Article 18U.K.Private storage and intervention
1.If the average Community price recorded is below the reference price, during a representative period, and is likely to remain at that level, taking into account the market situation, aid for private storage of white sugar may be granted to undertakings which are allocated a sugar quota.
2.Throughout the marketing years 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, the intervention agency designated by each sugar-producing Member State shall buy in, up to a total quantity of 600 000 tonnes, expressed in white sugar, per marketing year for the Community, any white or raw sugar offered to it provided that the sugar concerned:
has been produced under quota and manufactured from beet or cane harvested in the Community,
has been the subject of a storage contract concluded between the seller and the intervention agency.
Intervention agencies shall buy in at 80 % of the reference price fixed in Article 3 for the marketing year following the marketing year during which the offer is lodged. If the quality of the sugar differs from the standard quality for which the reference price is fixed, this price shall be increased or reduced accordingly.
3.Intervention agencies may sell sugar only at a price which is higher than the reference price fixed for the marketing year in which the sale takes place.
However, it may be decided in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 39(2), whilst respecting the commitments resulting from agreements concluded under Article 300 of the Treaty, that intervention agencies:
(a)may sell sugar at a price equal to or lower than the reference price referred to in the first subparagraph if the sugar is intended:
(a)for use as animal feed,
(a)or
for export, either without further processing or after processing into products listed in Annex I to the Treaty or into goods listed in Annex VII to this Regulation.
(b)are to make unprocessed sugar held by them available, for human consumption on the internal market of the Community, to charitable organisations — recognised by the Member State concerned or by the Commission in cases where a Member State has not recognised any such organisation — at a price which is lower than the current reference price or free of charge for the distribution as part of individual emergency aid operations.