Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)^f1, and in particular Article 69(4) thereof,

Whereas:

The total amount fixed by Council Decision 2006/493/EC of 19 June 2006 laying down the amount of Community support for rural development for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013, its annual breakdown and the minimum amount to be concentrated in regions eligible under the Convergence Objective^f2 includes the amount for Bulgaria and Romania.

Commission Decision 2006/636/EC^f3 fixed the allocations to the Member States of the Community support to rural development for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013, taking also into account the amounts to be transferred to the EAFRD allocated by Commission Decision 2006/410/EC^f4 and Commission Decision 2006/588/EC^f5.

Decision 2006/636/EC does not include the amounts for Bulgaria and Romania. Following the accession of these two countries as of 1 January 2007, Decision 2006/636/EC has to be amended to include the annual breakdown of the allocations for community support to rural development for those countries.

Article 34(2) of the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania mentions the amount originating from the EAGGF Guarantee section for rural development in those countries for the years 2007 to 2009. The breakdown by year and by Member State of this amount is indicated in the Declaration mentioned in part II. Declarations, section A, point 4 of the Final Act of the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania. To ensure a correct implementation of the measure Complements to direct payments following Annex VIII, section I, point E, to the Act of Accession it is necessary that these amounts are indicated, in current prices, in the Table ‘Breakdown by Member State of Community support for rural development 2007 to 2013’ set out in the Annex to Decision 2006/636/EC.

Decision 2006/636/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: