3.1.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L1/1 | (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1/2002 of 28 December 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1259/1999 as regards the simplified scheme for payments to farmers under certain support schemes THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1259/1999 of 17 May 1999 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy ('), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1244/2001 (?), and in particular Article 11(4) thereof, Whereas: 1) ) 0] 0] Article 2a of Regulation (EC) No 1259/1999 provides for a simplified scheme for the payments to be made under certain support schemes. In order to achieve the aim of simplification pursued by that scheme, it is neces- sary to simplify the way in which the aids concerned are granted by derogating from certain provisions of the Regulations referred to in that Article, as well as from the Regulations adopted for their implementation, in particular as regards eligibility conditions, dates of application and payments and control provisions. In the interest of simplification the farmers should receive, upon request, an application form filled in by the national administration. This single application should replace the existing separate applications for the aids concerned, combining area and livestock aids. Acceptance of the application should guarantee payment to the farmer of a fixed amount, without any further application during the entire period of participation. For reasons of clarity, it is appropriate to specify the payments that will be included in the calculation of the amount to be granted under the simplified scheme and the exchange rate applicable to those Member States which have not adopted the euro. Specific rules should be established in order to make the control procedures as simple as possible without increasing the risk of double claims. For this purpose, it is appropriate to provide for a temporary blocking of L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 113. L 173, 27.6.2001, p. 1. 0] 0] 0] the areas or number of premium rights corresponding to the amount to be granted under the simplified scheme, in the sense that the area andfor livestock premium rights in respect of which a simplified aid application has been submitted should be subject to certain condi- tions, and to provide for specific rules for calculating the number of hectares and livestock premium rights in respect of the reference period and the maximum amount to be taken into consideration. The parcels and premium rights corresponding to the amount to be granted under the simplified scheme should be the subject of a declaration that remains valid throughout the period of participation in the simplified scheme. In the case of aid for processing the straw of flax grown for fibre provided for in Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1673/2000 of 27 July 2000 on the common organ- isation of the markets in flax and hemp grown for fibre (%), this declaration should replace the yearly ‘area’ aid application provided for in Article 7(1) of Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 245/2001 of 5 February 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1673/2000 on the common organ- isation of the markets in flax and hemp grown for fibre (*, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1093/ 2001 (%), Although farmers should be required to retain a minimum area or number of premium rights, they should be able to dispose of the area or premium rights not covered by the amount to be granted under the simplified scheme. In duly justified cases, such as expiry of lease, restructuring programmes or public interven- tion, Member States should be able to permit farmers to replace the declared parcels with equivalent ones. In order to ensure budget neutrality, the eligibility condi- tions applicable to the areas which have received aids covered by the simplified scheme should continue to apply to the corresponding areas to be blocked in order to receive the simplified scheme aid. L 193, 29.7.2000, p. 16. 35, 6.2.2001, p. 18. L L 150, 6.6.2001, p. 17.