Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation)^f1, and in particular Article 69(1) in conjunction with Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

Article 67(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provides that producers may have one or two individual quotas, one for deliveries and the other for direct sales and quantities may be converted from one quota to the other only by the competent authority of the Member State, at the duly justified request of the producer.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 471/2011 of 16 May 2011 on the division between ‘deliveries’ and ‘direct sales’ of national milk quotas fixed for 2010/2011 in Annex IX to Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007^f2 sets out the division between ‘deliveries’ and ‘direct sales’ for the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 for all Member States.

In accordance with Article 25(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 595/2004 of 30 March 2004 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1788/2003 establishing a levy in the milk and milk products sector^f3, Member States have notified the quantities which have been definitively converted at the request of the producers between individual quotas for deliveries and for direct sales.

The total national quotas for all Member States fixed in point 1 of Annex IX to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 72/2009^f4 were increased with 1 %, effective from 1 April 2011, except for Italy whose quota was already increased with 5 %, effective from 1 April 2009. Member States, except Italy, have notified the Commission of the division between ‘deliveries’ and ‘direct sales’ of the additional quota.

It is therefore appropriate to establish the division between ‘deliveries’ and ‘direct sales’ of the national quotas applicable for the period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 fixed in Annex IX to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007.

Given the fact that the division between direct sales and deliveries is used as a reference basis for controls pursuant to Articles 19 to 21 of Regulation (EC) No 595/2004 and for the establishment of the annual questionnaire set out in Annex I to that Regulation, it is appropriate to determine a date of expiry of this Regulation after the last possible date for these controls.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: