(1)

Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 lays down, pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the standard values for imports from third countries, in respect of the products and periods stipulated in the Annex thereto.

(2)

In compliance with the above criteria, the standard import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the Annex to this Regulation,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1961/2001 (2) lays down the detailed rules of application for export refunds on fruit and vegetables.

(2)

Article 35(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 provides that, to the extent necessary for economically significant exports, the products exported by the Community may be covered by export refunds, within the limits resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty.

(3)

Under Article 35(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, care must be taken to ensure that the trade flows previously brought about by the refund scheme are not disrupted. For this reason and because exports of fruit and vegetables are seasonal in nature, the quantities scheduled for each product should be fixed, based on the agricultural product nomenclature for export refunds established by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3846/87 (3). These quantities must be allocated taking account of the perishability of the products concerned.

(4)

Article 35(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 provides that refunds must be fixed in the light of the existing situation and outlook for fruit and vegetable prices on the Community market and supplies available, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, prices on the international market. Account must also be taken of the transport and marketing costs and of the economic aspect of the exports planned.

(5)

In accordance with Article 35(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, prices on the Community market are to be established in the light of the most favourable prices from the export standpoint.

(6)

The international trade situation or the special requirements of certain markets may call for the refund on a given product to vary according to its destination.

(7)

Tomatoes, oranges, table grapes and apples of classes Extra, I and II of the common quality standards can currently be exported in economically significant quantities.

(8)

In order to ensure the best use of available resources and in view of the structure of Community exports, it is appropriate to proceed by an open invitation to tender and to set the indicative refund amount and the scheduled quantities for the period concerned.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 (3) lays down detailed rules for applying the system of production aid for olive oil provided for in Article 5 of Regulation 136/66/EEC for the 1998/99 to 2003/04 marketing years.

(2)

Since Council Regulation (EC) No 865/2004 of 29 April 2004 on the common organisation of the market in olive oil and table olives and amending Regulation (EEC) No 827/68 amends Article 5 of Regulation 136/66/EEC to continue the existing production aid scheme for the 2004/05 marketing year, application of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98 should be extended to cover that marketing year also.

(3)

Only areas planted to olives before 1 May 1998, areas under replacement olive trees and areas covered by a programme approved by the Commission are eligible for the aid, in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1638/98. In the case of Cyprus and Malta, the final date is set at 31 December 2001, following an amendment made by the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. The implementing rules relating to Article 4 of that Regulation should be adapted accordingly.

(4)

Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 2366/1998 requires olive growers to submit declarations when they plant new trees and Member States to provide the Commission with information on such planting and to impose penalties for infringements. For the purposes of these obligations, the above Article 5 lays down a timetable based, in particular, on the date of entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 2366/1998 and 1 May 1998 as the date from which new planting is excluded from all future aid schemes, unless covered by a programme approved by the Commission. Certain of the dates provided for in Article 5 should be adapted to enable the new producer Member States to apply it, taking account of the final date fixed for Cyprus and Malta.

(5)

Article 12a of Regulation (EC) No 2366/1998 should also be adjusted in order to calculate the production of additional olive trees not eligible for aid during the 2003/04 marketing year.

(6)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2768/98 (4) lays down special terms for implementing the private storage arrangements for olive oil provided for in Article 12a of Regulation 136/66/EEC until 31 October 2004.

(7)

Since that scheme is to continue for the 2004/05 marketing year, the date referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2768/98 should be amended.

(8)

Regulations (EC) Nos 2366/98 and 2768/98 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Oils and Fats,

1.

in the title, ‘2003/04’ is replaced by ‘2004/05’;

2.

Article 4 is amended as follows:

3.

Article 5 is amended as follows:

4.

the following subparagraphs are added to Article 12a:

‘For the 2003/04 marketing year, the estimate of virgin olive oil production of additional olive trees as referred to in the first subparagraph shall be determined by multiplying the average yield per adult olive tree by the sum of:

For the 2003/04 marketing year, the average yield per adult olive tree shall be calculated by dividing the quantity of virgin olive oil produced, as referred to in Article 12(1)(b), by the sum of:

5.

in the second subparagraph of Article 14(1), ‘2003/04’ is replaced by ‘2004/05’;

6.

Article 27(2) is amended as follows:

7.

Article 29(1) shall be replaced by the following:

8.

the third indent in the second subparagraph of Article 30(1) is replaced by the following:

9.

the third paragraph of Article 32 is replaced by the following:

‘Before 1 January of the 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03 and 2003/04 marketing years, and before 1 June of the 2004/05 marketing year, producer Member States shall present a summary report of the number of checks carried out under Articles 28, 29 and 30, the number of cases where adjustment was required, with an indication of the information or quantities concerned, and the penalties imposed or under consideration, along with a brief assessment of the control arrangements set up and any difficulties encountered.’.

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 936/97 provides in Articles 4 and 5 the conditions for applications and for the issue of import licences for meat referred to in Article 2(f).

(2)

Article 2(f) of Regulation (EC) No 936/97 fixes the amount of high-quality fresh, chilled or frozen beef and veal meeting the definition laid down therein which may be imported on special terms for the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 at 11 500 t.

(3)

It should be recalled that licences issued pursuant to this Regulation will, throughout the period of validity, be open for use only in so far as provisions on health protection in force permit,

(1)

In accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001, a world market price for unginned cotton is to be determined periodically from the price for ginned cotton recorded on the world market and by reference to the historical relationship between the price recorded for ginned cotton and that calculated for unginned cotton. That historical relationship has been established in Article 2(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the cotton aid scheme (3). Where the world market price cannot be determined in this way, it is to be based on the most recent price determined.

(2)

In accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001, the world market price for unginned cotton is to be determined in respect of a product of specific characteristics and by reference to the most favourable offers and quotations on the world market among those considered representative of the real market trend. To that end, an average is to be calculated of offers and quotations recorded on one or more European exchanges for a product delivered cif to a port in the Community and coming from the various supplier countries considered the most representative in terms of international trade. However, there is provision for adjusting the criteria for determining the world market price for ginned cotton to reflect differences justified by the quality of the product delivered and the offers and quotations concerned. Those adjustments are specified in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001.

(3)

The application of the above criteria gives the world market price for unginned cotton determined hereinafter,