51996PC0033

Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2686/94 establishing a special system of assistance to traditional ACP suppliers of bananas

(96/C 92/05)

COM(96) 33 final - 96/0028(SYN)

(Submitted by the Commission on 1 February 1996)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 130w thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Treaty,

Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 2686/94 (1) provides for financial assistance in the form of income support;

Whereas this income support should be complementary to transfers under the export earnings stabilization system (Stabex) triggered by the same set of circumstances;

Whereas the statistics necessary to calculate Stabex transfers and income support for the previous year are not available until the second quarter of each year, it is therefore necessary that in order to fulfil all the requirements of the Regulation the date of expiry be extended;

Whereas the Regulation also provides for technical and financial assistance, additional to that provided for in the fourth ACP-EC Convention, for programmes designed to help producers adapt to new market conditions;

Whereas in order to have a reasonable length of time in which to prepare, submit and approve such programmes under the existing budget it is necessary to extend the Regulation's date of expiry;

Whereas in order to meet all the requirements of the Regulation regarding the allocation of assistance and in order to allow the reasonable management and allocation of the budget already assigned for this year it is necessary to extend the Regulation's date of expiry from 28 February 1996 to 31 December 1996,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 11, second indent of Regulation (EC) No 2686/94 should be amended to read: 'It shall apply with effect from 1 July 1993. It shall expire on 31 December 1996`

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall apply with effect from 29 February 1996. It shall expire on 31 December 1996.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

(1) OJ No L 286, 5. 11. 1994, p. 1.