CHAPTER IVNational Financial Assistance
Article 93Degree of organisation of producers
For the purposes of Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007, the degree of organisation of producers in a region of a Member State shall be considered as particularly low where producer organisations, associations of producer organisations and producer groups have marketed less than 20 % of the average value of fruit and vegetable production in the last three years for which the data are available.
Article 94Authorisation to pay national financial assistance
1.Member States shall submit a request to the Commission for authorisation to pay national financial assistance pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 in any given calendar year by 15 January of that year.
The request shall be accompanied by evidence showing that the degree of organisation of producers in the region concerned is particularly low, as defined in Article 93 of this Regulation, as well as details of the producer organisations concerned, the amount of assistance concerned and the proportion of financial contributions being made pursuant to Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007.
2.The Commission shall approve or refuse the request within three months of its submission. If the Commission does not reply within this period the request shall be considered to have been approved.
Article 95Application for and payment of the national financial assistance
Producer organisations shall apply for the national financial assistance, and Member States shall pay the aid, in accordance with Articles 70 to 73.
Article 96Maximum proportion of Community reimbursement of the national financial assistance
The proportion of Community reimbursement of national financial assistance shall be 60 % of the national financial assistance granted to the producer organisation.
Article 97Community reimbursement of the national financial assistance
1.Member States shall request Community reimbursement of approved national financial assistance actually paid to producer organisations, before 1 March of the year following the yearly implementation of the operational programmes.
The request shall be accompanied by evidence showing that the conditions set out in the second subparagraph of Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 have been fulfilled in the previous three years, as well as details of the producer organisations concerned, the amount of assistance actually paid and the proportion of financial contributions actually made pursuant to Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007.
2.The Commission shall take a decision to approve or refuse the request.
3.Where Community reimbursement of the assistance has been approved, the eligible expenditure shall be declared to the Commission in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 883/2006(1).