Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector^f1, and in particular Articles 10(6) and 39(6) thereof,

Whereas:

Article 10(3) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 lay down that the guaranteed quantity under production quotas should be reduced before 1 October each marketing year if the forecasts for the year in question show an exportable balance (attracting a refund) greater than the maximum laid down by the Agriculture Agreement concluded under Article 300(2) of the Treaty.

The forecasts for the 2005/06 marketing year indicate an exportable balance exceeding the maximum laid down by the Agriculture Agreement. It is therefore necessary to set the overall reduction of the guaranteed quantity and divide it up between sugar, isoglucose and inulin syrup on the one hand and the production regions concerned on the other, using the coefficients provided for in Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001.

In accordance with Article 10(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001, each Member State must then allocate the difference to which it is subject among the producer undertakings established on its territory on the basis of the existing ratio between their A and B quotas for the product in question and the basic quantity A and the basic quantity B for the Member State for this product.

Article 39(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 lays down that a reduction in the guaranteed quantity entails a reduction in the presumed maximum raw sugar needs of Community refineries for the marketing year in question. It is therefore necessary to set the corresponding reduction for these needs and to allocate it among the Member States concerned.

The time-limits by which the Member States must establish the reductions applying to each undertaking on their territory should be set.

In view of the deadline imposed by Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001, this Regulation must enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The Management Committee for Sugar has not delivered an opinion within the time-limit set by its chairman,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: