Article 15

In the event of the merger of starch-producing undertakings, the Member State shall allocate to the undertaking resulting from the merger a subquota equal to the sum of the subquotas allocated prior to the merger to the starch-producing undertakings concerned.

In the event of the transfer of ownership of a starch-producing undertaking, the Member State shall allocate to the transferee undertaking the subquota of the undertaking transferred. Where there is more than one transferee undertaking, the subquota shall be allocated in proportion to the production of starch which each has absorbed.

In the event of the transfer of ownership of a starch factory, the Member State shall reduce the subquota of the undertaking transferring ownership of the factory and increase the subquota of the starch-producing undertaking or undertakings purchasing the factory in question by the quantity deducted, in proportion to the production absorbed.

In the event of the closure, in circumstances other than those referred to in paragraph 1, of a starch-producing undertaking, or of one or more factories of a starch-producing undertaking, the Member State may allocate the subquotas involved by such closure to one or more starch-producing undertakings.

In the event of the lease of a factory belonging to a starch-producing undertaking, the Member State shall reduce the subquota of the undertaking which offers the factory for rent and shall allocate the portion by which the subquota was reduced to the undertaking which rents the factory in order to produce starch in it.

If the lease is terminated before the term referred to in Article 1(k), the adjustment of the subquota pursuant to the first subparagraph shall be cancelled retroactively by the Member State as from the date on which the lease took effect.

If following the application of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 production ceases in the factories of one or more of the starch-producing undertakings that have merged, thus seriously threatening the continuing production of potatoes for the manufacture of starch in the area which had previously supplied this undertaking or these undertakings, the Member State may direct the merged undertaking to transfer to the Member State the subquota initially allocated to the enterprise whose factories have since ceased production. Any quota transferred in accordance with the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 may be reallocated by the Member State to any starch-producing undertaking that undertakes to manufacture the starch in the area concerned.