23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/1

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OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

of 25 November 2008

on a proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 establishing a facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments

(CON/2008/77)

(2008/C 328/01)

Introduction and legal basis

On 12 November 2008, the European Central Bank (ECB) received a request from the EU Council for an opinion on a proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 establishing a facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments (1) (hereinafter the ‘proposed regulation’).

The ECB's competence to deliver an opinion is based on Article 105(4) of the Treaty establishing the European Community as the ECB administers the loans granted under this facility. In accordance with the first sentence of Article 17.5 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Central Bank, the Governing Council has adopted this opinion.

1.   General observations

The regulation currently in force (2), adopted in February 2002, lowered the EUR 16 billion ceiling in the previous regulation to EUR 12 billion (3). The ECB considers that, in the present financial circumstances, non-euro area Member States are more likely to request assistance under the medium-term financial assistance (MTFA) facility than was previously envisaged, and their requests for assistance are likely to involve much higher amounts than was anticipated in 2002. Therefore, the ECB is of the opinion that, in view of international economic and financial developments, the potential demand for assistance might go beyond the current ceiling of EUR 12 billion. It therefore supports an increase in the ceiling to EUR 25 billion so as to enable the Community to react to potential requests for financial assistance.

2.   Specific observations

Procedure for amending the ceiling of the facility

The proposal would introduce a new paragraph 3 in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 which would empower the Commission to revise the ceiling after having received the opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC) as regards both the urgent need to revise the ceiling and the revised ceiling itself. The ECB has serious concerns as to the appropriateness of the proposed procedure. On the one hand it is of the view that urgency does not justify the introduction of this new procedure. In particular, given that it is planned to adopt the proposed regulation within a very short deadline, the Council would clearly also be in a position to raise the ceiling within a very short deadline in the future. On the other hand, the ECB has doubts as to the legality of the delegation of this power to the Commission (4). Therefore, the ECB favours deleting the introduction of this new procedure in the Regulation. Such an approach is also suggested by the European Parliament's resolution on this matter (5) and was envisaged during preparatory work on the proposed regulation by the Council.

3.   Drafting proposals

Where the above advice would lead to changes in the proposed regulation, drafting proposals are set out in the Annex.

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(1)  COM(2008) 717 final/2.

(2)  Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 of 18 February 2002 establishing a facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments (OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 1).

(3)  The facility under Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 replaced the facility under Council Regulation (EEC) No 1969/88 of 24 June 1988 establishing a single facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments (OJ L 178, 8.7.1988, p. 1).

(4)  If the Council were to delegate the power to raise the ceiling to the Commission, it would have to do so in accordance with Article 202 of the Treaty. According to the Court of Justice's case-law, when the Council confers implementing powers on the Commission, it can only impose requirements in respect of the exercise of these powers which are laid down in advance in the ‘Comitology decision’ (Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23)), see the judgement of the Court of 10 December 1970 in Case 25/70 Einfuhr- und Vorratsstelle für Getreide und Futtermittel v Köster [1970] ECR 116. The procedure whereby a Commission decision is taken following consultation of the EFC is not one of the procedures in the Comitology decision. Therefore, the ECB is of the view that if a case were to be brought before the Court of Justice on this matter, it would be very difficult to defend the legality of such a delegation of powers.

(5)  European Parliament legislative resolution of 20 November 2008 on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 establishing a facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments, P6_TA(2008)0560.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/4

---

Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2008/C 328/02)

Date of adoption of the decision	12.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	NN 40/06 (ex N 92/06)
Member State	Poland
Region	—
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	Excise tax refund on gas oil used in agricultural production
Legal basis	Ustawa o zwrocie części podatku akcyzowego zawartego w cenie oleju napędowego wykorzystywanego w produkcji rolnej z dnia 10 marca 2006
Type of measure	Scheme
Objective	Excise tax refund under Directive 2003/96/EC
Form of aid	Tax refund
Budget	Annual budget: PLN 1 058 million
Intensity	—
Duration	2006-2013
Economic sectors	Agriculture
Name and address of the granting authority	Ministerstwo Finansów ul. Świętokrzyska 12 PL-00-916 Warszawa Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi ul. Wspólna 30 PL-00-930 Warszawa
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	27.10.2008
Aid No	N 556/07
Member State	Cyprus
Region	—
Title (and/or name of beneficiary)	Σχέδιο παροχής κινήτρων για επαναδραστηριοποίηση πληγέντων αγροτών και για αποκατάσταση του περιβάλλοντος σε περιοχές που κηρύσσονται ως πληγείσες από πυρκαγιές
Legal basis	Decree
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Granting of aid to repair damage caused by fires
Form of aid	Direct grant
Budget	EUR 1 785 000
Intensity	Up to 100 %
Duration	6 years
Economic sectors	Agriculture
Name and address of the granting authority	Υπουργείο Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος Τμήμα Γεωργίας CY-1439 Λευκωσία
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	11.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 362/08
Member State	Greece
Region	—
Title (and/or name of beneficiary)	«Μέτρα υπέρ των παραγωγών της χώρας που οι γεωργικές τους εκμεταλλεύσεις ζημιώθηκαν από θεομηνίες (πλημμύρες, κατολισθήσεις, σεισμός) και δυσμενείς καιρικές συνθήκες (ανεμοθύελλα, υπερβολική βροχόπτωση, χαλάζι, παγετό, χιονόπτωση, χιονοθύελλα, ξηρασία), κατά τη χρονική περίοδο Ιανουάριος-Δεκέμβριος 2007» [Measures in favour of Greek producers whose agricultural holdings suffered damage from natural disasters (floods, landslides, earthquakes) and adverse weather conditions (wind storms, excessive rainfall, hail, ice, snow, snow storms, drought) from January-December 2007]
Legal basis	Σχέδιο κοινής υπουργικής απόφασης (Draft joint Ministerial Decision)
Type of measure	Scheme
Objective	To offset the effects of adverse weather conditions and natural disasters
Form of aid	Grants
Budget	EUR 70 000 000
Intensity	Up to 80 %
Duration	Until the end of 2011
Economic sectors	Agriculture
Name and address of the granting authority	ΕΛ.Γ.Α. (EL.G.A.) Μεσογείων 45 (Μesoyion 45) GR-11510 Αθήνα (GR-11510 Αthens)
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	11.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 490/08
Member State	Germany
Region	Bayern
Title	Waldbewirtschaftungsregelung
Legal basis	Richtlinie für Zuwendungen zu waldbaulichen Maßnahmen in Rahmen eines forstlichen Förderprogramms (WALDFÖPF 2007)
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Conservation, improvement and maintenance of forests
Form of aid	Grant
Budget	EUR 5 000 000
Intensity	Up to 100 %
Duration	2008-2013
Economic sectors	Forestry
Name and address of the granting authority	Ämter für Landwirtschaft und Forsten des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Landwirtschaft und Forsten Ludwigstr. 2 D-80539 München
Other information	Modification of aid scheme N 546/07

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/7

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Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 328/03)

Date of adoption of the decision	12.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 94/08
Member State	Germany
Region	Freistaat Thüringen
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	Richtlinie über die Gewährung von Zuwendungen aus Mitteln des Europäischen Sozialfonds und/oder des Freistaats Thüringen zur Förderung von Personal in Forschung und Entwicklung
Legal basis	Richtlinie über die Gewährung von Zuwendungen aus Mitteln des Europäischen Sozialfonds und/oder des Freistaats Thüringen zur Förderung von Personal in Forschung und Entwicklung
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Research and development, Regional development, Innovation
Form of aid	Direct grant
Budget	Annual budget: EUR 6,4 million Overall budget: EUR 38 million
Intensity	100 %
Duration	1.1.2009-31.12.2013
Economic sectors	All sectors
Name and address of the granting authority	Thüringer Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Technologie und Arbeit Max-Reger-Str. 4-8 D-99096 Erfurt
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	12.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 201/a/07
Member State	Hungary
Region	—
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	Módszertan a Hitelgarancia Zrt. által kezességvállalás formájában nyújtott állami támogatás támogatástartalmának kiszámításához
Legal basis	—
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Regional development, Small and medium-sized enterprises
Form of aid	Guarantee
Budget	—
Intensity	—
Duration	Until 31.12.2013
Economic sectors	All sectors
Name and address of the granting authority	Hitelgarancia Zrt.
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	13.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 267/08
Member State	Netherlands
Region	Nederlands
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	„Kennis voor Klimaat” (Knowledge for Climate) — State funding measure
Legal basis	Subsidiebeschikking Stichting Kennis voor Klimaat
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Research and development
Form of aid	Direct grant
Budget	Overall budget: EUR 46 million
Intensity	100 %
Duration	Until 31.12.2013
Economic sectors	All sectors
Name and address of the granting authority	Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer (VROM) Postbus 20951 2500 EZ Den Haag Nederland
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	30.10.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 360/08
Member State	Poland
Region	Małopolska
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	Regional ad hoc aid to State Street (Poland) Limited Sp. z o.o.
Legal basis	Projekt Uchwały Rady Ministrów w sprawie ustanowienia programu wieloletniego pod nazwą „Wsparcie finansowe inwestycji realizowanej przez State Street Services (Poland) Limited Sp. z o.o. w Krakowie pod nazwą: Centrum wsparcia Procesów Biznesowych, w latach 2008-2010”; projekt umowy ramowej o udzielanie dotacji celowej pomiędzy Ministrem Gospodarki a State Street Services (Poland) Limited Sp. z o.o.; art. 17 ustawy z dnia 30 czerwca 2005 r. o finansach publicznych (Dz.U. z 2005 r., nr 249 poz. 2104 ze zm.)
Type of measure	Individual aid
Objective	Regional development, Employment
Form of aid	Direct grant
Budget	Overall budget: PLN 2,9 million
Intensity	7,13 %
Duration	Until 31.12.2010
Economic sectors	Service activities
Name and address of the granting authority	Minister Gospodarki Plac Trzech Krzyży 3/5 PL-00-507 Warszawa
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	30.10.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 524/08
Member State	Netherlands
Region	—
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	2008 Dutch State Guarentee Scheme
Legal basis	Rules of 2008 Dutch State Credit Guarantee Scheme
Type of measure	Aid scheme
Objective	Aid to remedy serious disturbances in the economy
Form of aid	Guarantee
Budget	Overall budget: EUR 200 000 million
Intensity	—
Duration	Until 30.6.2009
Economic sectors	Financial intermediation
Name and address of the granting authority	De Nederlandse Staat
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision	12.11.2008
Reference number of the aid	N 528/08
Member State	Netherlands
Region	—
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	ING Groep N.V.
Legal basis	Term Sheet for the participation in the core capital of ING Groep N.V. by the State of the Netherlands
Type of measure	Individual aid
Objective	Aid to remedy serious disturbances in the economy
Form of aid	Other forms of equity intervention
Budget	EUR 10 000 million
Intensity	—
Duration	12.11.2008
Economic sectors	Financial intermediation
Name and address of the granting authority	Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
Other information	—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/11

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.5375 — Electrabel Deutschland/WSW Wuppertaler Stadtwerke/WSW Energie & Wasser)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 328/04)

On 18 December 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

—	from the Europa competition website (http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes,

—	in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32008M5375. EUR-Lex is the on-line access to European law (http://eur-lex.europa.eu).

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/12

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Euro exchange rates (1)

22 December 2008

(2008/C 328/05)

1 euro=

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3970
JPY	Japanese yen	125,66
DKK	Danish krone	7,4527
GBP	Pound sterling	0,94320
SEK	Swedish krona	10,8335
CHF	Swiss franc	1,5367
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,8550
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	26,440
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	266,12
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7053
PLN	Polish zloty	4,0940
RON	Romanian leu	3,9305
SKK	Slovak koruna	30,175
TRY	Turkish lira	2,1215
AUD	Australian dollar	2,0393
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,6763
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,8272
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,4247
SGD	Singapore dollar	2,0257
KRW	South Korean won	1 841,32
ZAR	South African rand	13,5054
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	9,5708
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,2387
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 786,10
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,8651
PHP	Philippine peso	66,100
RUB	Russian rouble	39,6405
THB	Thai baht	48,273
BRL	Brazilian real	3,3077
MXN	Mexican peso	18,3426

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(1)  

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/13

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Commission communication in the framework of the implementation of the Council Directive 90/396/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to appliances burning gaseous fuels

(Text with EEA relevance)

(Publication of titles and references of harmonised standards under the directive)

(2008/C 328/06)

