Legal provisions of COM(1998)158-4 - Common organisation of the market in milk and milk products - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(1998)158-4 - Common organisation of the market in milk and milk products. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(1998)158  |
| date | May 17, 1999 |
Contents
- Article 1
- TITLE I - INTERNAL MARKET
- CHAPTER I - Prices
- Article 2
- Article 3
- Article 4
- Article 5
- CHAPTER II - Intervention system
- Article 6
- Article 7
- Article 8
- Article 9
- Article 10
- CHAPTER III - Marketing measures
- Article 11
- Article 12
- Article 13
- Article 14
- Article 15
- CHAPTER IV - Direct payments
- Article 16
- Article 17
- Article 18
- Article 19
- Article 20
- Article 21
- Article 22
- Article 23
- Article 24
- Article 25
- TITLE II - TRADE WITH THIRD COUNTRIES
- Article 26
- Article 27
- Article 28
- Article 29
- Article 30
- Article 31
- Article 32
- Article 33
- Article 34
- Article 35
- TITLE III - GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Article 36
- Article 37
- Article 38
- Article 39
- Article 40
- Article 41
- Article 42
- Article 43
- Article 44
- Article 45
- TITLE IV - TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
- Article 46
- Article 47
- Article 48
Article 1
>TABLE>
TITLE I - INTERNAL MARKET
CHAPTER I - Prices
Article 2
Article 3
- 30,98 for the period from 1 July 2000 until 30 June 2005,
- 29,23 for the period from 1 July 2005 until 30 June 2006,
- 27,47 for the period from 1 July 2006 until 30 June 2007,
- 25,72 as from July 2007.
The target price shall be deemed to be that price which it is aimed to obtain for the aggregate of producers' milk sales on the Community market and on external markets.
2. The Council, acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 37(2) of the Treaty, may change the target price.
Article 4
(a) for butter at:
- 328,20 for the period from 1 July 2000 until 30 June 2005,
- 311,79 for the period from 1 July 2005 until 30 June 2006,
- 295,38 for the period from 1 July 2006 until 30 June 2007,
- 278,97 as from 1 July 2007;
(b) for skimmed milk powder at:
- 205,52 for the period from 1 July 2000 until 30 June 2005,
- 195,24 for the period from 1 July 2005 until 30 June 2006,
- 184,97 for the period from 1 July 2006 until 30 June 2007,
- 174,69 as from 1 July 2007.
2. The Council, acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 37(2) of the Treaty, may change the intervention prices.
Article 5
CHAPTER II - Intervention system
Article 6
The buying-in price fixed by the Commission shall not be less than 90 % of the intervention price.
Where market prices in the Member State(s) concerned are at a level equal to, or higher than, 92 % of the intervention price for a representative period, buying-in under a tendering procedure shall be suspended.
2. Under paragraph 1, the intervention agencies may only buy in butter produced directly and exclusively from pasteurised cream in an approved undertaking in the Community, and
(a) meet the following requirements:
- a minimum butterfat content, by weight, of 82 % and a maximum water content, by weight, of 16 %,
- an age at the time of buying-in not exceeding a maximum to be fixed,
- conditions to be determined as regards the minimum quantity and packaging;
(b) meet certain requirements to be determined regarding in particular:
- preservation; additional requirements may be laid down by the intervention agencies,
- free fatty acid content,
- peroxide content,
- microbiological standard,
- sensory characteristics (appearance, texture, taste and smell).
National quality grades to be determined may be shown on the packaging of butter which meets national quality requirements.
Flat rate transport costs shall be borne, under conditions to be fixed, by the intervention agency if the butter is delivered to a cold store situated at a distance greater than a distance to be determined from the place where the butter was in store.
3. Aid for private storage shall be granted for:
- cream,
- unsalted butter produced from cream or milk in an approved undertaking of the Community of a minimum butterfat content, by weight, of 82 % and a maximum water content, by weight, of 16 %,
- salted butter produced from cream or milk in an approved undertaking of the Community of a minimum butterfat content, by weight, of 80 %, a maximum water content, by weight, of 16 % and a maximum salt content, by weight, of 2 %.
The butter shall be classified according to national quality grades to be determined and shall be marked accordingly.
The aid shall be fixed in the light of storage costs and the likely trend in prices for fresh butter and butter from stocks. Where, at the time of removal from storage, an adverse change unforeseeable at the time of entry into storage has occured on the market, the aid may be increased.
Private storage aid shall be subject to the drawing-up of a storage contract concluded, in accordance with provisions to be laid down, by the intervention agency of the Member State on whose territory the cream or butter qualifying for the aid is stored.
Where the market situation so requires, the Commission may decide to remarket some or all of the cream or butter covered by private storage contracts.
4. Butter bought in by the intervention agencies shall be disposed of at a minimum price and under conditions to be determined so as to avoid disturbing the balance on the market and to ensure purchasers equal treatment and access to the butter to be sold. Where the butter put up for sale is intended for export, special conditions may be laid down to ensure that the product is not diverted from its destination and to take account of requirements specific to such sales.
For butter kept in public storage which cannot be disposed of during a milk year under normal conditions, special measures may be taken. Where warranted by such measures, special measures shall also be taken with a view to maintaining possibilities of disposing of products which were subject to aid as referred to in paragraph 3.
5. The intervention arrangements shall be applied so as to:
- maintain the competitive position of butter on the market,
- safeguard the original quality of the butter as far as possible,
- ensure storage as rationally as possible.
6. For the purposes of this Article:
- 'milk' shall mean cow's milk produced in the Community,
- 'cream' shall mean cream obtained directly and exclusively from milk.
Article 7
- meets a minimum protein content of 35,6 % by weight of the non-fatty dry extract,
- meets preservation requirements to be laid down,
- meets conditions to be determined as regards the minimum quantity and packaging.
However, intervention agencies shall also buy in skimmed milk powder whose protein content is at least 31,4 % and less than 35,6 %, of the non-fatty dry extract, provided that the other provisions laid down in the first subparagraph above are met. In that case, the buying-in price shall be equal to the intervention price less 1,75 % for each percentage point by which the protein content is lower than 35,6 %.
The intervention price shall be that in force on the day of manufacture of the skimmed milk powder and shall apply to skimmed milk powder delivered to the store designated by the intervention agency. Flat-rate transport costs shall be borne, under conditions to be fixed, by the intervention agency if the skimmed milk powder is delivered to a store situated at a distance greater than a distance to be determined from the place where the skimmed milk powder was in store.
The skimmed milk powder may only be stored in stores meeting conditions to be fixed.
2. The Commission may suspend the buying in of skimmed-milk powder provided for in paragraph 1 as soon as the quantities offered for intervention in the period from 1 March to 31 August each year exceed 109000 tonnes.
In that case buying-in by the intervention agencies may be carried out under an open standing invitation to tender on the basis of specifications to be determined.
3. Aid for the private storage of skimmed milk powder of top quality, obtained in an approved undertaking in the Community directly and exclusively from skimmed milk may be granted, in particular, if trends in prices and stocks of the products indicate a serious imbalance in the market which could be avoided or reduced by means of seasonal storage. In order to be eligible for aid, the skimmed milk powder must meet conditions to be fixed.
The aid shall be fixed in the light of storage costs and the likely trend in prices for skimmed milk powder.
Private storage aid shall be subject to the drawing-up of a storage contract concluded, in accordance with provisions to be laid down, by the intervention agency of the Member State on whose territory the skimmed milk powder qualifying for the aid is stored. Where the market situation so requires, the Commission may decide to remarket some or all of the skimmed milk powder covered by private storage contracts.
4. Skimmed milk powder bought in by the intervention agency shall be disposed of, at a minimum price and under conditions to be determined so as to avoid disturbing the balance on the market and to ensure purchasers equal treatment and access to the skimmed milk powder to be sold.
Where the skimmed milk powder put up for sale is intended for export, special conditions may be laid down to ensure that the product is not diverted from its destination and to take account of requirements specific to such sales.
For skimmed milk powder kept in public storage which cannot be disposed of during a milk year under normal conditions, special measures may be taken.
5. Within the meaning of this Article, 'skimmed milk' shall mean skimmed milk obtained directly and exclusively from cow's milk produced in the Community.
Article 8
(a) Grana Padano cheese at least nine months old;
(b) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese at least 15 months old;
(c) Provolone cheese at least three months old;
if these cheeses reach certain standards.
2. The amount of private storage aid shall be fixed taking account of storage costs and the likely trend of market prices.
