the producer prices for certain products processed from fruit and vegetables which are of parti- cular importance in the Mediterranean regions of the Community are considerably higher than in non-member countries ; whereas Community products should therefore be made more competitive by adopting the necessary measures to enable thém to be sold at prices which (*) Opinion delivered on 21 February 1986 (not yet published in the Official Journal). ’ compete with those charged by the major non-member producing countries ; Whereas, to this end, a system of production aid-should be introduced enabling the products in question to be manufactured at a price lower than that which would result from the payment of a remunerative price to produ- cers of the fresh products ; whereas this system should be linked to a system of contracts providing both for regular supplies to the processing industries and a minimum price to be paid by processors to producers ; Whereas, because of the abundant supply of raw materials and the elasticity pf processing capacity, there is a danger that granting aid for the production of processed fruit and vegetables might encourage such production to expand considerably from year to year ; whereas, in order to avoid ‘any difficulties in selling processed products, provision should be made for limiting the grant of aid to part of the production ; Whereas, in view of the link between prices for products intended to be consumed fresh and prices for products intended for processing, provision should be made for minimum producer prices to be determined taking into account the basic prices for fruit ‘and vegetables for consumption as fresh and the need to maintain a suffi- cient balance between the various uses for fresh products ; Whereas provision should be made for a monthly incre- ment of the minimum price for certain products intended for processing which can be stored; ) Whereas the amount of aid is to compensate the diffe- rence between producer prices within the Community and those of non-member countries ; whereas therefore, provision should be made for a calculation which takes account in particular of changes in the minimum price and includes, where necessary, a flat-rate adjustment for other costs ; whereas minimum import prices should be referred to for the purpose of calculating aid for products subject to such prices;