ESO (1)	Reference and title of the harmonised standard (and reference document)	Reference of superseded standard	Date of cessation of presumption of conformity of superseded standard (Note 1)
CEN	EN 26:1997 Gas-fired instantaneous water heaters for sanitary uses production, fitted with atmospheric burners (Including Corrigendum 1998)	—
	EN 26:1997/A1:2000	Note 3	Date Expired (18.7.2001)
	EN 26:1997/A3:2006	Note 3	Date Expired (30.6.2007)
	EN 26:1997/AC:1998
CEN	EN 30-1-1:2008 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 1-1: Safety — General	EN 30-1-1:1998	31.3.2010
CEN	EN 30-1-2:1999 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 1-2: Safety — Appliances having forced-convection ovens and/or grills	—
CEN	EN 30-1-3:2003 + A1:2006 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 1-3: Safety — Appliances having a glass ceramic hotplate	EN 30-1-3:2003	Date Expired (30.6.2007)
CEN	EN 30-1-4:2002 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 1-4: Safety — Appliances having one or more burners with an automatic burner control system	—
	EN 30-1-4:2002/A1:2006	Note 3	Date Expired (30.6.2007)
CEN	EN 30-2-1:1998 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 2-1: Rational use of energy — General	—
	EN 30-2-1:1998/A1:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (10.12.2004)
	EN 30-2-1:1998/A2:2005	Note 3	Date Expired (11.11.2005)
	EN 30-2-1:1998/A1:2003/AC:2004
CEN	EN 30-2-2:1999 Domestic cooking appliances burning gas — Part 2-2: Rational use of energy — Appliances having forced-convection ovens and/or grills	—
CEN	EN 88-1:2007 Pressure regulators and associated safety devices for gas appliances — Part 1: Pressure regulators for inlet pressures up to and including 500 mbar	EN 88:1991	Date Expired (31.5.2008)
CEN	EN 88-2:2007 Pressure regulators and associated safety devices for gas appliances — Part 2: Pressure regulators for inlet pressures above 500 mbar up to and including 5 bar	—
CEN	EN 89:1999 Gas-fired storage water heaters for the production of domestic hot water	—
	EN 89:1999/A1:1999	Note 3	Date Expired (17.10.2000)
	EN 89:1999/A2:2000	Note 3	Date Expired (18.7.2001)
	EN 89:1999/A3:2006	Note 3	Date Expired (30.6.2007)
	EN 89:1999/A4:2006	Note 3	Date Expired (30.6.2007)
CEN	EN 125:1991 Flame supervision devices for gas burning appliances — Thermo-electric flame supervision devices	—
	EN 125:1991/A1:1996	Note 3	Date Expired (17.7.1997)
CEN	EN 126:2004 Multifunctional controls for gas burning appliances	EN 126:1995	Date Expired (10.12.2004)
CEN	EN 161:2007 Automatic shut-off valves for gas burners and gas appliances	EN 161:2001	Date Expired (31.7.2007)
CEN	EN 203-1:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 1: General safety rules	EN 203-1:1992	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-1:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-1: Specific requirements — Open burners and wok burners	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-2:2006 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-2: Specific requirements — Ovens	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-3:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-3: Specific requirements — Boiling pans	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-4:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-4: Specific requirements — Fryers	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-6:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-6: Specific requirements — Hot water heaters for beverage	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-7:2007 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-7: Specific requirements — Salamanders and rotisseries	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-8:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-8: Specific requirements — Brat pans and paëlla cookers	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-9:2005 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-9: Specific requirements — Solid tops, warming plates and griddles	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-10:2007 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-10: Specific requirements — Chargrills	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 203-2-11:2006 Gas heated catering equipment — Part 2-11: Specific requirements — Pasta cookers	EN 203-2:1995	31.12.2008
CEN	EN 257:1992 Mechanical thermostats for gas-burning appliances	—
	EN 257:1992/A1:1996	Note 3	Date Expired (17.7.1997)
CEN	EN 297:1994 Gas-fired central heating boilers — Type B11 and B11BS boilers fitted with atmospheric burners of nominal heat input not exceeding 70 kW	—
	EN 297:1994/A3:1996	Note 3	Date Expired (24.2.1998)
	EN 297:1994/A5:1998	Note 3	Date Expired (31.12.1998)
	EN 297:1994/A2:1996	Note 3	Date Expired (29.10.2002)
	EN 297:1994/A6:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (23.12.2003)
	EN 297:1994/A4:2004	Note 3	Date Expired (11.6.2005)
	EN 297:1994/A2:1996/AC:2006
CEN	EN 298:2003 Automatic gas burner control systems for gas burners and gas burning appliances with or without fans	EN 298:1993	Date Expired (30.9.2006)
CEN	EN 303-3:1998 Heating boilers — Part 3: Gas-fired central heating boilers — Assembly comprising a boiler body and a forced draught burner	—
	EN 303-3:1998/A2:2004	Note 3	Date Expired (11.6.2005)
	EN 303-3:1998/AC:2006
CEN	EN 303-7:2006 Heating boilers — Part 7: Gas-fired central heating boilers equipped with a forced draught burner of nominal heat output not exceeding 1 000 kW	—
CEN	EN 377:1993 Lubricants for applications in appliances and associated controls using combustible gases except those designed for use in industrial processes	—
	EN 377:1993/A1:1996	Note 3	Date Expired (11.6.2005)
CEN	EN 416-1:1999 Single burner gas-fired overhead radiant-tube heaters — Part 1: Safety	—
	EN 416-1:1999/A1:2000	Note 3	Date Expired (18.7.2001)
	EN 416-1:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 416-1:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (31.10.2002)
CEN	EN 416-2:2006 Single burner gas-fired overhead radiant tube heaters for non-domestic use — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 419-1:1999 Non-domestic gas-fired overhead luminous radiant heaters — Part 1: Safety	—
	EN 419-1:1999/A1:2000	Note 3	Date Expired (18.7.2001)
	EN 419-1:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 419-1:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (9.9.2003)
CEN	EN 419-2:2006 Non-domestic gas-fired overhead luminous radiant heaters — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 437:2003 Test gases — Test pressures — Appliance categories	EN 437:1993	Date Expired (23.12.2003)
CEN	EN 449:2002 + A1:2007 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Domestic flueless space heaters (including diffusive catalytic combustion heaters)	EN 449:2002	23.12.2008
CEN	EN 461:1999 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Flueless non-domestic space heaters not exceeding 10 kW	—
	EN 461:1999/A1:2004	Note 3	Date Expired (10.12.2004)
CEN	EN 483:1999 Gas-fired central heating boilers — Type C boilers of nominal heat input not exceeding 70 kW	—
	EN 483:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 483:1999/A2:2001/AC:2006
CEN	EN 484:1997 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Independent hotplates, including those incorporating a grill for outdoor use	—
CEN	EN 497:1997 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Multi-purpose boiling burners for outdoor use	—
CEN	EN 498:1997 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Barbecues for outdoor use	—
CEN	EN 509:1999 Decorative fuel-effect gas appliances	—
	EN 509:1999/A1:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (31.12.2003)
	EN 509:1999/A2:2004	Note 3	Date Expired (30.6.2005)
CEN	EN 521:2006 Specifications for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Portable vapour pressure liquefied petroleum gas appliances	EN 521:1998	Date Expired (31.8.2006)
CEN	EN 525:1997 Non-domestic direct gas-fired forced convection air heaters for space heating not exceeding a net heat input of 300 kW	—
CEN	EN 549:1994 Rubber materials for seals and diaphragms for gas appliances and gas equipment	EN 279:1991 EN 291:1992	Date Expired (31.12.1995)
CEN	EN 613:2000 Independent gas-fired convection heaters	—
	EN 613:2000/A1:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (23.12.2003)
CEN	EN 621:1998 Non-domestic gas-fired forced convection air heaters for space heating not exceeding a net heat input of 300 kW, without a fan to assist transportation of combustion air and/or combustion products	—
	EN 621:1998/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.3.2002)
CEN	EN 624:2000 Specification for dedicated LPG appliances — Room sealed LPG space heating equipment for installation in vehicles and boats	—
CEN	EN 625:1995 Gas-fired central heating boilers — Specific requirements for the domestic hot water operation of combination boilers of nominal heat input not exceeding 70 kW	—
CEN	EN 656:1999 Gas-fired central heating boilers — Type B boilers of nominal heat input exceeding 70 kW but not exceeding 300 kW	—
CEN	EN 676:2003 + A2:2008 Automatic forced draught burners for gaseous fuels	EN 676:2003	30.6.2010
CEN	EN 677:1998 Gas-fired central heating boilers — Specific requirements for condensing boilers with a nominal heat input not exceeding 70 kW	—
CEN	EN 732:1998 Specifications for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Absorption refrigerators	—
CEN	EN 751-1:1996 Sealing materials for metallic threaded joints in contact with 1st, 2nd and 3rd family gases and hot water — Part 1: Anaerobic jointing compounds	—
CEN	EN 751-2:1996 Sealing materials for metallic threaded joints in contact with 1st, 2nd and 3rd family gases and hot water — Part 2: Non-hardening jointing compounds	—
CEN	EN 751-3:1996 Sealing materials for metallic threaded joints in contact with 1st, 2nd and 3rd family gases and hot water — Part 3: Unsintered PTFE tapes	—
	EN 751-3:1996/AC:1997
CEN	EN 777-1:1999 Multi-burner gas-fired overhead radiant tube heater systems for non-domestic use — Part 1: System D, safety	—
	EN 777-1:1999/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.8.2001)
	EN 777-1:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 777-1:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (31.10.2002)
CEN	EN 777-2:1999 Multi-burner gas-fired overhead radiant tube heater systems for non-domestic use — Part 2: System E, safety	—
	EN 777-2:1999/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.8.2001)
	EN 777-2:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 777-2:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (31.10.2002)
CEN	EN 777-3:1999 Multi-burner gas-fired overhead radiant tube heater systems for non-domestic use — Part 3: System F, safety	—
	EN 777-3:1999/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.8.2001)
	EN 777-3:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 777-3:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (31.10.2002)
CEN	EN 777-4:1999 Multi-burner gas-fired overhead radiant tube heater systems for non-domestic use — Part 4: System H, safety	—
	EN 777-4:1999/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.8.2001)
	EN 777-4:1999/A2:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.1.2002)
	EN 777-4:1999/A3:2002	Note 3	Date Expired (31.10.2002)
CEN	EN 778:1998 Domestic gas-fired forced convection air heaters for space heating not exceeding a net heat input of 70 kW, without a fan to assist transportation of combustion air and/or combustion products	—
	EN 778:1998/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.3.2002)
CEN	EN 1020:1997 Non-domestic gas-fired forced convection air heaters for space heating not exceeding a net heat input of 300 kW, incorporating a fan to assist transportation of combustion air and/or combustion products	—
	EN 1020:1997/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.3.2002)
CEN	EN 1106:2001 Manually operated taps for gas burning appliances	—
CEN	EN 1196:1998 Domestic and non-domestic gas-fired air heaters — Supplementary requirements for condensing air heaters	—
CEN	EN 1266:2002 Independent gas-fired convection heaters incorporating a fan to assist transportation of combustion air and/or flue gases	—
	EN 1266:2002/A1:2005	Note 3	Date Expired (28.2.2006)
CEN	EN 1319:1998 Domestic gas-fired forced convection air heaters for space heating, with fan-assisted burners not exceeding a net heat input of 70 kW	—
	EN 1319:1998/A2:1999	Note 3	Date Expired (17.10.2000)
	EN 1319:1998/A1:2001	Note 3	Date Expired (31.3.2002)
CEN	EN 1458-1:1999 Domestic direct gas-fired tumble dryers of types B22D and B23D, of nominal heat input not exceeding 6 kW — Part 1: Safety	—
CEN	EN 1458-2:1999 Domestic direct gas-fired tumble dryers of types B22D and B23D, of nominal heat input not exceeding 6 kW — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 1596:1998 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Mobile and portable non-domestic forced convection direct fired air heaters	—
	EN 1596:1998/A1:2004	Note 3	Date Expired (10.12.2004)
CEN	EN 1643:2000 Valve proving systems for automatic shut-off valves for gas burners and gas appliances	—
CEN	EN 1854:2006 Pressure sensing devices for gas burners and gas burning appliances	EN 1854:1997	Date Expired (4.11.2006)
CEN	EN 12067-1:1998 Gas/air ratio controls for gas burners and gas burning appliances — Part 1: Pneumatic types	—
	EN 12067-1:1998/A1:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (23.12.2003)
CEN	EN 12067-2:2004 Gas/air ratio controls for gas burners and gas burning appliances — Part 2: Electronic types	—
CEN	EN 12078:1998 Zero governors for gas burners and gas burning appliances	—
CEN	EN 12244-1:1998 Direct gas-fired washing machines, of nominal heat input not exceeding 20 kW — Part 1: Safety	—
CEN	EN 12244-2:1998 Direct gas-fired washing machines of nominal heat input not exceeding 20 kW — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 12309-1:1999 Gas-fired absorption and adsorption air-conditioning and/or heat pump appliances with a net heat input not exceeding 70 kW — Part 1: Safety	—
CEN	EN 12309-2:2000 Gas-fired absorption and adsorption air-conditioning and/or heat pump appliances with a net heat input not exceeding 70 kW — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 12669:2000 Direct gas-fired hot air blowers for use in greenhouses and supplementary non-domestic space heating	—
CEN	EN 12752-1:1999 Gas-fired type B tumble dryers of nominal heat input not exceeding 20 kW — Part 1: Safety	—
CEN	EN 12752-2:1999 Gas-fired type B tumble dryers of nominal heat input not exceeding 20 kW — Part 2: Rational use of energy	—
CEN	EN 12864:2001 Low-pressure, non adjustable regulators having a maximum outlet pressure of less than or equal to 200 mbar, with a capacity of less than or equal to 4 kg/h, and their associated safety devices for butane, propane or their mixtures	—
	EN 12864:2001/A1:2003	Note 3	Date Expired (10.12.2004)
	EN 12864:2001/A2:2005	Note 3	Date Expired (28.2.2006)
CEN	EN 13278:2003 Open fronted gas-fired independent space heaters	—
CEN	EN 13611:2007 Safety and control devices for gas burners and gas burning appliances — General requirements	EN 13611:2000	Date Expired (31.5.2008)
CEN	EN 13785:2005 Regulators with a capacity of up to and including 100 kg/h, having a maximum nominal outlet pressure of up to and including 4 bar, other than those covered by EN 12864 and their associated safety devices for butane, propane or their mixtures	—
	EN 13785:2005/AC:2007
CEN	EN 13786:2004 Automatic change-over valves having a maximum outlet pressure of up to and including 4 bar with a capacity of up to and including 100 kg/h, and their associated safety devices for butane, propane or their mixtures	—
CEN	EN 13836:2006 Gas fired central heating boilers — Type B boilers of nominal heat input exceeding 300 kW, but not exceeding 1 000 kW	—
CEN	EN 14438:2006 Gas-fired insets for heating more than one room	—
CEN	EN 14543:2005 + A1:2007 Specification for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances — Parasol patio heaters — Flueless radiant heaters for outdoor or amply ventilated area use	EN 14543:2005	Date Expired (24.5.2008)
CEN	EN 14829:2007 Independent gas-fired flueless space heaters for nominal heat input not exceeding 6 kW	—
CEN	EN 15033:2006 Room sealed storage water heaters for the production of sanitary hot water using LPG for vehicles and boats	—

