No L 139/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 5. 97 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 956/97 of 29 May 1997 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 with regard to specific measures applicable to processed asparagus THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organization of the markets in processed fruit and vegetable products ('), and in particular Article 10 (4) thereof, Whereas Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 provides for specific measures to promote products of importance at local or regional level which face strong international competition; whereas white asparagus for processing meets these criteria; whereas, in addition, in the case of asparagus for processing, Article 10 (3) provides for the grant of a flat-rate aid per hectare to facil- itate the introduction of specific measures; whereas detailed rules must therefore be laid down for the applica- tion of those provisions; Whereas, in the interests of efficiency, measures should be implemented to improve the competitiveness of the sector by means of programmes to be proposed and implemented by representative associations consisting of producers’ organizations and associations of processors, and the conditions for their representativeness should be defined with reference both to the production region and to Community production; : Whereas, in view of the requirements of the sector, two different rates of Community financing should be fixed, acording to the type of measure to be financed, as well as two ceilings on Community financing, depending on how representative the associations are; whereas, in order to facilitate the calculation of the ceiling by the represent- ative associations, it should be laid down that the ceiling is calculated with reference to the value of production of representative associations during the three-year period 1994 to 1996; Whereas, in the interests of sound management, the information and undertakings to be included in the programmes of specific measures, the measures to be () OJ No L 297, 21. 11. 1996, p. 29. excluded, the time-limit for approval by the Member States and the procedure for any amendment of the programmes should be defined; Whereas provision should be made for a single advance payment subject to the appropriate securities and for six- monthly payments restricted to 85 % of the amount of the financial contribution; whereas it should be specified that the security will be released when the balance of the financial contribution is paid; whereas the activities of the associations should be monitored by means of periodical reports; Whereas, in view of the high degree of responsibility vested in the representative associations, provision should be made for strict control procedures and deterrent penal- ties in the event of infringements; Whereas, in order to ensure that the flat-rate aid per hectare is directed to the areas currently facing strong international competition, that aid should be restricted to areas specializing in the production of white asparagus for processing, planted not later than 1996, having a minimum yield and being covered by a contract with a processor; Whereas, since the aid is granted for three years, provision should be made for the lodging of a single aid applica- tion, to be confirmed for subsequent years by a crop declaration; whereas, in order to comply with the restric- tion of the aid to an area of 9 000 ha, provision should be made for the Commission to be informed of the areas in respect of which aid has been sought, and for a reduction coefficient to be fixed should this maximum area be overrun; Whereas, in the interests of having an efficient flat-rate aid, provision should be made for control procedures which include the processors and involve deterrent penal- ties in the event of infringements; Whereas the Management Committee for Processed Fruit and Vegetables has not delivered an opinion within the time-limit set by its chairman,