THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17 December 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products,
Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2814/2000 of 21 December 2000 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 as regards the grant of carry-over aid for certain fishery products, and in particular Article 5 thereof,
Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 939/2001 of 14 May 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 as regards the grant of flat-rate aid for certain fishery products, and in particular Article 5 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 provides that aid may be granted for quantities of certain fresh products withdrawn from the market and either processed to stabilise them and stored or preserved.
(2)
The purpose of that aid is to give suitable encouragement to producers’ organisations to process or preserve products withdrawn from the market so that their destruction can be avoided.
(3)
The aid level should not be such as to disturb the balance of the market for the products in question or distort competition.
(4)
The aid level should not exceed the technical and financial costs associated with the operations essential to stabilising and storage recorded in the Union during the fishing year preceding the year in question.
(5)
In order not to hinder the operation of the intervention system in the year 2012, this Regulation should apply retroactively from 1 January 2012.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fishery Products,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: