COMMISSION PROPOSAL on the prices for agricultural products VOLUME III Legal instruments - Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 on the common organisation of the market in pigmeat

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [1],

[1] OJ C

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament [2],

[2] OJ C

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee [3],

[3] OJ C

Whereas:

(1) Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 [4], as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3290/94 [5], provides for a basic price to be fixed annually for certain presentations of meat of domestic swine. In accordance with the approach followed for the reform of the common organisation of the markets in connection with Agenda 2000 and in order to enable producers to work out longer-term production plans, the basic price should be fixed without any limit in time, without prejudice to any revisions that may be called for in the future.

[4] OJ L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 1.

[5] OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 105.

(2) The basic price must be set at a level that helps to stabilise market prices without leading to the formation of structural surpluses within the Community.

(3) The basic price must be fixed for a standard quality defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 of 13 November 1984 determining the Community scale for grading pig carcases [6], as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3513/93 [7].

[6] OJ L 301, 20.11.1984, p. 1.

[7] OJ L 320, 22.12.1993, p. 5.

(4) Furthermore, in compliance with the provisions adopted by the Council on the subject of comitology, the corresponding provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 should be amended. Since the measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation are management measures within the meaning of Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [8], they should be adopted by use of the management procedure provided for in Article 4 of that Decision,

[8] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 is amended as follows:

1. Article 4(1) is replaced by the following:

"1. The basic price for meat of domestic swine, in carcases or half-carcases, hereinafter referred to as "slaughtered pigs", of the standard quality shall be EUR 1 509,39/t from 1 July 2000.

The standard quality shall be defined in terms of the weight and lean-meat content of pig carcases, determined in accordance with Article 2(2) and (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 as follows:

- carcases weighing from 60 to less than 120 kg: grade E,

- carcases weighing from 120 to 180 kg: grade R."

2. Article 4(4) is deleted.

3. Article 23 is deleted.

4. Article 24 is replaced by the following:

"Article 24

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee, the Management Committee for Pigmeat, composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, in compliance with Article 7(3) thereof.

3. The period provided for in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be one month."

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

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

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President