3. The intervention agency designated by the Member State in which the said cheeses are produced and qualify to bear the designation of origin shall implement the measures taken pursuant to paragraph 1.
The granting of private storage aid shall be subject to the conclusion of a storage contract with the intervention agency. The contract shall be drawn up under conditions to be determined.
Where the market situation so requires, the Commission may decide that the intervention agency will remarket some or all of the cheese stored.
Article 9
2. The amount of aid shall be fixed with reference to storage costs and the balance to be maintained between cheeses for which aid is granted and other cheeses coming on the market.
3. Should the situation of the Community market so require, the Commission may decide to remarket some or all of the cheeses covered by private storage contracts.
4. If, at the time the storage contract expires, the level of market prices for cheeses in store is higher than that prevailing when the contract was signed, a decision may be taken to adjust the amount of aid accordingly.
Article 10
(a) the detailed rules for the application of this chapter and, in particular, those for establishing the market prices for butter;
(b) the amounts of aid for private storage referred to in this chapter;
(c) the other decisions and measures which may be taken by the Commission under this chapter.
CHAPTER III - Marketing measures
Article 11
For the purposes of this Article, buttermilk and buttermilk powder shall be regarded as skimmed milk and skimmed-milk powder.
2. Aid amounts shall be fixed taking into account the following factors:
- the intervention price for skimmed-milk powder,
- development of the supply situation as regards skimmed-milk and skimmed-milk powder, and developments in the use thereof as feed,
- trends in calf prices,
- trends in the market prices for competing proteins as compared with those for skimmed-milk powder.
Article 12
2. The aid may vary, according to whether the skimmed milk is processed into casein or caseinates and according to the quality of those products.
Aid shall be fixed taking into account the following factors:
- the intervention price for skimmed-milk powder, or the market price for first-quality spray-process skimmed-milk powder, if that price exceeds the intervention price,
- the market prices for casein and caseinates on the Community and world markets.
Article 13
(a) by non-profit making institutions and organisations;
(b) by military forces and units of comparable status in the Member States;
(c) by manufacturers of pastry products and ice-cream;
(d) by manufacturers of other foodstuffs to be determined;
(e) for the direct consumption of concentrated butter.
Article 14
2. In addition to the Community aid, Member States may grant national aid for supplying the products specified in paragraph 1 to pupils in educational establishments.
3. In the case of whole milk, the Community aid shall be equal to 95 % of the target price for milk. In the case of other milk products, the amounts of aid shall be determined taking into account the milk components of the products concerned.
4. The aid referred to in paragraphs 1 shall be granted on a maximum quantity of 0,25 litre of milk equivalent per pupil and per day.
Article 15
(a) the detailed rules for the application of this chapter and, in particular, the conditions under which the aids set out therein may be granted,
(b) the amounts of the aids referred to in this chapter,
(c) the lists of products referred to in Article 13(d) and Article 14(1),
(d) the other decisions and measures that may be adopted by the Commission under this chapter.
CHAPTER IV - Direct payments
Article 16
2. The premium amount per tonne of individual reference quantity eligible for premium shall be set at:
- EUR 5,75 for the calendar year 2005,
- EUR 11,49 for the calendar year 2006,
- EUR 17,24 for the calendar year 2007 and the subsequent calendar years.
3. The individual reference quantity eligible for premium shall be equal to the individual reference quantity for milk available on the holding on 31 March of the calendar year concerned, without prejudice to reductions resulting from the application of subparagraph 2. Individual reference quantities which have been the subject of temporary transfers in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 3950/92 on 31 March of the calendar year concerned shall be deemed to be available on the holding of the transferee for that calendar year.
Where, on 31 March of a calendar year, the sum of all individual reference quantities in a Member State exceeds the sum of the corresponding total quantities of that Member State set out in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 3950/92 for the 12 month period 1999/2000, the Member State concerned shall, on the basis of objective criteria, take the necessary steps to reduce accordingly the total amount of individual reference quantities eligible for premium on its territory for the calendar year concerned.
4. For the purposes of this chapter, the definitions of 'producer' and 'holding' laid down in Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 3950/92 shall apply.
Article 17
2. Additional payments may be made in the form of premium supplements (Article 18) and/or area payments (Article 19).
Article 18
2. The total amount of dairy premium and premium supplement, which may be granted per premium amount per tonne of individual reference quantity eligible for premium, shall not exceed:
- EUR 13,9 per tonne for the calendar year 2005,
- EUR 27,8 per tonne for the calendar year 2006,
- EUR 41,7 per tonne for the calendar year 2007 and subsequent calendar years.
Article 19
(a) which is available to a producer during the calendar year concerned;
(b) which is not used to comply with the specific stocking density requirements referred to in Article 15(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal(19); and
(c) in respect of which no payments under the support system laid down for producers of certain arable crops, under the aid system for dried fodder and under Community aid schemes for other permanent or horticultural crops are claimed for the same year.
The area of permanent pasture in a region for which area payments may be granted shall not exceed the relevant regional base area.
2. The regional base areas shall be established by Member States in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999.
3. The maximum area payment per hectare which may be granted, including area payments pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999, shall not exceed EUR 350 for the calendar year 2005 and the subsequent calendar years.
Article 20
2. Before 1 April 2007, Member States shall submit to the Commission detailed reports on the implementation of Articles 17 to 19.
Before 1 January 2008, the Commission shall evaluate the implementation of Articles 17 to 19 and examine the distribution of Community funds between Member States as provided for in Annex I. If necessary, the Commission shall make appropriate proposals to the Council.
Article 21
Article 22
Article 23
Article 24
Article 25
TITLE II - TRADE WITH THIRD COUNTRIES
Article 26
2. Licences shall be issued by Member States to any applicant, irrespective of his place of establishment in the Community and without prejudice to the measures taken for the application of Articles 29, 30 and 31.
Import and export licences shall be valid throughout the Community. Such licences shall be issued subject to the lodging of a security guaranteeing that the products are imported or exported during the term of validity of the licence; except in cases of force majeure, the security shall be forfeited in whole or in part if import or export is not carried out, or is carried out only partially, within that period.
3. The following shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42:
(a) the list of products in respect of which export licences are required;
(b) the term of validity of the licences; and
(c) the other detailed rules for the application of this Article.
Article 27
Article 28
2. The trigger prices below which an additional duty may be imposed shall be those which are forwarded by the Community to the World Trade Organisation.
The trigger volumes to be exceeded in order to have the additional import duty imposed shall be determined particularly on the basis of imports into the Community in the three years preceding the year in which the adverse effects referred to in paragraph 1 arise or are likely to arise.
3. The import prices to be taken into consideration for imposing an additional import duty shall be determined on the basis of the cif import prices of the consignment under consideration.
Cif import prices shall be checked to that end against the representative prices for the product on the world market or on the Community import market for that product.
4. The Commission shall adopt detailed rules for the application of this Article in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42. Such detailed rules shall specify in particular:
(a) the products to which additional import duties shall be applied under the terms of Article 5 of the Agreement on Agriculture;
(b) the other criteria necessary to ensure application of paragraph 1 in accordance with Article 5 of the Agreement on Agriculture.
Article 29
2. Quotas may be administered by applying one of the following methods or a combination of them:
- method based on the chronological order of the lodging of applications (using the 'first come, first served' principle),
- method of distribution in proportion to the quantities requested when the applications were lodged (using the 'simultaneous examination' method),
- method based on taking traditional trade patterns into account (using the 'traditional importers/new arrivals' method).
Other appropriate methods may be adopted.
They shall avoid any discrimination between the operators concerned.
3. The method of administration adopted shall, where appropriate, give due weight to the supply requirements on the Community market and the need to safeguard the equilibrium of that market, whilst at the same time possibly drawing on methods which may have been applied in the past to quotas corresponding to those referred to in paragraph 1, without prejudice to the rights resulting from agreements concluded in the framework of the Uruguay Round trade negotiations.
4. The detailed rules referred to in paragraph 1 shall provide for annual quotas, suitably phased over the year, if necessary, to be opened, determine the administrative method to be applied and, where appropriate, include provisions regarding:
(a) guarantees covering the nature, provenance and origin of the product;
(b) recognition of the document used for verifying the guarantees referred to in (a); and
(c) the conditions under which import licences are issued and their term of validity.
Article 30
2. Quotas may be managed using one of the following methods or a combination thereof:
- order in which applications are submitted ("first come, first served" basis),
- allocation in proportion to quantities requested when applications are submitted ("simultaneous examination" method),
- traditional trade flows ("traditional importers/new arrivals" method).
Other appropriate methods may by adopted, in particular ones which guarantee the full use of the possibilities available under the quota concerned.
They shall avoid any discrimination between the operators concerned.
Article 31
Export refunds on the products listed in Article 1 in the form of goods listed in the Annex II may not be higher than those applicable to such products exported without further processing.
2. The method to be adopted for the allocation of the quantities which may be exported with a refund shall be the method which:
(a) is most suited to the nature of the product and the situation on the market in question, allowing the most efficient possible use of the resources available, account being taken of the efficiency and structure of Community exports without, however, creating discrimination between large and small operators;
(b) is least cumbersome administratively for operators, account being taken of administration requirements;
(c) prevents any discrimination between the operators concerned.
3. Refunds shall be the same for the whole Community.
They may vary according to destination, where the world market situation or the specific requirements of certain markets make this necessary.
Refunds shall be fixed by the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42. Refunds may be fixed:
(a) at regular intervals;
(b) by invitation to tender for products for which that procedure was provided for in the past.
Except where fixed by tender, the list of products on which an export refund is granted and the amount of such refund shall be fixed at least once every four weeks. The amount of the refund may, however, remain at the same level for more than four weeks and may, where necessary, be adjusted in the intervening period by the Commission at the request of a Member State or on its own initiative. However, for products listed in Article 1 and exported in the form of goods listed in Annex II to this Regulation, the refund may be fixed according to another timetable determined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16 of Council Regulation (EC) No 3448/93(20).
4. The following shall be taken into account when refunds are being fixed for the products listed in Article 1 and exported without further processing:
(a) the existing situation and future trends with regard to:
- prices and availabilities of milk and milk products on the Community market,
- prices of milk and milk products on the world market;
(b) the most favourable marketing costs and transport costs from Community markets to Community ports or other places of export together with forwarding costs to the countries of destination; demand on the Community market;
(c) the objectives of the common organisation of the markets in milk and milk products, which are to ensure a balanced situation and natural development regarding prices and trade on these markets;
(d) limits resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty;
(e) the importance of avoiding disturbances on the Community market;
(f) the economic aspect of the proposed exports.
Account shall also be taken in particular of the need to establish a balance between the use of Community basic agricultural products for export as processed goods to third countries, and the use of products from those countries admitted for inward processing.
5. For the products referred to in Article 1 and exported as such:
(a) the prices in the Community referred to in paragraph 1 shall be determined taking account of the prices prevailing which prove to be the most favourable as regards export;
(b) the prices on the world market referred to in paragraph 1 shall be determined taking account in particular of:
- the prices on third-country markets,
- the most favourable prices in third countries of destination for third-country imports,
- producer prices recorded in exporting third countries, account being taken, where appropriate, of subsidies granted by those countries,
- free-at-frontier offer prices.
6. Refunds shall be granted for the products referred to in paragraph 1 and exported as such only on application and on presentation of the relevant export licence.
7. The refund applicable to exports of products listed in Article 1 and exported as such shall be that applicable on the day of application for the licence and, in the case of a differentiated refund, that applicable on the same day for:
(a) the destination indicated on the licence, or where appropriate;
(b) the actual destination if it differs from the destination indicated on the licence. In that case, the amount applicable may not exceed the amount applicable for the destination indicated on the licence.
Appropriate measures may be taken to prevent abuse of the flexibility provided for in this paragraph.
8. Paragraphs 6 and 7 may be made to apply to products listed in Article 1 and exported in the form of goods listed in Annex II in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 3448/93.
9. Paragraphs 6 and 7 may be waived in the case of products listed in Article 1 on which refunds are paid under food-aid operations, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42.
10. The refund shall be paid upon proof that:
- the products are of Community origin,
- the products have been exported from the Community, and
- in the case of a differentiated refund, the products have reached the destination indicated on the licence or another destination for which a refund was fixed, without prejudice to paragraph 7(b). Exceptions may be made to this rule in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42, provided conditions are laid down which offer equivalent guarantees.
11. Without prejudice to paragraph 10, first indent, in the absence of a derogation granted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42, no export refund shall be granted on products which are imported from third countries and re-exported to third countries.
12. As regards the products referred to in Article 1 and exported in the form of the goods listed in Annex II to this Regulation, paragraphs 10 and 11 shall apply only to goods falling within the following CN codes:
- 0405 20 30 (dairy spreads with a fat content between 60 and 75 %),
- 1806 90 60 to 1806 90 90 (certain products containing cocoa),
- 1901 (certain food preparations of flour, etc.),
- 2106 90 98 (certain food preparations not elsewhere specified),
having a high milk-product content.
13. Compliance with the limits on volumes arising from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty shall be ensured on the basis of the export certificates issued for the reference periods provided for therein and applicable to the products concerned. With regard to compliance with the obligations arising under the Agreement on Agriculture, the ending of a reference period shall not affect the validity of export licences.
14. Detailed rules for the application of this Article, including the arrangements for redistributing unallocated or unused exportable quantities, shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42. However, the detailed rules on the application of paragraphs 8, 10, 11 and 12 for products referred to in Article 1 and exported in the form of goods listed in Annex II to this Regulation shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 3448/93.
Article 32
2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, if the situation referred to in paragraph 1 arises with exceptional urgency and the Community market is disturbed or is liable to be disturbed by the inward processing arrangements, the Commission shall, at the request of a Member State or on its own initiative, decide upon the necessary measures; the Council and the Member State shall be notified of such measures, which shall be valid for no more than six months and shall be immediately applicable. If the Commission receives a request from a Member State, it shall take a decision thereon within a week following receipt of the request.
3. Measures decided on by the Commission may be referred to the Council by any Member State within a week of the day on which they were notified. The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may confirm, amend or repeal the Commission Decision.
If the Council has not acted within three months, the Commission Decision shall be deemed to have been repealed.
Article 33
2. Save as otherwise provided for in this Regulation or in provisions adopted pursuant thereto, the following shall be prohibited in trade with third countries:
- the levying of any charge having equivalent effect to a customs duty,
- the application of any quantitative restriction or measure having equivalent effect.
Article 34
2. A significant excess within the meaning of paragraph 1 shall exist when the free-at-frontier price exceeds the intervention price fixed for the product in question, increased by 15 %, or, as regards products for which there is no intervention price, a price derived from the intervention price, to be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42, taking account of the nature and composition of the product in question.
3. The situation in which the free-at-frontier price significantly exceeds the level of prices is likely to continue when an imbalance exists between supply and demand and that imbalance is likely to continue, in view of foreseeable trends in production and market prices.
4. The Community market is disturbed or under threat of disturbance by the situation referred to in this Article when the high level of prices in international trade:
- hinders imports of milk products into the Community, or
- causes milk products to leave the Community,
so that security of supply is no longer ensured or threatens to be no longer ensured in the Community.
5. Where the conditions listed in paragraphs 1 to 4 are met, total or partial suspension of the import duties and/or collection of export charges may be decided on in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall, if necessary, be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the same procedure.
Article 35
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt general rules for the application of this paragraph and shall define the cases in which and the limits within which Member States may take protective measures.
2. If the situation referred to in paragraph 1 arises, the Commission shall, at the request of a Member State or on its own initiative, decide upon the necessary measures; the Member States shall be notified of such measures, which shall be immediately applicable. If the Commission receives a request from a Member State, it shall take a decision thereon within three working days following receipt of the request.
3. Measures decided upon by the Commission may be referred to the Council by any Member State within three working days of the day on which they were notified. The Council shall meet without delay. It may, acting by a qualified majority, amend or repeal the measure in question within one month following the day on which it was referred to the Council.
4. This Article shall be applied having regard to the obligations arising from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300(2) of the Treaty.
TITLE III - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 36
Article 37
Article 38
2. National measures permitting equalisation between the prices of products listed in Article 1 shall also be prohibited.
Article 39
Article 40
Article 41
Article 42
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 205(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
3. The Commission shall adopt measures which shall apply immediately. However, if these measures are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, they shall be communicated by the Commission to the Council forthwith. In that event the Commission may defer application of the measures which it has decided for not more than one month from the date of such communication.
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a different decision within one month.
Article 43
Article 44
Article 45
TITLE IV - TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 46
2. References to Regulation (EEC) No 804/68 shall be construed as references to this Regulation and should be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.
Article 47
- the measures required to facilitate the transition from the arrangements provided in Regulation (EEC) No 804/68 to those established by this Regulation,
- the measures required to resolve specific practical problems. Such measures - if duly justified - may derogate from certain parts of this Regulation.
Article 48
It shall apply as from 1 January 2000.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.