1. 3. 95 [EN ] Official Journal of the European Communities No L 45/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) - COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 423/95 of 20 February 1995 amending Regulation (EEC) No- 2997/87 laying down, in respect of hops, the amount of aid to producers for the 1986 harvest and providing for special measures for certain regions of production . THE. COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty estaﬁlishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (%), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parli- ament (%), Whereas, having regard to the imbalance on the market in bitter varieties, Regulation (EEC) No 2997/87 (*) lays down special varietal conversion measures ; Whereas varietal conversion for hops would be more effective if it were accompanied by land consolidation measures ; whereas such land consolidation measures are currently being implemented in the hop-growing regions of Spain ; whereas the entire area under hops scheduled for varietal conversion should be subject to land consoli- dation prior to conversion ; whereas the time required for the land consolidation operation would not allow for the implementation of subsequent varietal conversion for a large part of the area in question within the time limits set by Regulation (EEC) No 2997/87 ; Whereas the Portuguese Republic, the Kingdom of Belgium and the United Kingdom have encountered unforeseeable delays in the implementation of the conversion plans initially approved ; whereas the duration of the conversion programmes for the four said Member States should therefore be extended with effect from 1 January 1995; Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 2997/87 should therefore be amended accordingly, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 The second subparagraph of Article 2 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2997/87 shall be replaced by the following: ‘In the case of the Kingdom of Spain, the Portuguese Republic and the Kingdom of Belgium, the members of the producers’ groups concerned shall undertake to . implement the conversion plans before 31 December 1996. In the case of the United Kingdom, this date shall be 31 December 1995/ Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall apply from 1 January 1995. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 20 February 1995. () OJ No C 377, 31. 12. 1994, p. 17. R () Opinion delivered on 17 February 1995 (not yet published in " the Official Journal). (> OJ No L 284, 7. 10. 1987, p. 19. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3338/92 (O] No L 336, 20. 11. 1992, p- 3) For the Council The President J. PUECH