Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1371/2014 of 19 December 2014 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 laying down further temporary exceptional support measures for producers of certain fruit and vegetables

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 219(1) in conjunction with Article 228 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 7 August 2014 the Russian government introduced a ban on imports of certain products from the Union to Russia, including fruit and vegetables.

(2) In order to prevent the resulting disturbance of the market for fruit and vegetables, where large quantities of perishable products are involved, from turning into a more severe or prolonged market disturbance, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 932/2014 (2) was adopted. It provided for maximum amounts of support for withdrawal, non-harvesting and green harvesting operations. The mechanism introduced by that Regulation was subsequently supplemented by measures under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 (3) in the form of additional, targeted support for certain quantities of products, calculated on the basis of traditional exports to Russia.

(3) The Russian import ban continues to create a serious threat of market disturbances caused by significant price falls due to the fact that an important export market has suddenly become unavailable. For such a market situation, the normal measures available under Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 still appear to be insufficient. The mechanism based on support for certain quantities of products under Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 needs therefore to be prolonged.

(4) Taking the estimated quantities affected by the ban into account, the Union financial assistance should be prolonged in accordance with the quantities of products concerned. The calculation of those quantities should be made for each Member State in accordance with the level of its average exports to Russia of the products concerned for the previous three years in the following months: April and May for fruit and January to May for vegetables. Furthermore, due to their seasonal exports, lemons of CN code 0805 50 10 should be added to the list of products eligible for support under Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014.

(5) Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6) In order to have an immediate impact on the market and to contribute to stabilise prices, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendment of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014

Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 is amended as follows:

(4) In Article 10(1), the introductory part of the first subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘By 30 September 2014, 15 October 2014, 31 October 2014, 15 November 2014, 30 November 2014, 15 December 2014, 31 December 2014, 15 January 2015, 31 January 2015 and 15 February 2015 in respect of the period referred to in Article 1(3)(a) and, until 30 September 2015, by the 15th and the last day of each month in respect of the period referred to in Article 1(3)(b), Member States shall notify the Commission of the following information for each product:’

(6) The title of Annex I is replaced by the following: ‘Maximum quantities of products allocated per Member State as referred to in Article 2(1)(a)’

(7) Annex Ia is inserted, the text of which is set out in Annex I to this Regulation.

(8) Annexes III and IV are replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2014.

For the Commission The President Jean-Claude JUNCKER

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 932/2014 of 29 August 2014 laying down temporary exceptional support measures for producers of certain fruit and vegetables and amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 913/2014 (OJ L 259, 30.8.2014, p. 2).

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1031/2014 of 29 September 2014 laying down further temporary exceptional support measures for producers of certain fruit and vegetables (OJ L 284, 30.9.2014, p. 22).