Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organisation of the market in eggs^f1, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

Because of an outbreak of avian influenza in certain production regions in Belgium, veterinary and trade restrictions applying to that Member State were adopted by Commission Decision 2003/289/EC of 25 April 2003 concerning protection measures in relation to avian influenza in Belgium^f2. As a result, transport and marketing of hatching eggs were temporarily banned within Belgium.

The restrictions on the free movement of hatching eggs resulting from the application of the veterinary measures threatened severe disruption of the market in hatching eggs in Belgium. The Belgian authorities adopted market support measures, restricted to hatching eggs, for the period for which this was absolutely necessary. These allowed hatching eggs for which incubation was no longer possible to be used to produce egg products.

Those measures had a positive impact on the market for hatching eggs and eggs in general. This justifies their being treated as exceptional market support measures within the meaning of Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75 and the granting of aid to compensate for part of the financial loss resulting from processing hatching eggs into egg products.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat and Eggs,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: