Communication from the Commission concerning the incorporation into Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 (Single CMO Regulation) of recent policy reforms in the milk and milk products and the sugar sectors

(2008/C 27/05)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) (1) constitutes an act of simplification of the regulatory environment of the common agricultural policy (CAP). It did not intend to call into question the policy decisions underlying the common organisations of the markets (CMO) as they existed at the time when the Single CMO Regulation was proposed to the Council, i.e. in December 2006.

In parallel to the negotiations on the Single CMO Regulation, the Council introduced certain amendments into the CMOs for milk and milk products and sugar. Those amendments could no more be taken into account in view of their incorporation into the Single CMO Regulation prior to its adoption on 22 October 2007.

The amendments concerning the milk and milk products sectors are contained in Council Regulations (EC) No 1152/2007 of 26 September 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products (2) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1153/2007 of 26 September 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2597/97 laying down additional rules on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products for drinking milk (3).

The respective decisions concerning the sugar sector were made by the adoption of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2007 of 9 October 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (4).

On 20 December 2007, the Commission adopted a proposal to the Council for an amendment of the Single CMO Regulation (5) including, amongst other amendments, the incorporation of the policy decisions contained in Regulations (EC) No 1152/2007 and (EC) No 1260/2007.

It is to be expected that these amendments will be adopted by the Council in the course of the first months of 2008.

(1)  OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 258, 4.10.2007, p. 3.

(3)  OJ L 258, 4.10.2007, p. 6.

(4)  OJ L 283, 27.10.2007, p. 1.

(5)  COM(2007) 854 final.