THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to 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), and in particular points (f) and (g) of Article 43, in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2799/98 of 15 December 1998 establishing agri-monetary arrangements for the euro, and in particular Article 3(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 562/2011 as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 208/2012 has set the deadlines for the submission of requests for payment and the execution of payments at 30 September 2012 and 15 October 2012 respectively and provides that the implementation period of the 2012 distribution plan is to end on 28 February 2013.
(2)
To enable the Member States to use those deadlines efficiently, it is necessary to allow the possibility of granting advance payments for the transport of products to the storage depots of the charitable organisations and for the transport, administrative and storage costs incurred by the charitable organisations designated to distribute the products. In order to ensure the efficient implementation of the annual plan, the same possibility should be allowed for the supply of products in duly justified cases. In addition it needs to be established how and when a security is required.
(3)
Taking into consideration the non-profit nature of the designated organisations referred to in Article 27(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, the competent authorities of the Member States should be empowered to allow alternative guarantee instruments when advances are paid to those organisations in respect of their administrative, transport and storage costs.
(4)
For accounting purposes, Member States should be required to notify the Commission of certain information related to the advance payments.
(5)
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 562/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: