Article 14 Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products
United Kingdom
Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products shall be compatible with the common market within the meaning of Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty and shall be exempt from the notification requirement of Article 88(3) of the Treaty if it is granted towards the eligible costs listed in paragraph 2 and fulfils the conditions set out in paragraphs 3 to 6 of this Article.
Aid may be granted to cover the costs of the following service activities, insofar as they are related to the development of quality agricultural products:
up to 100 % of the costs of market research activities, product conception and design, including aid granted for the preparation of applications for recognition of geographical indications and designations of origin or certificates of specific character in accordance with the relevant Community regulations;
up to 100 % of the costs of the introduction of quality assurance schemes such as ISO 9000 or 14000 series, systems based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), traceability systems, systems to assure respect of authenticity and marketing norms or environmental audit systems;
up to 100 % of the costs of training personnel to apply schemes and systems as referred to in point (b);
up to 100 % of the costs of the charges levied by recognised certifying bodies for the initial certification of quality assurance and similar systems;
up to 100 % of the costs of compulsory control measures undertaken pursuant to Community or national legislation by or on behalf of the competent authorities, unless Community legislation requires enterprises to bear such costs;
up to the amounts laid down in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 for support concerning measures referred to in Article 32 of that Regulation.
The aid may be granted only in respect of costs of services provided by third parties and/or controls undertaken by or on behalf of third parties, such as the competent regulatory authorities, or bodies acting on their behalf, or independent organisms responsible for the control and supervision of the use of geographical indications and designations of origin, organic labels, or quality labels, provided these denominations and labels are in conformity with Community legislation. The aid must not be granted towards expenditure for investment.
The aid must not be granted towards the cost of controls undertaken by the farmer or manufacturer himself, or where Community legislation provides that the cost of control is to be met by producers, without specifying the actual level of charges.
With the exception of the aid referred to in paragraph 2(f), the aid shall be granted in kind by means of subsidised services and must not involve direct payments of money to producers.
The aid must be accessible to all those eligible in the area concerned, based on objectively defined conditions. Where the provision of services listed in paragraph 2 is undertaken by producer groups or other agricultural mutual support organisations, membership of such groups or organisations must not be a condition for access to the service. Any contribution of non-members towards the administrative costs of the group or organisation concerned must be limited to the proportional costs of providing the service.