Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1263/2014 of 26 November 2014 providing for temporary exceptional aid to milk producers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

1 Union aid of a total amount of EUR 28661259 shall be available to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to provide targeted support to milk producers affected by the Russian ban on import of Union products. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania shall use the amounts available to them as set out in the Annex on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria, provided that the resulting payments do not cause distortion of competition. For this purpose, the Member States concerned shall take into account the extent of the effects of the Russian import ban on the producers concerned. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania shall make those payments by 30 April 2015 at the latest.

2 In respect of Lithuania, the operative event for the exchange rate as regards the amounts set out in the Annex shall be the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania may grant additional support to the milk producers receiving the aid referred to in Article 1, up to a maximum equal to their corresponding amount as set out in the Annex, and under the same conditions of objectiveness, non-discrimination and non-distortion of competition. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania shall pay the additional support by 30 April 2015 at the latest.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania shall notify the Commission of the following: (a) without delay and no later than 31 March 2015, the objective criteria used to determine the methods for granting targeted support and the measures taken to avoid distortion of competition; (b) no later than 30 June 2015, the total amounts paid and the number and type of beneficiaries.

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