30.10.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 284(3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1273/2007 of 29 October 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 of 18 September 2006 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands and amending Regu- lation (EC) No 1782/2003 (), and in particular Article 14 thereof, Whereas: In the light of the experience gained from the application of Commission Regulation (EC) No 19142006 () it appears that some provisions of that Regulation need to be adapted. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 of 9 June 2000 laying down common detailed rules for the appli- cation of the system of import- and export licences and advance fixing certificates for agricultural products () provides for the issuing and use of certificates using computerised systems; references to this possibility should be integrated in Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006. Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 does not clearly indicate that payments are to be made throughout the year. It should, therefore, be amended to include such a statement. Similarly, Article 35 of that Regulation should be amended to make it possible to make payments throughout the year for the measures referred to in that Article. The procedures for amendments to programmes provided for in Article 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 need to be more precise. It is appropriate to specify the rules for the submission of the requests for amendments to the overall programmes and for their approval by the Commission, as well as the timing for their application. Due to budgetary rules, the approved amendments should be implemented as from 1 January of the year following the request for amendment. (1) OJ L 265, 26.9.2006, p. 1. () O] L 365, 21.12.2006, p. 64. (®) OJ L 152, 24.6.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1913/2006 (O] L 365, 21.12.2006, p. 52). Moreover, there should be a distinction between major amendments requiring approval by a Commission Decision and minor amendments that should only be notified to the Commission for information. The time limit of 90 days for the aid to be paid by the competent authorities after the date on which the utilised aid certificate is lodged as provided for in Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 is too long and leads to certain administrative difficulties. It should, therefore, be reduced to 60 days. Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 1914/2006 is amended as follows: 1. Article 4 is amended as follows: (a) Paragraph 1 is amended as follows: (i) in the third subparagraph, the introductory phrase is replaced by the following: ‘The aid shall be paid by the competent authorities not later than 60 days after the date on which the utilised aid certificate is lodged, except in one of the following cases:’; = the following text is added as the fourth subpara- graph: (ii ‘Payments shall be made throughout the year.;