25.5.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L137/3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 867/2002 of 24 May 2002 on the opening of a standing invitation to tender for the sale of lampante virgin olive oil held by the Italian intervention agency THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (6)  The monitoring arrangements should accordingly be supplemented by allowing a reference sample to be taken. Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, (7)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 of 20 July 1998 amending Regulation No 136/66/EEC on the estab- lishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and fats ('), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1513/2001 (3, and in particular Article 3(1) thereof, Whereas: (1)  The Spanish, Greek and Italian intervention agencies bought in olive oil before 1 November 1998 under the arrangements for intervention buying-in. The legal basis for those arrangements was repealed with effect from 1 November 1998 by Regulation (EC) No 1638/98. The Italian intervention agency still has certain quantities of lampante virgin olive oil in stock. To ensure a smooth transition from the intervention buying-in arrangements to the current situation in which such arrangements no longer exist and in order to dispose of any quantity still available at the Community intervention centres, author- isation should be given for the sale of olive oil bought in by the Italian intervention agency under the repealed arrangements and still in stock in Italy. 2)  Article 2(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2754/78 of 23 November 1978 on intervention in the olive oil sector (*), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2203/ 90 (4, lays down that the sale of olive oil held by intervention agencies must be by tender. (3)  Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2960/77 of 23 December 1977 on detailed rules for the sale of olive oil held by intervention agencies (°), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3818/85 (%), lays down the condi- tions for the sale by tender of olive oil on the Community market and for export. (4)  Special rules must be laid down to ensure that the operations are properly carried out and monitored. (5)  To that end the Member State concerned must provide for all appropriate additional measures compatible with the provisions in force to ensure that the operations run smoothly and that the Commission is kept informed. 210, 28.7.1998, p. 32. 201, 26.7.2001, p. 4. 331, 28.11.1978, p. 13. 201, 31.7.1990, p. 5. 348, 30.12.1977, p. 46. 368, 31.12.1985, p. 20. accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Qils and Fats, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. The Italian intervention agency, ‘Agenzia per le Eroga- zioni in Agricoltura’, hereinafter referred to as ‘AGEA’, shall open an invitation to tender in accordance with this Regulation and Regulations (EEC) No 2960/77 and (EEC) No 2754/78, for the sale on the Community market of lampante virgin olive oil. The quantity to be sold shall be approximately 697 tonnes. 2. Notwithstanding Article 5(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2960/77, where the quantity of oil in a container exceeds 500 tonnes, the Italian intervention agency shall be authorised to divide that quantity into several lots. Article 2 The invitation to tender shall be published on 7 June 2002. Details of the lots of oil offered for sale and of the place where they are currently stored shall be displayed by AGEA at its central office: Via Palestro, 81 1-00185 Rome. A copy of the invitation to tender shall be sent forthwith to the Commission. Article 3 Tenders must reach AGEA, Via Palestro 81, 1-00185 Rome, not later than 14.00 (local time) on 20 June 2002. Unsold lots shall be offered for sale in a second invitation to tender. In that case, tenders must reach the intervention agency concerned not later than 14.00 (local time) on 5 July 2002. Atrticle 4 1. With regard to lampante virgin olive oil, tenders shall be submitted for an oil of 3° acidity.