(1)

Article 7(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 (2) sets up the minimum requirement for the protein content of skimmed milk powder bought into intervention at 35,6 % of the non-fatty dry extract. Following the allowance in the Community of standardisation to 34 % of certain dehydrated preserved milk, it is appropriate for the good management of intervention stocks to provide that the intervention quality is fixed at that level. The intervention price of skimmed milk powder, set up in Article 4(1) of that Regulation, should be amended to take into account the new standard for protein content.

(2)

Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 provides for the buying in of butter by the intervention agencies when market prices of butter over two weeks are less than 92 % of the intervention prices. The operation of such arrangement is administratively cumbersome. In the light of the most recent amendments of the intervention system and with a view to simplifying that system, the trigger arrangement should be abolished.

(3)

Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 provides that aid for private storage of butter can only be granted on butter classified according to national quality grades. The application of different quality grades in Member States leads to different treatment with respect to the aid. In order to provide for equal treatment and simplify the administration for the aid for private storage, the national quality criteria should be replaced by Community criteria used for other market support.

(4)

In accordance with Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999, aid for private storage of cream is to be granted as a market support measure. Equally, pursuant to Article 7(3) of that Regulation aid for private storage of skimmed milk powder may be granted. These two support measures have in practice been inactive for a long time, even when there was a serious imbalance on the markets for milk fat and proteins. They may therefore be considered obsolete and should be abolished.

(5)

Article 13(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 provides for the possibility for military forces to buy butter at reduced prices. However, that provision has not been applied since 1989 and such support scheme is deemed not necessary.

(6)

Article 14(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 sets up the aid level for milk supplied to pupils in educational establishments and provides for the adaptation of the aid level for other eligible products. With a view to simplify the school milk scheme, while responding to today’s health and nutritional tendencies, a flat rate aid should be set for all categories of milk.

(7)

Article 26 of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 provides for the obligatory use of an import licence for all imports of products referred to in Article 1 thereof. Monitoring systems other than the licensing system are now available providing more accurate, updated and transparent information. Where appropriate, such systems should equally be applied for the import of dairy products. The request for an import licence should therefore not be compulsory, whilst the Commission should be empowered to introduce a licensing system when necessary.

(8)

Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 should be amended accordingly,

1.

Article 4(1)(b) shall be replaced by the following:

2.

Article 6 shall be amended as follows:

3.

Article 7 shall be amended as follows:

4.

Article 10(a) shall be replaced by the following:

5.

Article 13(1)(b) shall be deleted.

6.

Article 14(3) shall be replaced by the following:

7.

Article 26 shall be amended as follows: