L 52/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.2.98 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 421/98 of 20 February 1998 fixing the advance on the aid for lemons for the 1997/98 marketing year THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2202/96 of 28 October 1996 introducing a Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits (*), and in particular Article 6 thereof, Whereas Article 14(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1169/97 of 26 June 1997 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2202/ 96 introducing a Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits (%) specifies that producer organisa- tions may submit applications, by product and delivery period, for advances on the aid in respect of oranges, mandarins, clementines, satsumas and lemons delivered for processing under contracts; whereas paragraph 2 of that Article specifies that the advance is to be equal to 70 % of the aid set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2202/96; whereas paragraph 5 of that Article states that where there is a risk of an overrun in the processing thresholds fixed in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 2202/ 96, that percentage may be reduced; Whereas, pursuant to Article 22(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1169/97, the Member States have notified the Commis- sion of the quantities, broken down by delivery period, of lemons covered by contracts for the 1997/98 marketing year; whereas, in the light of those data and of processed quantities on which aid was paid during the 1995/96 and 1996/97 marketing years, there is a risk of an overrun in the processing thresholds for those products; whereas the advance on the aid for the 1997/98 marketing year should accordingly be reduced; Whereas, in accordance with Article 23(2)(c) of the above- mentioned Regulation, the advance on the aid for lemons may not be paid before 1 March 1998; whereas this Regu- lation should apply from that date; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 For the 1997/98 marketing year, the advance on the aid for lemons provided for in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1169/97 shall amount to 43 % of the aid fixed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2202/96. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall apply from 1 March 1998. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 20 February 1998. () OJ L 297, 21. 11. 1996, p. 49. () OJ L 169, 27. 6. 1997, p. 15. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission