Debit interest (other than expenditure on interest subsidies to reduce the cost of borrowing for businesses under an approved State aid scheme), charges for financial transactions, foreign exchange commissions and losses, and other purely financial expenses are not eligible for co-financing by the Structural Funds.

Under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1535/2003 of 29 August 2003 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the aid scheme for products processed from fruit and vegetables(2) contracts must be concluded for tomatoes, peaches and pears between processors approved by the competent authorities and producer organisations granted recognition or preliminary recognition.

(Schemes, cases of aid granted under an approved scheme, and one-off aid measures)

Reference of aid schemes notified and approved by the Commission

processors having participated in the aid scheme during the 2000/01 marketing year and new processors starting their activity shall be deemed to be approved, unless the Member State decides otherwise,

modifications of existing aid schemes which the Commission has previously approved, except in specific cases where the Commission strictly limited its authorization to the period, budget and conditions then notified.

Debit interest (other than expenditure on interest subsidies to reduce the cost of borrowing for businesses under an approved State aid scheme), charges for financial transactions, foreign exchange commissions and losses, and other purely financial expenses are not eligible for co-financing by the Structural Funds.

The detailed rules for the implementation of assistance granted by the FIFG for schemes defined by Council Regulation (EC) No 2468/98 (1), including aid applications approved after 1 January 1994 under Council Regulations (EEC) No 4028/86 (2) and (EEC) No 4042/89 (3), shall continue to be governed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1796/95 (4).

Whereas to avoid seriously endangering market equilibrium, Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 provides that no aid under any scheme in force from 1 November 2001 may be paid in respect of olive trees planted after 1 May 1998 except in connection with the conversion of an old olive plantation or with a programme approved by the Commission;

Whereas the marketed quantities should be determined for the payment of the flat-rate aid to recognized producers' organizations which have presented a programme to improve the competitiveness of the sector, approved by the competent national authority; whereas unfavourable weather conditions in the production region during the relevant marketing year for calculating the aid may introduce very noticeable distortions in the application of the aid scheme; whereas provision should be made to calculate the aid in such cases on the basis of the quantities marketed in the marketing year following the year noticeably affected by the aforementioned wheather conditions;

(2) Under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1535/2003 of 29 August 2003 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the aid scheme for products processed from fruit and vegetables(2) contracts must be concluded for tomatoes, peaches and pears between processors approved by the competent authorities and producer organisations granted recognition or preliminary recognition.

whereas, in order to forestall that risk, provision should be made at this stage to exclude new plantings from eligibility under any future aid scheme, unless they are part of a programme approved by the Commission;

whereas the scheme provides for the grant of aid to oil producers whose average production is at least 500 kg of olive oil, subject in particular to the submission of proof that the oil has been processed at an approved mill;

If your Government does not signify its agreement within that period, the Commission will be obliged to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of all approved aid schemes which may apply to the sectors covered by the multisectoral framework on regional aid for large investment projects, the code on aid to the synthetic fibres industry and the Community framework for State aid to the motor vehicle industry.

Under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1535/2003 of 29 August 2003 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the aid scheme for products processed from fruit and vegetables(2) contracts must be concluded for tomatoes, peaches and pears between processors approved by the competent authorities and producer organisations granted recognition or preliminary recognition.