(1)

The definition of eligible hectare within the framework of the single payment scheme established in Article 44 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 was amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2006 (2) so that any area under olive trees is now eligible.

(2)

Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2012/2006 makes optional the use of the geographical information system for olive cultivation for the Member States not applying the aid for olive groves provided for in Chapter 10b of Title IV of this Regulation. Following that amendment, it is appropriate to amend Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 (3), concerning the contents of the single application as regards olive parcels and Annex XXIV, points 1 and 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 (4), as regards the definition of eligible olive trees and the calculation of the number of eligible hectares for the use of payment entitlements.

(3)

Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 lays down the rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, concerning the conditions for the verification of the tetrahydrocannabinol content in hemp growth. From 2007 onwards, production of hemp for other uses than fibre will, pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title III of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, be allowed as a land use under the single payment scheme. As a consequence, Article 33 and Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 should be adapted accordingly.

(4)

In accordance with Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004, the Member States have notified to the Commission the results of the tests to determine the tetrahydrocannabinol levels in the hemp varieties sown in 2006. Those results should be taken into account when drawing up the list of varieties of hemp eligible for direct payments in the coming marketing years and the list of varieties temporarily authorised for the marketing year 2007/2008. For the verification of the tetrahydrocannabinol content, some of those varieties should be submitted to procedure B provided for in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 796/2004.

(5)

From 2007 onwards the aid for energy crops provided for in Chapter 5 of Title IV of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 will be applicable in the new Member States applying the Single Area Payment Scheme. The rules governing crops group concerning aid for energy crops should also apply to those new Member States.

(6)

Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 was repealed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 263/2006 (5). Article 136 of Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 should therefore be adapted accordingly.

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 270/2007 amended the rules for the potential uses of sugarbeet for the production of the energy products. Consequently, it is appropriate to adopt identical conditions for the cultivation of these plants on land eligible for the benefit of the set aside rights.

(8)

Regulation (EC) No 796/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9)

The amendments introduced by Council Regulations (EC) No 953/2006 (6), (EC) No 2012/2006 and (EC) No 270/2007 are applicable as from 1 January 2007. Accordingly, the corresponding amendments provided for in this Regulation should apply as from the same date.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments,

1.

in Article 12(3), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following:

‘In the Member States which include the geographical information system for olive cultivation in the identification system for the agricultural parcels referred to in Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the graphic material supplied to the farmer as regards olive parcels shall include for each olive parcel the number of eligible olive trees and their positioning in the parcel as well as the olive area expressed in olive GIS-ha in accordance with point 3 of Annex XXIV of Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004.’;

2.

in Articles 33(4) and 33(5), in the first and second subparagraphs, the words ‘grown for fibre’ are deleted;

3.

Annex II is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation.

1.

Article 136 is replaced by the following:

2.

in Article 143(2), point a) is replaced by the following:

3.

Annex XXIV is amended as follows: