Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 202/2013 of 8 March 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 555/2008 as regards the submission of support programmes in the wine sector and trade with third countries

‘3 Member States deciding to reduce, from the 2015 financial year onwards, the amount available for the support programmes in order to increase their national ceilings for direct payments referred to in Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 , shall notify these amounts before 1 August 2013. The data submitted in the forms provided in Annexes I, II, III, VII and VIII shall be adapted accordingly if that decrease had not been already foreseen in the draft support programme presented by 1 March 2013.

‘3 Having examined the applications, Member States shall select those offering the best value for money. Preference shall be given to: (a) micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the meaning of Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC ; (b) new beneficiaries who did not receive support in the past; and (c) beneficiaries targeting a new third country for which they have not received support in the past within this scheme. Member States shall draw up a list within the limit of available funds and shall communicate that list to the Commission using the form set out in Annex VIII in order to allow the other Member States to be informed and to increase coherence of the measure.

1 For the purposes of the second subparagraph of Article 103q(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, “the normal renewal of vineyards which have come to the end of their natural life” shall mean the replanting of the same parcel of land with the same variety according to the same system of vine cultivation. Member States may establish further specifications, especially as regards to the age of the vineyards replaced.

2 The following operations are not eligible: (a) day-to-day management of a vineyard; (b) protection against damage by game, birds or hail; (c) construction of windbreaks and wind protection walls; (d) driveways and elevators.’;

1 Subject to the provisions of Article 103q of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and of this Chapter, Member States shall lay down rules setting out the eligible restructuring and conversion actions and their respective eligible costs. The rules shall be designed to ensure that the objective of the scheme is met. The rules may provide in particular either for the payment of flat-rate amounts, or for maximum levels of support per hectare. In addition, the rules may provide for the adjustment of the support on the basis of objective criteria.

2 In order to avoid overcompensation, where Member States make use of flat rate amounts, these shall be established on the basis of an accurate calculation of the actual costs of each type of operation. Flat rate amounts may be adapted annually if justified.

3 The support is paid for the area planted, defined in conformity with Article 75(1).’;

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