Agricultural Products Processing and Marketing (Improvement Grant) Regulations 1977

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These regulations apply throughout the United Kingdom and supplement Regulation (EEC) No. 355/77 of the Council on common measures to improve the conditions under which agricultural products are processed and marketed. The Council Regulation empowers the Commission (subject, in specified circumstances, to the decision of the Council) to grant to projects aid from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund conditional upon financial contribution by the Member States on the territory of which the projects are to be carried out. Article 6.1 of the Council Regulation in the English edition of the Official Journal defines “project” as:—

  

“any project involving public, semi-public or private material investment relating wholly or in part to buildings and/or equipment for:

(a) rationalizing or developing storage, market preparation, preservation, treatment or processing of agricultural products;

  

(b) improving marketing channels;

  

(c) better knowledge of the facts relating to prices and to their formation on the markets for agricultural products.”

  

To enable United Kingdom projects to receive aid which has been authorised under the Council Regulation, these regulations empower Minister to make grants towards approved expenditure for the purposes of those projects (regulation 3).

Where the expenditure approved for Community aid has been approved for the purposes of any other grant out of United Kingdom public funds, only such grant is payable under these regulations as is necessary to enable the project to receive the Community aid. Otherwise the amount of grant under these regulations is restricted to a maximum of 8 per cent. of that expenditure (regulation 4).

In specified circumstances, approval of expenditure may be revoked and grant may be recovered (regulation 5). A penalty is prescribed in respect of false statements made to obtain grant (regulation 6).