In order to ensure the efficient administration of those schemes, the area payments should be restricted to certain areas and conditions should be specified.

Malta has a very large number of small farms, less than 0.3 hectare in size. To avoid many farmers in Malta being disqualified from the area based direct payments, the minimum size of application to area based direct payments in Malta should be fixed at 0.1 ha and, for the years 2005 and 2006, Malta should be allowed to derogate from Article 107(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

The sowing of land for the sole purpose of qualifying for area payments should be prevented. Certain conditions relating to the sowing and cultivation of crops should be specified, in particular as regards durum wheat, protein plants and rice. Local standards should be respected in order to reflect the diversity of agricultural practice within the Community.

Only one application for an area payment should be permitted in respect of any parcel cultivated in a given year except in cases where the area payment is given as a supplement to the same crop or the aid concerns the production of seeds. Area payments may be granted on crops subsidised under a scheme falling within the Community's structural or environmental policies.

Supports schemes based on area aid provide that where the area for which aid is claimed exceeds the maximum guaranteed area or base areas or sub-base areas, the area per farmer for which aid is claimed is to be reduced proportionately in that year. It is therefore appropriate to establish the modalities and deadlines for the exchange of information between the Commission and the Member States in order to establish the coefficient of reduction and to inform the Commission of the areas for which the aid has been paid. The same provisions should apply for the reduction of the total amount of individual reference quantities in the event of application of Article 95(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

Under Article 73 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the granting of the specific quality premium for durum wheat is subject to the use of certain quantities of certified seeds of varieties recognised, in the production zone, as being of high quality for the production of semolina or pasta. In order to ensure that those requirements are respected, the criteria for the variety screening method in each Member State should be fixed and the procedure for the establishment of the eligible varieties list as well as the minimum quantity of certified seeds to be used should be fixed.

The short time between the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and the entry into force of the specific quality premium for durum wheat makes it impossible to establish a list of eligible varieties for the granting of the aid in the year 2005 according to the envisaged screening method. It is therefore necessary for Member States to establish a transitional list based on a selection of current varieties.

In some regions, the protein crops are traditionally sown in a mixture with cereals for agronomical reasons. The resulting crop principally consists of protein crops. For the purpose of granting the protein crop premium, the areas thus sown should therefore be considered as areas of protein crops.

Standards for sweet lupins and tests to determine whether or not a sample of lupins is sweet should be laid down.

In the interest of efficiency and good management of the aid scheme for nuts, the area aid granted should not be used to finance marginal plantations or isolated trees. A minimum plot size and a minimum tree density of a specialised orchard should therefore be defined. In order to facilitate the transition between the existing improvement plans which expire later than the introduction of the new aid scheme, it is appropriate to provide for transitional measures.

The terms of payment as well as the crop specific payment for rice calculation depend not only on the base area or areas fixed for each producing Member State fixed by Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, but also on the possible subdivision of those base areas into sub-base areas and on the objective criteria chosen by each Member State to perform this subdivision, on conditions in which the cultivated parcels are put into cultivation and on the minimum size of the base areas. As a consequence, detailed rules should be laid down for the establishment, the management and the cultivation modalities applicable to base areas and sub-base areas.

The observation of a possible overrun of the base area referred to in Article 82 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 implies a reduction of the crop-specific payment for rice. In order to set the calculation modalities for such a reduction, the criteria to be taken into consideration as well as applicable coefficients should be defined.

The follow-up of the payments of the crop specific payment for rice presumes that the Commission has been forwarded certain information related to the cultivation of base areas and sub-base areas. For that purpose, the detailed information that the Member States should communicate to the Commission as well as the deadlines for such communications should be determined.

Articles 88 to 92 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provide for a new aid scheme for energy crops to be granted to farmers. In line with Regulation (EC) No 2461/1999, which excludes sugarbeet from the aid, the cultivation of sugarbeet should be excluded from the aid scheme for energy crops.

The terms of eligibility for that aid should be laid down. For that purpose, it should be laid down that a contract must be concluded between the producer and the first processor with respect to the agricultural raw materials concerned. The conditions where processing is carried out by the farmer on the holding should also be defined.

To ensure that the raw material is processed into the specified energy product, first processors should lodge a security, despite the fact that the aid is granted not to first processors but to farmers. The security should be high enough to prevent any risk that the raw materials are ultimately diverted from their destination. In addition, in order to make the control system for the scheme effective, sales of raw materials and of semi-processed products should be limited to a maximum of two before final processing.

An explicit distinction should be made between the applicant's obligations, which end once the total quantity of raw material harvested is delivered, and the obligations incumbent on first processors, which commence on delivery and end with the final processing of the raw materials into energy products.

Article 98 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provides for a reduction of the specific regional aid for arable crops when the total amount of aid claimed exceeds the fixed ceiling. The modalities for the calculation of the reduction coefficient should therefore be established.

Article 99 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provides for the possibility of direct aid being granted for the production of one or more seed species.

To make controls possible, basic seed and certified seed should be produced under growing contracts or growing declarations which will be joined to the single application and seed establishments and breeders should be officially approved or registered. The necessary measures should be laid down for cases where a seed establishment or a breeder from one Member State grows seed in another Member State.

For administrative reasons, aid should, in each Member State, be granted only in respect of products harvested on the territory of that Member State.

Article 108 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 defines the land that is eligible for arable crops area payments. That Article authorises certain exceptions under the control of the Member States which do not undermine the effectiveness of the arrangements laid down in that Regulation. In order to avoid any such risk, suitable measures should be laid down to keep the total area of eligible land at the current level and to prevent any appreciable increase therein. Those measures may in certain cases involve deeming previously eligible areas ineligible as an offsetting measure.

Member States where maize is not a traditional crop may make silage grass eligible for the arable crops area payments. Accordingly, it is necessary to define what is meant by silage grass.

Article 109 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 requires producers of cereals, oilseeds and protein plants to complete sowing by 31 May at the latest. In certain cases, sowing may be put off until after 31 May because of the climate. The deadline for sowing and for submitting applications should be extended for certain crops in certain regions. However, such extensions should not adversely affect the effectiveness of the support system or undermine the control system introduced by Chapter 4 of Title II of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

In order to ensure that the processing industry receives regular supplies of sweetcorn throughout the marketing year, producers should be able to spread their sowings over a longer period. The final date for sowing sweetcorn should therefore be deferred to 15 June.

It is appropriate to provide that a minimum quantity of certified durum wheat seed is to be used in the case of the durum wheat supplement and special aid. In view of the diversity of agricultural practice within the Member States and within regions thereof, the setting of the minimum quantity should be left to the Member States concerned.

For the purpose of Article 103 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, what is meant by irrigation should be defined.

The areas to be taken into account with a view to assessing any overshoot in the base area and the rules for determining the extent of such overshoots should be specified. Where a separate base area is established for maize, irrigated areas or silage grass, special rules should be laid down as regards the areas to be taken into account with a view to calculating any overshoot in the base area in question. The rules for determining any overshoot in the base area should ensure that the base area is complied with in all cases. The way the overshoot is to be calculated in respect of the maximum guaranteed areas for durum wheat should also be specified. The procedure to be followed for establishing overshoot of the ceiling of the payments referred to in Article 102(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 should also be specified.

In the event of application of Article 71 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, eligibility for arable crops area payments is conditional on an obligation on the producers concerned to set aside part of the area on their holdings. Detailed implementing rules capable of ensuring that the scheme has the necessary effectiveness should be laid down. To that end, provision should be made for the areas counting as set-aside to be comparable with those counting for the purposes of calculating the regional base area. The legume crops referred to in the second indent of Article 107(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 should be defined.

Under Article 107(6) and in the event of application of Article 66 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, detailed rules should be established regarding land voluntarily set-aside. Those rules should be consistent with the overall system introduced by Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003.

The criteria for eligibility for sheep and goat premiums provided for in Chapter 11 of Title IV of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, and in particular the conditions required, need to be laid down.

Article 113(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provides for the granting of a premium to goatmeat farmers in certain areas of the Community. The areas in question should therefore be determined in accordance with the criteria laid down in that provision.

Under Article 114(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 farmers whose holdings have at least 50 % of their area used for agriculture situated in less-favoured areas may qualify for a supplementary premium. Article 113(2) makes reference to the specific geographical zones where goatmeat farmers meet the necessary conditions to qualify for the goat premium. Provisions should be made for a declaration to be provided by farmers meeting those criteria to prove that at least half of the land they are using for agricultural production is located in less-favoured areas or in areas which qualify for the goat premium.

For the purpose of control on eligibility for the correct level of ewe premium, Member States should draw up an inventory of farmers marketing sheep's milk or sheep's milk products.

With a view to implementing the system of individual limits as introduced by Articles 116, 117 and 118 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, the existing administrative rules may continue to be applied as regards, in particular, the use of rights granted free of charge, the use of normal rights including minimum use, the temporary leasing and transfer of rights, the notification of changes on individual ceiling and the transfer of rights through the national reserve. Some of those rules are specific provisions for exceptional and duly justified circumstances such as, regarding the use of rights, the small farmers and farmers participating in extensification programs and early retirement schemes, and, for the transfer purpose, the inheritance of premiums rights and the case of farmers using only publicly or collectively owned land for grazing.

The Commission is to monitor the new arrangements and as a result it needs to be properly provided by the Member States with the essential information regarding the implementation of the premium rules.

If applicable, detailed information on the national rules on, and the implementation of, the additional payments should be forwarded to the Commission.

Title IV Chapter 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provides for beef and veal payments. The criteria for eligibility, and in particular the conditions required for those payments, need to be laid down.

The objectives of the regional ceiling and of the stocking density dictate that the special premium may no longer be applied for in respect of the same age bracket for those animals affected by the application of these two measures. For the purposes of the deseasonalisation premium, those animals should be deemed to have qualified for the special premium.

Provision should be made for the administrative document laid down in Article 123(3)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 to be drawn up and issued at national level. In order to take account of particular administrative and control conditions in the Member States, different forms of administrative document should be allowed.

Article 123(3)(a) and Article 130(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 lay down a retention period as a condition for granting the special premium and the slaughter premium. It is therefore necessary to define and quantify that period.

The arrangements for granting the special premium at the time of slaughter should be consistent with the arrangements for granting the slaughter premium. The types of documents which are to accompany the animal until slaughter dispatch or export should be specified. In order to take account of the specific features of the form of granting at the time of slaughter, the age conditions for steers and the method of presentation of the carcase for adult bovine animals should be laid down.

The conditions for granting the deseasonalisation premium should be laid down, in accordance with the arrangements for granting the slaughter premium. The Commission should determine, on the basis of available information, which Member States meet the conditions for applying this premium scheme.

The concept of suckler cow laid down in Article 125 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 should be defined. In that respect, the same breeds should be kept as those under Regulation (EC) No 2342/1999. Moreover, the existing essential requirements may continue to be applied, in particular as regards the average milk yield and the additional national premium.

The existing administrative rules may continue to be applied as regards in particular the individual ceilings, the notifications on the individual ceilings and the national reserve, the rights obtained free of charge, the use of rights, the transfer and temporary leasing of rights, the transfers through the national reserve.

The Commission should determine, on the basis of available information, which Member States meet the conditions for applying the special scheme laid down in Article 129 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003. The special arrangements for granting the premium should be specified.

The method for calculating the stocking density should be determined. A date should be laid down for taking the milk reference quantity into consideration.

Steps should be taken to ensure that the extensification payment is not granted to farmers who artificially comply with the average stocking rates required for the grant of the extensification payment.

The procedures for determining, on the basis of available information, which Member States meet the conditions in Article 132(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 for granting the extensification payment to dairy cows should be laid down. The special arrangements for granting the premium should be specified. A minimum retention period should be laid down.

Specific provisions should be laid down as regards the application of the rules on periods, dates and time limits to the retention period.

In the interests of simplification, the ‘livestock’ aid application provided for in the integrated system should be taken to represent application for the slaughter premium, provided that it contains all the elements needed to justify payment of the premium and that the animal is slaughtered in the same Member State or in another Member State, or exported.

It should be possible to use the computerised database referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 to facilitate the management of the slaughter premium, on condition that the Member State concerned considers that the database offers adequate assurances as to the accuracy of the data it contains for the purposes of the payment of premiums.

The slaughter premium for calves is conditional on a maximum weight limit. A standard type of carcase presentation should therefore be laid down, to which this maximum weight applies.

