TITLE IVOTHER AID SCHEMES

CHAPTER 4AREA PAYMENT FOR NUTS

Article 83Community aid

1

A Community aid shall be granted to farmers producing nuts under the conditions laid down in this Chapter.

Nuts shall include:

  • almonds falling within CN codes 0802 11 and 0802 12,

  • hazelnuts or filberts falling within CN codes 0802 21 and 0802 22,

  • walnuts falling within CN codes 0802 31 and 0802 32,

  • pistachios falling within CN codes 0802 50,

  • locust beans falling within CN codes 1212 10 10.

2

Member States may differentiate the aid in function of the products or by increasing or decreasing the national guaranteed areas (hereinafter referred to as the ‘NGA’) established in Article 84(3). However, in each Member State, the total amount of aid granted in a given year shall not be higher than the ceiling referred to in Article 84(1).

Article 84F1Areas

1

A Member State shall grant the Community aid within the limit of a ceiling calculated by multiplying the number of hectares of its NGA as fixed in paragraph 3 by the average amount of EUR 120,75.

2

A maximum guaranteed area of 829 229 ha is hereby established.

3

The maximum guaranteed area referred to in paragraph 2 shall be divided into the following NGA:

National Guaranteed Areas (NGA)

Belgium

100 ha

Bulgaria

11 984 ha

Germany

1 500 ha

Greece

41 100 ha

Spain

568 200 ha

France

17 300 ha

Italy

130 100 ha

Cyprus

5 100 ha

Luxembourg

100 ha

Hungary

2 900 ha

Netherlands

100 ha

Austria

100 ha

Poland

4 200 ha

Portugal

41 300 ha

Romania

1 645 ha

Slovenia

300 ha

Slovakia

3 100 ha

United Kingdom

100 ha

4

A Member State may subdivide its NGA into sub-areas in accordance with objective criteria, in particular at regional level or in relation to the production.

Article 85Overrun of the sub-base areas

When a Member State subdivides its NGA in sub-base areas and one or more sub-base areas are exceeded, the area per farmer for which Community aid is claimed shall be reduced proportionately in that year for the farmers in the sub-base areas where their limit have been exceeded. This reduction shall be made when, in the Member State concerned, the areas in sub-base areas, which have not reached their limits, have been redistributed to sub-base areas in which those limits have been exceeded.

Article 86Conditions for eligibility

1

Payment of the Community aid shall be conditional on, in particular, minimum plot size and tree density.

2

Areas in improvement plans within the meaning of Article 14(b) of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of the Council of 18 May 1972 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables31 become eligible for aid under this scheme on 1 January of the year following the year in which the improvement plan expired.

3

Member States may make the granting of Community aid conditional on farmers being members of a producer organisation recognised under Articles 11 or 14 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.

4

If the provision of paragraph 3 is applied, Member States may decide that the payment of the aid referred to in paragraph 1 is made to a producer organisation on the behalf of its members. The amount of aid received by the producer organisation shall be paid to its members. However, Member States may authorise a producer organisation, as compensation for the services provided to its members, to operate a deduction on the amount of Community aid up to a maximum of 2 %.

Article 87National aid

1

Member States may grant national aid, in addition to the Community aid, up to a maximum of EUR 120,75 per hectare per year.

2

The national aid may be paid only for areas receiving Community aid.

3

Member States may make the granting of national aid conditional on farmers being members of a producer organisation recognised under Articles 11 or 14 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.