L218/14 Official Journal of the European Union 30.8.2003 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1535/2003 of 29 August 2003 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the aid scheme for products processed from fruit and vegetables 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 organisation of the markets in processed fruit and vegetable products (), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 453/2002 (3, and in particular Article 1(3), Article 3(2), Article 6, Article 6b(3), Article 6¢(7), Article 25, Article 26 and Article 27(1) thereof, Whereas: 1 1 2 4 () O] () O () O] () O Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 introduces aid to producer organisations delivering tomatoes, peaches and pears for the production of the products listed in Annex I to that Regulation and aid for the production of prunes and figs. These products must be obtained from fruit and vegeta- bles harvested in the Community. To simplify and clarify the system, some of the rules of application of the aid scheme should be amended in the light of experience gained. For the sake of clarity, Commission Regulation (EC) No 449/2001 of 2 March 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the aid scheme for products processed from fruit and vegetables (*), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1426/2002 (%), should be repealed and replaced. To ensure that the scheme is applied uniformly, the products listed in Article 6a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 and in Annex I thereto, the marketing years applicable to those products and the delivery periods for the raw materials should be defined. Fruit in sugar syrup is produced in the European Union with a total sugar content of less than 14° Brix. The proportion of sugar in products eligible for aid should be reduced. The definition used should be based on the Codex Alimentarius Committee definition. The scheme must be able to operate with a sufficient number of producer organisations and, for the sake of consistency and by analogy with Council Regulation L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 29. L 72, 14.3.2002, p. 9. L 64, 6.3.2001, p. 16. L 206, 3.8.2002, p. 4. ( ( ( ( 5 6 7! 8 ) O] ) O] ) O] ) O] (EC) No 2202/96 of 28 October 1996 introducing a Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits (), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1933/2001 (°), the term ‘producer groups provi- sionally authorised’ referred to in the first subparagraphs of Article 3(1) and Article 6a(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 must include producer groups which have been granted preliminary recognition under Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables ('), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 47/2003 (%). The production aid scheme is based on contracts between producer organisations recognised or granted preliminary recognition under Regulation (EC) No 2200/ 96 and processors. Producers and producer organisations may also act as processors in certain circumstances. The types of contracts and the particulars to be included therein should be specified for the purposes of applying the aid scheme. In order to improve the way the scheme operates, the competent authorities should be aware of all producer organisations marketing the production of their members, of members of other producer organisations and of individual producers wishing to qualify under the aid scheme. The competent authorities should also be aware of the processors signing contracts with such producer organisations, and such processors should send the authorities the information necessary to ensure that the scheme operates correctly. Processors of tomatoes, peaches and pears must be approved before they may conclude contracts. Contracts must be concluded by a given date in the case of tomatoes, peaches and pears and before the beginning of each marketing year in the case of the other products. To ensure that the scheme is as effective as possible, the parties to such contracts should nevertheless be authorised to increase the quantities originally stipulated therein up to a given limit by means of amendments to the contracts. L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 49. L 262, 2.10.2001, p. 6. L 297,21.11.1996, p. 1. L 7,11.1.2003, p. 64.