L 81/26 Official Journal of the European Union 30.3.2005 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 489/2005 of 29 March 2005 laying down detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 as regards determining the intervention centres and the taking over of paddy rice by the intervention agencies THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in rice(!), and in particular Articles 6(3) and 7(5) thereof, Whereas: 4 Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 defines the standard quality of paddy rice for which the intervention price is fixed. In order to encourage the production of good quality rice, the intervention criteria should be strengthened. An increase in milling yields, and a simultaneous reduction in the tolerance of yields that deviate from the basic yield are the most effective ways of promoting quality rice production and ensuring the quality of the rice stored by the intervention agencies. This is also the occasion to remove certain obsolete varieties from the list of varieties contained in Annex II to Commission Regulation (EC) No 708/98 of 30 March 1998 on the taking over of paddy rice by the inter- vention agencies and fixing the corrective amounts and price increases and reductions to be applied (?). To ensure the satisfactory management of intervention, a minimum quantity should be fixed for each offer. However, provision should be made for setting a higher limit so that account can be taken of the trading customs and conditions pertaining on the wholesale market in some Member States. Paddy rice whose quality does not permit suitable use or storage should not be accepted for intervention. When () OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 96. () OJ L 98, 31.3.1998, p. 21. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1107/2004 (O] L 211, 12.6.2004, p. 14). fixing the minimum quality, particular consideration should be given to weather conditions in the rice- growing areas of the Community. In order to allow uniform lots to be taken over; it should be specified that a lot is to be made up of the same rice variety. Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 lays down that the inter- vention price is fixed for paddy rice of a specific standard quality and that, if the quality of the rice offered for intervention differs from that standard quality, the inter- vention price is adjusted by applying price increases or reductions. For the application of the price increases and reductions, account should be taken of the basic characteristics of the paddy rice, thereby allowing an objective assessment of its quality to be made; assessing the moisture content, the milling yield and grain defects, using simple and effective methods, meets this requirement. Regulation (EC) No 1785/2003 limits the quantity that can be bought in by the intervention agencies to 75 000 tonnes per marketing year. In order to allocate this quantity fairly, the quantities for each producer Member State should be fixed, taking account of the national base areas fixed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EQ) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) 1868/94, (EC) No 12511999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 (}) and the average yield set out in Annex VII to that Regulation. To make the intervention scheme as simple and efficient as possible, offers should be submitted to the inter- vention centre closest to the place where the goods are stored and provisions on the costs of their transport to the store where the intervention agency takes them over should be laid down. () OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 118/2005 (O] L 24, 27.1.2005, p. 15).