# COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 968/2007

of 17 August 2007

as regards the Community contribution to the costs of restructuring and conversion provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for the 2007/08 wine year

## Preamble

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine [^1] , and in particular Article 80(b) thereof,

Whereas:

**(1)** Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 provides for that in regions classified as Objective 1 in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds [^2] , the Community contribution to the costs of restructuring and conversion is limited to 75 % of those costs.

**(2)** Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 was repealed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 [^3] , which lays down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund, with effect from 1 January 2007. In accordance with Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, regions covered by Objective 1 were the regions corresponding to level II of the Nomenclature of Territorial Statistical Units (NUTS) whose per capita GDP, measured in purchasing power parities has been less than 75 % of the Community average. In accordance with Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, such regions are eligible for funding under the Convergence objective.

**(3)** Some regions which have been covered by Objective 1 are not covered by the Convergence objective. On the contrary, the territory of Bulgaria and Romania is covered by the Convergence objective but was obviously not covered by Objective 1.

**(4)** This causes specific practical problems in case of the application of restructuring and conversion plans to be prepared and approved for the wine year 2007/08 since the present wording of Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 allows neither the higher funding for Objective 1 regions, as they no longer exist, nor for Convergence regions, as they are not targeted by the said provision. Yet, the objective should evidently be to provide for a higher aid rate for less developed regions.

**(5)** The transitional arrangement applicable at present, provided for in Commission Regulation (EC) No 225/2007 [^4] , offers a solution only for the 2006/07 wine year. Therefore, pending the reform of the common organisation of the market in wine, it is appropriate to provide for the possibility, for the wine year 2007/08, to grant the higher support rate foreseen in Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for Convergence regions.

**(6)** The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

## **Article 1**

Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 shall apply for the 2007/08 wine year to regions which are classified as Convergence regions in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, excluding the regions referred to in Article 8(1) and (2) of that Regulation.

## **Article 2**

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the *Official Journal of the European Union* .

## Final provisions

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 17 August 2007. *For the Commission* Mariann FISCHER BOEL *Member of the Commission*

[^1] [OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1999_179_R_TOC) . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 ( [OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_363_R_TOC) ).

[^2] [OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1999_161_R_TOC) . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 ( [OJ L 223, 15.8.2006, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_223_R_TOC) ).

[^3] [OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_210_R_TOC) . Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1989/2006 ( [OJ L 411, 30.12.2006, p. 6](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2006_411_R_TOC) ).

[^4] [OJ L 64, 2.3.2007, p. 25](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2007_064_R_TOC) .

[^1]: . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 ().
[^2]: . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 ().
[^3]: . Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1989/2006 ().
[^4]: .