[F1Article 103a U.K. Aid to producer groups
1. During the transitional period allowed pursuant to Article 125e, Member States may grant to producer groups in the fruit and vegetables sector which have been formed in view of being recognised as a producer organisation:
(a) aid to encourage their formation and facilitate their administrative operation;
(b) aid, provided either directly or through credit institutions, to cover part of the investments required to attain recognition and set out in the recognition plan referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 125e(1).
2. The aid referred to in paragraph 1 shall be reimbursed by the Community in accordance with rules to be adopted by the Commission on the financing of such measures, including the thresholds and ceilings and the degree of Community financing.
3. The aid referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall be determined for each producer group on the basis of its marketed production and shall amount, for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth years, to:
(a) 10 %, 10 %, 8 %, 6 % and 4 % respectively of the value of marketed production in the Member States which acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004 or thereafter; and
(b) 5 %, 5 %, 4 %, 3 % and 2 %, respectively of the value of marketed production in the outermost regions of the Community as referred to in Article 299(2) of the Treaty or in the smaller Aegean Islands as referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 of 18 September 2006 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean Islands (1) .
Those percentage rates may be reduced in relation to the value of marketed production which exceeds a threshold. A ceiling may be applied to the aid payable in any given year to a producer group.]
Textual Amendments