Detailed information on the national rules on and implementation of the additional payments should be forwarded to the Commission.

To ensure that farmers receive payments as quickly as possible, provision should be made for granting advances. However, in view of the application of the national or regional ceilings, steps should be taken to ensure that the advance does not exceed the definitive payment. Provision should therefore be made to allow Member States to reduce the percentage of the advance for the premium schemes subject to those ceilings.

Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 lays down penalties for the illegal use or holding of substances or products not authorised by the relevant veterinary legislation. In the case of repeated infringements, determination of the duration of penalties should be left to the Member States, which are better placed to judge the true gravity of the offence committed.

It is necessary to fix the date determining the elements to be taken into consideration for the application of the special premium and suckler cow premium schemes. In order to ensure sound and consistent administration, that date should, as a general rule, be the date of the submission of applications. However, with respect to the special premium paid on slaughter, special rules should be laid down in order to avoid carry-overs from one year to the next with a view to obtaining a higher premium. As regards the slaughter premium, the date of slaughter or of export is a better indication of whether the operations concerned have actually been carried out.

The exchange rate applicable on the date of the operative event for the premiums should be fixed in such a way as to ensure in principle that such premiums do not undergo any sharp fluctuations on conversion into national currency due to the exchange rate on a single date.

Provision should be made for the Member States to be subject to certain notification obligations. To facilitate the transmission and analysis of the data, a consistent format for submitting that data should be laid down.

In order to facilitate the change to the new scheme, transitional provisions are needed for the obligation to mark and identify animals.

Article 143b of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 allows the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (the new Member States) to replace the direct payments with a single payment (‘the single area payment scheme’). The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have made that choice. Therefore detailed rules for the application of the single area payment scheme should be laid down.

In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 143b(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and in order to avoid managing numerous applications that would entail payments per holding lower than EUR 50, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have requested the authorisation to set the minimum size of eligible area par holding at a level higher than 0.3 ha.

The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have estimated the part of their utilised agricultural area which has been maintained in good agricultural condition on 30 June 2003 and have proposed to adjust it in accordance with the minimum size of eligible area per holding.

Article 143c of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provides for the possibility in the new Member States of complementing direct aid paid to a farmer, subject to authorisation by the Commission. The general modalities for implementing this possibility should be established.

Article 55(b) and the first indent of Article 107(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 provide for exemption from set-aside if the land is used for producing materials for the manufacture within the Community of products not primarily intended for human or animal consumption, provided that effective control systems are applied.

The cultivation of sugarbeet, Jerusalem artichokes or chicory roots on land set aside should not be ruled out under certain conditions. Such crops cannot qualify for area payments in view of the risk of affecting the market in sugar. Care should nonetheless be taken to ensure that such crops comply with the rules governing the use of set-aside land.

The terms of eligibility for this scheme must be laid down. To this end it should be laid down that a contract must be concluded between the producer and the collector or first processor with respect to the agricultural raw materials concerned. Conditions should also be laid down for cases where processing is carried out by the farmer on the holding.

To ensure that the raw material is processed into the specified end product, collectors or first processors must lodge a security, even though the aid is granted to farmers. In addition, to make the control system for the scheme effective, the number of processors should be limited.

A clear distinction must be made between the applicant's obligations, which end once the total quantity of raw material harvested is delivered, and the obligations, including the requirement concerning securities, incumbent on collectors and first processors, which commence on delivery and end with the final processing of the raw materials into end products.

Certain transport operations within Community territory involving raw materials and products derived therefrom should be subject to controls entailing the use of declarations and T5 control copies to be issued in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93. Provision should be made for alternative evidence if the T5 control copy is not returned to the competent authorities of the collectors or first processors as a result of circumstances for which they are not responsible. In the interest of efficiency and good management of the aid scheme, provisions should be laid down to govern checks.

Apart from the eligibility criteria laid down in Article 110o of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 for the hops area aid, some additional criteria should be established in order to en ensure that the aid if granted to areas on which hops is cultivated under normal cultivation conditions. The concept of an area ‘planted with hops’ should be defined at Community level so as to ensure that the areas for which the additional payment is made are calculated in the same way. It is necessary to lay down the way in which the total sum per Member State available for the additional payments is distributed over the eligible areas.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments,