{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2004-2008/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2004-2008/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2004/2008",
  "legislation_title": "Council Regulation (EC) No 2008/2004 of 16 November 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2004-2008",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Regulation (EC) No 2008/2004\nof 16 November 2004\namending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 181a thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,\nAfter consulting the Committee of the Regions,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe support possibilities to prepare rural communities to conceive and implement local rural development strategies in beneficiary countries, which are not acceding to the Union in 2004, namely Bulgaria and Romania, should be aligned on those in beneficiary countries that acceded to the Union on 1 May 2004. Therefore a suitable measure should be introduced corresponding to Article 33f of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).\n(2)\nThe provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 as regards limits on aid rates should be clarified. At the same time those provisions should be amended in such a way that subsidies of a nature to facilitate access to credits granted under other instruments are not taken into account in the application of those aid limits. As this would remove a possible ambiguity, that amendment should apply with retrospective effect for all beneficiary countries. It is however necessary to ensure that in all cases the ceilings laid down in the Europe Agreements are complied with.\n(3)\nThe aid intensity limits in hill and mountain regions of Bulgaria and Romania should be aligned from 1 January 2004 on those in less-favoured areas of countries that acceded to the Union on 1 May 2004, for investments in agricultural holdings and for young farmers, as provided for in Article 331(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.\n(4)\nThe aid intensities and the proportion of the Community contribution in total eligible public expenditure for rural development measures involving infrastructure and certain other measures in beneficiary countries which are not acceding to the Union in 2004, namely Bulgaria and Romania, should be aligned on those in countries that acceded to the Union on 1 May 2004.\n(5)\nRegulation (EC) No 1268/1999 should therefore be amended accordingly,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Opinion delivered on 14 October 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Opinion delivered on 2 June 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80. Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 583/2004 (OJ L 91, 30.3.2004, p. 1)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 769/2004 (OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p. 1)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/2008/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:55:06.551864+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}