Note 1

Generally the date of cessation of presumption of conformity will be the date of withdrawal (‘dow’), set by the European Standardisation Organisation, but attention of users of these standards is drawn to the fact that in certain exceptional cases this can be otherwise.

Note 3

In case of amendments, the referenced standard is EN CCCCC:YYYY, its previous amendments, if any, and the new, quoted amendment. The superseded standard (column 3) therefore consists of EN CCCCC:YYYY and its previous amendments, if any, but without the new quoted amendment. On the date stated, the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the directive.

Note:

—

any information concerning the availability of the standards can be obtained either from the European Standardisation Organisations or from the national standardisation bodies of which the list is annexed to the Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) amended by the Directive 98/48/EC (3),

—	publication of the references in the Official Journal of the European Union does not imply that the standards are available in all the Community languages,

—	this list replaces all the previous lists published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Commission ensures the updating of this list.

More information about harmonised standards on the Internet at:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newapproach/standardization/harmstds/

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(1)  ESO: European Standardisation Organisation:

—	CEN: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels, tel. (32-2) 550 08 11; fax (32-2) 550 08 19 (http://www.cen.eu),

—	Cenelec: rue de Stassart 35, B-1050 Brussels, tel. (32-2) 519 68 71; fax (32-2) 519 69 19 (http://www.cenelec.eu),

—	ETSI: 650, route des Lucioles, F-06921 Sophia Antipolis, tel. (33) 492 94 42 00; fax (33) 493 65 47 16 (http://www.etsi.eu).

(2)  OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37.

(3)  OJ L 217, 5.8.1998, p. 18.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/24

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA/35/08

for the implementation of Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window in the academic year 2009-2010

The Community Action programme for the promotion of cooperation between higher education institutions and the exchange of students, researchers and academic staff from EU Member States and Third Countries

(2008/C 328/07)

1.   OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

The Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window aims at mutual enrichment and better understanding between the European Union and Third Countries. It is designed to foster institutional co-operation in the field of higher education between the European Union and Third Countries through a mobility scheme addressing student and academic exchanges for the purpose of studying, teaching, training and research.

Please note that this is the third EM External Cooperation Window (ECW) call for proposals and that EM ECW is integrated as Action II ‘Partnerships’ under the new Erasmus Mundus II programme aiming at promoting institutional co-operation and mobility activities.

2.   ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND COUNTRIES

Applicants must be Universities or European Higher Education Institutions representing a partnership up to 20 partners' institutions.

The partnership composition has to be constituted of European Higher Education Institutions, in possession of an Erasmus Charter before the date of publication of the present call, and Third Country Higher Education Institutions recognised and accredited by the national authorities.

Activities must take place in one of the eligible countries covered by this call. There are three groups of eligible countries/regions:

—	the 27 member States of the European Union,

—	European Candidate countries (Croatia and Turkey) and EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway),

—	the following Third Countries and geographical regions:

Argentina, Brazil, China, Russia, India, Asia region, Central Asian Republics, Latin America region, Middle East region, Southern and Eastern neighbouring area and Western Balkans region.

3.   ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

The EC grants will contribute to financing institutional-based partnerships of European and Third Country higher education institutions to cover the following types of activities:

—	the organisation of individual mobility of higher education students and academic staff, and

—	the implementation of individual mobility. The types of mobility and education to be funded in this call are: — students: undergraduate, master, doctorate and post-doctorate mobility opportunities, — academic staff: exchanging for the purposes of teaching, practical training and research.

The planned duration of a project may not exceed 48 months.

Eligible activities, including preparatory activities, can start on 15 July 2009 provided that contracts have been signed. The actions should all be finished before 15 July 2013.

Except in cases of ‘force majeure’ duly justified and subject to prior authorisation by the Agency, all individual mobility must start at the latest by 1 September 2010.

4.   AWARD CRITERIA

The award criteria allow evaluating the quality of the proposals submitted in relation to the objectives and priorities set so that, grants are awarded to actions which maximise the overall effectiveness of the call for proposals.

Applications will be assessed against the following award criteria and ranked on a scale of 100:

—	operational capacity and expertise of the applicant and partners (weighting: 10 out of 100),

—	relevance of the activities with the objective of the call for proposals (weighting: 25 out of 100),

—	methodology to manage the partnership and implement of the mobility activities (weighting: 50 out of 100),

—	sustainability (weighting: 15 out of 100).

5.   BUDGET AVAILABLE

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 163,500 million for the following geographical countries and regions:

Geographical windows	Cooperation Instrument	Indicative Global Amount	Number of projects expected to be funded
South Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and Russia	ENPI	EUR 29 million	8
Yemen, Iran and Iraq	DCI	EUR 3 million	1
Central Asian Republics	DCI	EUR 5 million	2
Western Balkans	IPA	EUR 8,5 million	2
Asia Region
Asia Regional	DCI	EUR 20 million	4
India	DCI	EUR 19 million	4
China	DCI	EUR 26 million	5
Latin America Region
Brazil	DCI	EUR 9,3 million	3
Argentina	DCI	EUR 2,1 million	1
Latin America Regional	DCI	EUR 41,6 million	13

6.   DEADLINE

The deadline for the submission of proposals is 13 March 2009 at the latest. Proposals must be submitted to the following address:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Call for proposals ‘Erasmus Mundus — External Cooperation Window 08’

Unit P4

Avenue du Bourget 1 (BOUR 00/37)

B-1140 Brussels

An electronic version of the application together with the supporting documents must be submitted to the following e-mail address:

EACEA-EM-EXTCOOP@ec.europa.eu

Only proposals submitted using the correct application form, duly filled in, stamped and certified by the legal representative of the Applicant European HEI will be accepted.

7.   FURTHER INFORMATION

The Guidelines to grant applicants and the relevant application form are available at the following website:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/extcoop/call/index.htm

Applications must be submitted by using the relevant application form and contain all the required Annexes.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/27

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EAC/40/08

Amicus preparatory action

(2008/C 328/08)

1.   Objectives and description

This call for proposals aims to implement the Amicus preparatory action, the objectives of which are to:

—	promote the transnational character of youth placements in civic service and voluntary work activities,

—	encourage the development of a European framework to facilitate the interoperability of existing civic service and voluntary work opportunities for young people in the Member States (whether they originate in civic service structures or civil society organisations),

—	allow a testing and evaluation phase by way of specific European cooperation projects (transnational dimension) in the field of civic service and voluntary work for young people.

This call for proposals is published in accordance with the Annual work programme on grants and contracts in the field of education and culture for 2008, adopted by the European Commission (hereinafter known as ‘the Commission’) on 11 March 2008, in line with the procedure provided for in Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC (1), as amended by Commission Decision C(2008) 8434 on 19 December 2008.

The Commission department responsible for the implementation and management of this action is the ‘Youth in Action’ unit of the Education and Culture Directorate-General.

2.   Eligible applicants

Under this call for proposals, two categories of applicants are eligible:

1.	firstly, and as a priority, public bodies whose main activity is in the field of civic service;

2.	and non-government organisations or not-for-profit associations whose main activity is in the field of youth voluntary work.

Moreover, to be eligible, applicants must meet the following conditions:

—

have their head office in one of the Member States of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom),

—	have legal status,

—	be able to demonstrate at least two years' experience in the area of placing young people in civic or voluntary service at national level.

Each applicant may submit just one project.

Natural persons are not allowed to submit applications under this call for proposals.

3.   Budget and project duration

Budget

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call amounts to EUR 2 300 000.

However, depending on the number and quality of the projects submitted, the Commission reserves the right not to award all the funding available.

The maximum grant allocated to each project may not exceed EUR 300 000.

Duration

The project must begin between 1 September 2009 and 30 November 2009 and end no later than 31 December 2010.

The eligibility period for costs will begin on the date specified in the contract, i.e. the project start date. Under no circumstances can the eligibility period for expenditure start before the date of submission of the grant application.

Expenditure incurred before the start of the activities will not be taken into account.

4.   Deadline for applications

The deadline for submission of applications to the European Commission is 30 April 2009, as per the postmark.

5.   Additional information

The full text (Specifications) of this call for proposals, the application form and the Applicants' guide are available on the following website:

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

Applications must meet all the conditions in the full text of this call for proposals and be submitted using the form provided to that effect.

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(1)  Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23).

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/29

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Call for proposals 2008 — Europe for Citizens Programme (2007-2013)

Implementation of the programme actions: Active Citizens for Europe, Active civil society in Europe and Active European Remembrance

(2008/C 328/09)

Introduction

This call for proposals is based on Decision No 1904/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006, establishing for the period 2007 to 2013 the Programme Europe for Citizens to promote active European citizenship (1). The detailed conditions of this call for proposals can be found in the Programme Guide for the ‘Europe for Citizens’ Programme published on the Europa website (see point VIII). The Programme Guide constitutes an integral part of this call for proposals.

I.   Objectives

The Europe for Citizens Programme has the following specific objectives:

—	bringing together people form local communities across Europe to share and exchange experiences, opinions and values, to learn from history and to build for the future,

—	fostering action, debate and reflection related to European citizenship and democracy, shared values, common history and culture through cooperation within civil society organisations at European level,

—	bringing Europe closer to its citizens by promoting Europe's values and achievements, while preserving the memory of its past,

—

encouraging interaction between citizens and civil society organisations from all participating countries contributing to intercultural dialogue and bringing to the fore both Europe's diversity and unity, with particular attention to activities aimed at developing closer ties between citizens from Member States of the European Union as constituted on 30 April 2004 and those form Member States which have acceded since that date.

II.   Eligible applicants

The Programme is open to all promoters established in one of the countries participating to the Programme and being:

—	a public body, or

—	a non-profit organisation with a legal status (legal personality).

Each action of the Programme is however targeting a more specific range of organisations. The eligibility of applicant organisations is therefore defined in the Programme Guide specifically for each measure/sub measure.

Countries eligible under this Programme are:

—	EU Member States (2),

—

Croatia.

III.   Eligible actions

The Europe for Citizens Programme supports projects promoting active European citizenship.

This call covers the following actions of the Europe for Citizens Programme:

Action 1 — Active Citizens for Europe

—   Measure 1 — Town twinning

This measure is aimed at activities that involve or promote direct exchanges between European citizens through their participation in town-twining activities.

Measure 1.1 — Town twinning citizens' meetings

This measure is aimed at activities that involve or promote direct exchanges between European citizens through their participation in town-twinning activities. A project must involve municipalities from at least 2 participating countries, of which at least one is an EU Member State. The project must have a minimum of 25 international participants coming from the invited municipalities, with at least 5 participants from each invited municipality. The maximum duration of the meeting is 21 days. The maximum grant to be awarded is EUR 22 000 per project. A maximum of EUR 40 000 per project can apply if at least 10 towns participate in the project. The minimum grant awarded is EUR 2 500.

The grants for town twinning citizens' meetings are targeted to co-finance the organisational costs of the host town and the travel expenses of the invited participants. The grant calculation is based on flat rates.

Measure 1.2 — Networks of twinned towns

This measure supports the development of networks created on the basis of town twinning links, which are important for ensuring structured, intense and multifaceted cooperation among municipalities, and therefore for contributing to maximizing the impact of the Programme. A project must foresee at least 3 events. It must involve municipalities from at least 4 participating countries, of which at least one is an EU Member State. The project must have a minimum of 30 international participants coming from the invited municipalities. The maximum project duration is 24 months; the maximum duration of each event is 21 days.

Maximum amount eligible for a project within this measure is EUR 150 000. The minimum amount eligible is EUR 10 000. The grant calculation is based on flat rates.

—   Measure 2 — ‘Citizens' projects’ and ‘Support measures’

Measure 2.1 — Citizens' projects

This measure addresses a major challenge of the European Union today: how to bridge the gap between citizens and the European Union. It aims at exploring original and innovative methodologies capable of encouraging citizens' participation and stimulating the dialogue between European citizens and the institutions of the European Union.

A project must involve at least 5 participating countries, of which at least one is an EU Member State. A project must involve at least 200 participants. The maximum project duration is 12 months.

The amount of the grant will be calculated on the basis of a balanced, detailed forecast budget, expressed in euro. The grant awarded may not exceed 60 % of the total amount of the project's eligible costs. The minimum grant will be EUR 100 000. The maximum grant eligible for a project within this measure is EUR 250 000.

Measure 2.2 — Support measures

This measure is a tool to develop the quality of projects submitted within Action 1 ‘Active Citizens for Europe’. It supports the exchange of experiences, expertise and good practice, as well as activities which may lead to the establishment of long-lasting partnerships and networks.

A project must involve at least 2 participating countries, of which at least one is an EU Member State. The maximum is 12 months. At least 2 events per project have to be foreseen.

The amount of the grant will be calculated on the basis of a balanced, detailed forecast budget, expressed in euro. The grant may not exceed a maximum rate of 80 % of eligible costs of the action concerned. The minimum grant eligible is EUR 30 000. The maximum grant eligible for a project within this measure is EUR 100 000.

Action 2 — Active civil society in Europe

—   Measure 3 — Support for projects initiated by civil society organisations

The aim of this measure is to support concrete projects promoted by civil society organisations belonging to different participating countries. These projects should raise awareness on matters of European interest and contribute to foster mutual understanding on different cultures and to identify common values through cooperation at European level.

A project must involve at least 2 participating countries, of which at least one is an EU Member State. The maximum duration of projects is 12 months.

The grant can be calculated following two different methods, corresponding to different approaches and to which specific rules apply:

(a)	budget based on flat rates for ‘event projects’;

(b)	budget based on real costs for ‘production and realisation projects’: The grant requested in that case may not exceed 60 % of the eligible costs of the action concerned. The maximum grant is EUR 55 000. The minimum grant eligible is EUR 10 000.

Action 4 — Active European Remembrance

The aim of projects supported under this action is to keep alive the memory of the victims of Nazism and Stalinism and to improve the knowledge and understanding of present and future generations about what took place in the camps and other places of mass-civilian extermination, and why.

The maximum duration of project is 12 months.

The grant can be calculated following two different methods:

(a)	budget based on flat rates and lump sum for ‘event projects’;

(b)	budget based on real costs for ‘production and realisation projects’: The grant requested in that case may not exceed 60 % of the eligible costs of the action concerned. The maximum grant is EUR 55 000. The minimum grant eligible is EUR 10 000.

IV.   Award criteria

Qualitative criteria (80 % of points available):

—	relevance of the project to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (25 %),

—	pertinence of the project and methods proposed (25 %),

—	impact (15 %),

—	visibility and follow-up (15 %).

Quantitative criteria (20 % of points available):

—	geographical impact (10 %),

—	target group (10 %).

V.   Budget

Foreseen budget 2009 for the following actions

Action 1 Measure 1.1	Town twinning citizens' meetings	EUR 8 450 000
Action 1 Measure 1.2	The thematic networking of twinned towns	EUR 3 215 000
Action 1 Measure 2.1	Citizens' projects	EUR 1 270 000
Action 1 Measure 2.2	Support measures	EUR 1 270 000
Action 2 Measure 3	Support for projects initiated by civil society organisations	EUR 3 722 000
Action 4	Active European Remembrance	EUR 1 420 000

VI.   Deadlines for applications

Actions		Deadline for submission
Action 1 Measure 1.1	Town twinning citizens' meetings	1 February 1 April 1 June 1 September
Action 1 Measure 1.2	The thematic networking of twinned towns	1 February 1 September
Action 1 Measure 2.1	Citizens' projects	1 June
Action 1 Measure 2.2	Support measures	1 June
Action 2 Measure 3	Support for projects initiated by civil society organisations	15 February
Action 4	Active European Remembrance	30 April

If the deadline for submission falls on a weekend or public holiday in the applicant's country no extension will be granted and applicants must take this into account when planning their submission.

Applications must be sent to the following address:

EACEA

Unit P7 Citizenship

Applications — ‘Town Twinning Citizens' Meetings’

Avenue du Bourget 1 (BOUR 01/25)

B-1140 Brussels

Only proposals submitted using the official application form duly completed and signed by the person empowered to enter into a legal commitment on behalf of the applicant, will be considered.

Applications submitted by fax or directly by e-mail will not be examined.

VII.   Further information

The detailed conditions for submitting projects proposals and the application forms can be found in the Europe for Citizens Programme Guide on the following websites:

Directorate-General for Education and Culture

http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.html

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.htm

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(1)  OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 32.

(2)  The 27 EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/33

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Call for proposal 2009 — Youth in Action Programme 2007-2013

(2008/C 328/10)

Introduction

This call for proposals is based on Decision No 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006, establishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013 (1), hereinafter referred to as ‘Youth in Action Programme’. The detailed conditions of this call for proposals can be found in the Programme Guide for the Youth in Action Programme (2007-2013) published on the Europa website (see point VIII). The Programme Guide constitutes an integral part of this call for proposals.

I.   Objectives and priorities

The general objectives stated in the Decision establishing of the Youth in Action Programme are the following:

—	promote young people's active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular,

—	develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, in particular in order to foster social cohesion in the European Union,

—	foster mutual understanding between young people in different countries,

—	contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field,

—	promote European cooperation in the youth field.

These general objectives shall be implemented at project level taking into consideration the following permanent priorities:

—	European citizenship,

—	participation of young people,

—	cultural diversity,

—	inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

In addition to the abovementioned permanent priorities, the 2009 annual priorities are:

—	European Year of Creativity and Innovation,

—	young people's active participation in the European Parliament elections,

—	combating violence against women,

—	sport as a tool to promote active citizenship and social inclusion of young people,

—	promoting healthy lifestyles through physical activities including sport,

—	promoting the inclusion of young people with disabilities,

—	awareness-raising to global challenges (such as sustainable development and climate change),

—	young people's involvement in the revision of the European framework of cooperation in the field of youth policy,

—	intercultural dialogue.

II.   Structure of the Youth in Action Programme

In order to achieve its objectives, the Youth in Action Programme foresees five operational Actions.

This call for proposal concerns the support to the following Actions and sub-Actions listed below:

Action 1 — Youth for Europe

—	sub-Action 1.1 — Youth Exchanges (lasting up to 15 months): Youth Exchanges offer an opportunity for groups of young people from different countries to meet and learn about each other's cultures. The groups plan together their Youth Exchange around a theme of mutual interest,

—

sub-Action 1.2 — Youth Initiatives (lasting from 3 to 18 months): Youth Initiatives support group projects designed at local, regional and national level. They also support the networking of similar projects between different countries, in order to strengthen their European aspect and to enhance cooperation and exchanges of experiences between young people,

—	sub-Action 1.3 — Youth Democracy Projects (lasting from 3 to 18 months): Youth Democracy Projects support young people's participation in the democratic life of their local, regional or national community, and at international level.

Action 2 — European Voluntary Service

The Action supports young people's participation in various forms of voluntary activities, both within and outside the European Union. Under this Action, young people take part individually or in groups in non-profit, unpaid voluntary activities abroad (lasting up to 24 months).

Action 3 — Youth in the World

—	sub-Action 3.1 — Cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries of the European Union (lasting up to 15 months): this sub-Action supports projects with Neighbouring Partner Countries, namely Youth Exchanges and Training and Networking Projects in the youth field.

Action 4 — Youth Support Systems

—

sub-Action 4.3 — Training and networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations (lasting from 3 to 18 months): this sub-Action supports in particular the exchange of experiences, expertise and good practice as well as activities which may lead to long-lasting quality projects, partnerships and networks.

Action 5 — Support for European cooperation in the youth field

—	sub-Action 5.1 — Meetings of young people and those responsible for youth policy (lasting from 3 to 9 months): this sub-Action supports cooperation, seminars and structured dialogue between young people, those active in youth work and those responsible for youth policy.

III.   Eligible applicants

Applications shall be submitted by:

—	non-profit or non-governmental organisations,

—	local, regional public bodies,

—	informal groups of young people,

—	bodies active at European level in the youth field,

—	international non-profit organisations,

—	profit-making organisations organising an event in the area of youth, sport or culture.

Applicants have to be legally established in one of the Programme or in Neighbouring Partner Countries in the Western Balkans.

Some Actions of the Programme are however targeting a more limited range of promoters. The eligibility of applicant promoters is therefore defined in the Programme Guide specifically for each Action/sub-Action.

IV.   Eligible countries

The Programme is open to the following countries:

(a)	the EU Member States;

(b)	the EFTA States that are party to the EEA Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway);

(c)	the candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, pursuant to the general principles and the general conditions and arrangements laid down in the framework agreements concluded with these countries for their participation in Community programmes (Turkey);

(d)	third countries that have signed agreements with the Community relevant to the youth field.

Some Actions of the Programme are however targeting a more limited range of countries. The eligibility of countries is therefore defined in the Programme Guide specifically for each Action/sub-Action.

V.   Award criteria

(i)	sub-Actions 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 4.3 and Action 2: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (30b %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (50 %), — the profile of participants and promoters (20 %);

(ii)	sub-Action 1.3: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (30 %), — the quality of the thematic concept (20 %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (30 %), — the profile and number of participants and promoters (20 %);

(iii)

sub-Action 5.1: — the relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme (20 %), — the relevance to EU youth policy objectives (20 %), — the quality of the project and methods proposed (40 %), — the profile and number of participants and promoters (20 %).

VI.   Budget and duration

The Programme has an overall budget of EUR 885 million for the period 2007-2013. The annual budget is subject to a decision of the budgetary authorities.

Foreseen budget 2009 for the following Actions and sub-Actions:

Sub-Action 1.1	Youth Exchanges	29 319 000
Sub-Action 1.2	Youth Initiatives	10 165 000
Sub-Action 1.3	Youth Democracy Projects	7 346 000
Action 2	European Voluntary Service	42 436 000
Sub-Action 3.1	Cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries of the European Union	8 121 000
Sub-Action 4.3	Training and networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations	13 389 000
Sub-Action 5.1	Meetings of young people and those responsible for youth policy	4 367 000

VII.   Deadlines for applications

The application must be submitted for the deadline corresponding to the start date of the project. For projects submitted to a National Agency there are five application deadlines per year:

Projects starting between	Application deadline
1 May and 30 September	1 February
1 July and 30 November	1 April
1 September and 31 January	1 June
1 December and 30 April	1 September
1 February and 31 July	1 November

For projects submitted to the Executive Agency there are three application deadlines a year:

Projects starting between	Application deadline
1 August and 31 December	1 February
1 December and 30 April	1 June
1 March and 31 July	1 September

VIII.   Further information

Further information may be found in the Youth in Action Programme Guide on the following websites:

http://ec.europa.eu/youth

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

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(1)  OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 30.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/37

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5414 — Samsung SDI/Samsung Electronics/SMD)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 328/11)

1.

On 15 December 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertakings Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd (‘SEC’, South Korea) and Samsung SDI Co. Ltd (‘SDI’, South Korea) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertakings Samsung Mobile Display Co. Ltd (‘SMD’, South Korea), which had previously been solely controlled by SDI, by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: — for SEC: development and manufacturing of electronics and information technology products, — for SDI: development and manufacturing of displays and batteries for various electronic devices, — for SMD: development and manufacturing of small and medium sized displays based on liquid crystal display and organic light-emitting diodes technology.

3.	On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission. Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5414 — Samsung SDI/Samsung Electronics/SMD, to the following address: European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry J-70 B-1049 Brussels

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

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23.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 328/38

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Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2008/C 328/12)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CIAUSCOLO’

EC No: IT-PGI-005-0557-11.10.2006

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Ciauscolo’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.2 — Meat and meat products

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Ciauscolo’ is a pigmeat product, comprising a mixture of the following cuts (in decreasing order): belly, up to 70 %; shoulder, up to 40 %; ham and loin trimmings, up to 30 %. The principal characteristic of ‘Ciauscolo’ is its spreadability, i.e. it spreads easily on bread.

‘Ciauscolo’ PGI is presented for consumption as a cylinder of soft consistency weighing between 400 and 2 500 g, with a diameter of between 4,5 and 10 cm and a length of between 15 and 45 cm.

On cutting, the product is pink, uniform and homogeneous and free from rancidity. It has a typical, delicate, aromatic, distinctive and spicy smell (salt, ground black pepper, wine and crushed garlic are added to the mixture) with a delicate and savoury taste which is never acidic.

‘Ciauscolo’ PGI has the following chemical properties:

pH: 4,8 or higher.

Protein: a minimum of 15,00 %.

Fat: between 32 % and 42 %.

Ratio of water to protein: maximum of 3,10.

Ratio of fat to protein: maximum of 2,80.

As regards the product's microbiological properties, the aerobic mesophilic bacteria, aciduric lactic bacteria and lactic bacteria that develop during ageing must exceed 1 × 107 colony-forming units/g.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

The following may be used: the traditional Italian Large White and Landrace breeds of pig, as improved in accordance with the herd book, or offspring of boars of these breeds; pigs bred from Italian Duroc boars, as improved in accordance with the Italian herd book; pigs bred from boars of other breeds or mixed-breed boars, born in Italy or abroad, provided that they are bred under selection or cross-breeding schemes whose aims are not incompatible with those of the Italian herd book for the production of heavy pigs.

The following are not eligible: pigs carrying antithetic traits, with particular reference to the gene responsible for propensity to porcine stress syndrome (PSS); breeds and specimens deemed not to comply with the provisions of this product specification; pure bred Belgian Landrace, Hampshire, Pietrain, Duroc and Spotted Poland animals.

Pigs are sent to slaughter between the end of the ninth month and the end of the 15th month.

They must be in excellent health. Boars and sows are not sent for slaughter. In addition, carcases that have not been properly bled or show clear signs of myopathy (PSE and DFD) or obvious signs of phlogistic processes or lesions may not be used.

The average live weight of pigs sent for slaughter must be 170 kg and each pig must weigh between 145 and 200 kg.

The carcases obtained after slaughter must be classified as heavy in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84, Commission Decision 2001/468/EC of 8 June 2001 and Ministerial Decree of 11 July 2002 and must fall within the mid-range category of the official system for assessing meat content.

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

The stock-breeding methods used, the type of feed allowed and the quantities and feeding methods employed are designed to produce heavy pigs. This is achieved over time by means of moderate daily increases in the ration and a feeding regime that complies with the general rules in force.

Together with the rearing techniques, the feed must help ensure the production of a heavy pig by moderate daily increases in the ration.

The feed used must comply with trade standards.

Mineral and vitamin supplements may be added to rations within the limits laid down by general legislation.

3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

Production and ageing of ‘Ciauscolo’ PGI must be carried out exclusively in the geographical production area described in point 4.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

‘Ciauscolo’ PGI must be packed in natural pig or bovine gut. The two ends of the casing are tied off using hemp string. ‘Ciauscolo’ PGI can be sold loose or vacuum packed or packed in a modified atmosphere, whole or in slices.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The name ‘CIAUSCOLO’, followed by the words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’, must appear on the label in clear and indelible lettering, clearly identifiable from any other wording on the label and followed immediately by the initials ‘IGP’, which must be translated into the language of the country in which the product is sold, and/or the Community logo. The use of names, trade names and private logos is permitted, provided that they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the purchaser and/or the consumer. It is also permitted to indicate the name or trade name of the pig farms from which the product originates, providing the raw material was obtained exclusively from those farms. It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for under this point. The word ‘CIAUSCOLO’ must be in Italian.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of ‘Ciauscolo’ PGI comprises a number of municipalities in the Provinces of Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno. This definition of the area takes account of the traditional nature of the product and its popularity among farming families. To this is added the particular climatic conditions obtaining in the defined area, which has a predominantly continental climate, particularly in the high hills and mountains of the specified municipalities in the provinces concerned.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The correct definition of the area, which covers a number of municipalities in the Provinces of Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno, takes account of the traditional nature of the product and its popularity among farming families. The farmers, who lived permanently on the holdings, raised pigs to supply the needs of their families and of the holding. Often, because the meat was for personal consumption, the single pig reared was divided in two, half for the farmer and half for the landowner. ‘Ciauscolo’ was a by-product after the prime cuts had been removed. One of the particularities of the defined area up until the 1950s was the existence of holdings held on share tenancy, which had increasingly small dimensions (4-5 hectares), as the surplus agricultural workforce caused increased fragmentation of land holdings. Farms would therefore rear a single pig, since this could be combined with cattle raising and crop production and would help meet their food needs. As well as these economic and historical factors relating to the mountain economy, an important role is played by the area's particular climate, which is predominantly continental, particularly in the high hills and mountains. The cold winter weather, influenced by the Sibylline Mountains, have a positive effect on ageing and therefore on the keeping qualities of the product.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The application for registration of ‘Ciauscolo’ as a PGI is justified by the product's fame and reputation. ‘Ciauscolo’ is known for its unique spreadability, which clearly distinguishes it from other sausages. Unlike all other charcuterie, ‘Ciauscolo’ is not sliced but is ‘spread’ on bread and other similar products and this highly appreciated characteristic is a direct consequence of the particular composition of the meat mixture, with its high fat content, the way the meat is finely minced and the special manufacturing techniques used. Another characteristic of ‘Ciauscolo’ that clearly distinguishes it in the eyes of the consumer is its softness to the touch.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The processing, conservation and ageing techniques and methods used today to manufacture the charcuterie product known as ‘Ciauscolo’ stem directly from the traditional know-how of the farming and rural families of the Piceno district. The domestic slaughter and processing of pigs has always been the occasion for families and neighbours to socialise and trade and for gifts in kind from the farmer to the landowner (‘padrone’). This has always been a traditional winter social event and the related customs and folklore and the costumes worn are reflected and maintained in popular culture. The name ‘ciaùscolo, ciavuscolo’ is said to derive from ‘ciabusculum’ or small meal or snack consumed in small quantities in accordance with rural tradition between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner.

Various documents attest to the traditional use of the name ‘Ciauscolo’ and prove that the product has been present in the defined area for several centuries. By way of example, an extract from the ‘Prezzi dei generi’ (Price of Foodstuffs) of October 1851, contained in the Notarial Archive of the Municipality of Camerino, lists among the various products (grain, veal, pork, ham, salami, sausage, stockfish) ‘Ciauscolo’ and its price. It should be noted that the document lists the precise name for which registration as a PGI is requested.

In more recent times, the fame of the product is demonstrated by the inclusion of the name and an accurate definition in the ‘Dizionario Zingarelli della lingua italiana’ (Zingarelli Dictionary of the Italian Language). The Dictionary defines ‘ciauscolo’ as a ‘very soft sausage, made with high-quality pork fat and very finely mined meat, flavoured with garlic and spices, slightly smoked, characteristic of the Marches’ and dates the origin of the name to 1939.

Finally, the fame of ‘Ciauscolo’ is also attested to by the inclusion of the name on the national list of traditional foodstuffs since 2000 (Ordinary Supplement to the Official Gazette — General Series No 194 of 21 August 2000). The list catalogues products manufactured in Italy. in order to prevent knowledge of products with a long tradition disappearing as one generation gives place to the next. The inclusion of the name ‘Ciauscolo’ on the list of the Marches Region is a sure sign of the fame of the product, since for a product to be included proof must be provided that it has been in production for at least twenty-five years.

6.   Reference to publication of the specification

The Government launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Ciauscolo’ as a protected designation of origin in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 64 of 17 March 2006.

The full text of the product specification is available on the following web:

site:www.politicheagricole.it/DocumentiPubblicazioni/Search_Documenti_Elenco.htm?txtTipoDocumento=Disciplinare%20in%20esame%20UE&txtDocArgomento=Prodotti%20di%20Qualit%E0>Prodotti%20Dop,%20Igp%20e%20Stg

or

—	by going directly to the home page of the Ministry (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti di Qualità’ (on the left of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all'esame dell'UE (Reg. CE 510/2006)’.

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(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

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