# COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1418/2004

of 4 August 2004

determining the groups of high-quality varieties exempt from application of the quota buyback programme in raw tobacco for the 2004 harvest

## Preamble

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco [^1] , and in particular the sixth indent of Article 14a thereof,

Whereas:

**(1)** In accordance with Article 34(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 of 22 December 1998 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 as regards the premium scheme, production quotas and the specific aid to be granted to producer groups in the raw tobacco sector [^2] , the Commission must determine, on the basis of proposals from the Member States, which sensitive production areas and/or groups of high-quality varieties are to be exempt from the quota buyback programme.

**(2)** Some Member States have asked for a number of high-quality varieties to be exempted from quota buyback for the 2004 harvest. These groups of high-quality varieties should therefore be determined for the 2004 harvest.

**(3)** As Regulation (EC) No 2848/98 requires Member States to make public their intention to sell from 1 November, this Regulation should apply from 1 November 2004.

**(4)** The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Tobacco,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

## **Article 1**

The quantities of groups of high-quality varieties exempt from the quota buyback programme for the 2004 harvest are as follows:

| (a) | \| —: Group III \| 2 576,480 tonnes; \|; \| --- \| --- \| |
| --- | --- |

| (b) | \| —: Group I \| 1 231,000 tonnes, \|; \| --- \| --- \|; \| —: Group II \| 218,000 tonnes. \| |
| --- | --- |

## **Article 2**

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that of its publication in the *Official Journal of the European Union* .

It shall apply from 1 November 2004.

## Final provisions

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 4 August 2004. *For the Commission* Franz FISCHLER *Member of the Commission*

[^1] [OJ L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 70](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1992_215_R_TOC) . Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 864/2004 ( [OJ L 161, 30.4.2004, p. 48](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2004_161_R_TOC) ).

[^2] [OJ L 358, 31.12.1998, p. 17](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1998_358_R_TOC) . Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1983/2002 ( [OJ L 306, 8.11.2002, p. 8](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2002_306_R_TOC) ).

[^1]: . Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 864/2004 ().
[^2]: . Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1983/2002 ().