Pursuant to Article 110j of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/20032 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending certain Regulations tobacco aid is granted to the producers of raw tobacco for the harvest years 2006 to 2009.

Article 104(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation)3 provides for the funding of the Community Tobacco Fund by the transfer of certain amount of tobacco aid for the calendar years 2006 and 2007 in accordance with Article 110m of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003. The Community Tobacco Fund has always been funded by the transfer of part of the tobacco aids. Such transfer for calendar years 2006 and 2007 was initially proposed when the introduction of the tobacco sector into the single payment scheme was to be accompanied by a transitional tobacco aid to be paid in the same years. Council Regulation (EC) No 864/20044 finally extended the tobacco aid to 2008 and 2009 without accordingly extending the funding of the Community Tobacco Fund by a reduction of the tobacco aid.

Actions funded by the Community Tobacco Fund have proved to be very successful as well as a positive example of cooperation between agriculture and health policies. In order to ensure the continuation of those actions, and taking into account that the Fund has always been funded by transfer from the tobacco aid, it is appropriate to transfer an amount equal to 5 % of the tobacco aid granted for the calendar years 2008 and 2009 to the Community Tobacco Fund.

Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly,