These Regulations, which come into operation on 1st April 2000 amend, insofar as they apply to Northern Ireland, the Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/733).

These Regulations implement for Northern Ireland a change to Article 6(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3950/92 (OJ No. L405, 31.12.92, p. 1) (as previously amended) establishing an additional levy in the milk and milk products sector, made by Article 1(7) of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1256/1999 (OJ No. L160, 26.6.1999, p. 73). Article 6(1) permits Member States, in respect of temporary transfers of quota, to specify any date in the quota year in question (hitherto, no later than 31st December) as the one no later than which such transfers are authorised. These Regulations introduce a date of 31st March as the date by which notice of the temporary transfer must be submitted to the Intervention Board (regulation 6).

In consequence, certain changes are made to the dates by which certain other notices etc. are required to be made to the Intervention Board (regulations 4 and 5).

In addition, these Regulations include, in the classes of persons required to render reasonable assistance to authorised officers, producers, purchasers, the employees and agents of producers or purchasers, milk hauliers and persons undertaking butterfat testing for purchasers in a laboratory, and align with this the premises in respect of which a power of entry may be exercised (regulation 7).