Council Regulation (EC) No 660/1999 of 22 March 1999 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 and fixing the premiums and guarantee thresholds for leaf tobacco by variety group and Member State for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 harvests
L 83/10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 27. 3. 1999 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 660/1999 of 22 March 1999 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 and fixing the premiums and guarantee thresholds for leaf tobacco by variety group and Member State for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 harvests THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco (1), and in particular Articles 4(1), 8 and 9(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (2), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (4), Whereas a supplementary amount is granted for flue- cured, light air-cured and dark air-cured tobaccos grown in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany; whereas the Council decided to raise that amount from 50 % to 65 % of the difference on the basis of the 1992 harvest; whereas this increase is to be calculated on the basis of the differ- ence between the premium granted for those tobaccos for the 1998 harvest and the premium applicable to the 1992 harvest; whereas Article 3(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 is not consistent with this; whereas Article 3(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 should therefore be amended; Whereas the level of premiums should be fixed having regard to the objectives of the common agricultural policy and in particular to ensure a fair standard of living for the farming community; whereas the premium amounts should reflect past and foreseeable market outlets for the various tobaccos under normal conditions of competition; whereas the level of the premiums should be fixed for three consecutive harvests and be linked to the guarantee thresholds established for the three harvests in 1999, 2000 and 2001 in order to ensure that the stability of the sector is maintained; Whereas the second paragraph of Article 8 and Article 9(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 provide for the allocation among producer Member States of guarantee thresholds for each variety group for three harvests as from the 1999 harvest; in particular, Whereas the level of those thresholds for the three harvests in 1999, 2000 and 2001 should be fixed having to market conditions and socio- regard, economic and agricultural conditions obtaining in the production zones concerned; whereas such fixing should be done in good time to allow producers to plan their production for the said harvests; Whereas, as a result of the increase in supplementary amounts for flue-cured, light air-cured and dark air-cured tobaccos and these Member Germany, States should be reduced in order to ensure the main- tenance of budget neutrality; grown in Austria, Belgium, France the guarantee thresholds of Whereas, while maintaining production potential and the allocation of quotas by Member States, quotas for varieties which have assured outlets and attract high market prices should be increased progressively to the detriment of quotas for varieties which are difficult to sell and attract low market prices; Whereas the measures in question should be introduced as soon as possible, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Article 3(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 shall be replaced by the following: ‘2. A supplementary amount shall, however, be granted on flue-cured, light air-cured and dark air- cured tobaccos grown in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany. That amount shall be equal to 65 % of the difference between the premium applicable to the 1998 harvest and the premium applicable to the 1992 harvest for those tobaccos. ' Article 2 (1) OJ L 215, 30. 7. 1992, p. 70. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1636/98 (OJ L 210, 20. 7. 1998, p. 23). (2) OJ C 361, 24. 11. 1998, p. 16. (3) Opinion delivered on 11 March 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (4) Opinion delivered on 5 February 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). For the 1999, 2000 and 2001 harvests, the premium amounts for each of the groups of raw tobacco and the supplementary amounts specified in Article 3 of Regula- tion (EEC) No 2075/92 shall be as shown in Annex I to this Regulation. 27. 3. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 83/11 Article 3 For the 1999, 2000 and 2001 harvests, the guarantee thresholds referred to in Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 by variety group and by Member State shall be as set out in Annex II to this Regulation. This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Article 4 This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 22 March 1999. For the Council The President G. VERHEUGEN L 83/12 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 27. 3. 1999 ANNEX I PREMIUMS FOR LEAF TOBACCO FOR THE 1999, 2000 AND 2001 HARVESTS I Flue-cured II Light air-cured III Dark air-cured IV Fire-cured V Sun-cured VI Basmas VII Katerini VIII Kaba Koulak EUR/kg 2,98062 2,38423 2,38423 2,62199 2,38423 4,12957 3,50395 2,50377 SUPPLEMENTARY AMOUNTS Varieties Badischer Geudertheimer, Pereg, Korso Badischer Burley E and its hybrids Virgin D and its hybrids, Virginia and its hybrids EUR/kg 0,5509 0,8822 0,5039 Paraguay and its hybrids, Dragon vert and its hybrids, Philippin, Petit Grammont (Flobecq), Semois, Appelterre 0,4112 27. 3. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 83/13 ANNEX II GUARANTEE THRESHOLDS FOR 1999 I Flue-cured II Light air-cured III Dark air-cured IV Fire-cured V Sun-cured Other VI Basmas VII Katerini VIII Kaba Koulak Total 48 125 46 655 18 056 7 173 12 000 500 132 509 30 700 12 400 14 800 26 100 22 250 20 407 126 657 Italy Greece Spain Portugal France Italy Greece Spain Portugal France 29 000 2 470 10 800 30 5 500 1 200 9 500 8 300 8 548 Germany 3 000 4 125 4 500 Belgium Austria 191 1 662 30 446 100 125 855 75 787 43 666 7 203 26 800 26 100 22 750 20 407 348 568 GUARANTEE THRESHOLDS FOR 2000 I Flue-cured II Light air-cured III Dark air-cured IV Fire-cured V Sun-cured Other VI Basmas VII Katerini VIII Kaba Koulak Total 48 500 47 000 17 900 6 965 10 100 1 500 131 965 31 200 12 400 12 640 26 330 22 750 20 788 126 108 29 000 2 470 10 800 30 5 500 1 200 9 500 8 300 8 548 Germany 3 000 4 125 4 500 Belgium Austria 191 1 662 30 446 100 126 730 76 132 43 510 6 995 22 740 26 330 24 250 20 788 347 475 42 300 6 700 26 348 11 625 1 853 576 42 300 6 700 26 348 11 625 1 853 576 L 83/14 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 27. 3. 1999 GUARANTEE THRESHOLDS FOR 2001 I Flue-cured II Light air-cured III Dark air-cured IV Fire-cured V Sun-cured Other VI Basmas VII Katerini VIII Kaba Koulak Total 48 500 47 000 17 900 6 965 10 100 1 500 131 965 31 900 12 400 11 000 26 330 23 270 20 788 125 688 Italy Greece Spain Portugal France 29 000 2 470 10 800 30 5 500 1 200 9 500 8 300 8 548 Germany 3 000 4 125 4 500 Belgium Austria 191 446 1 662 100 30 42 300 6 700 26 348 11 625 1 853 576 127 430 76 132 43 510 6 995 21 100 26 330 24 770 20 788 347 055