30.4.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 163/83 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 917/2004 of 29 April 2004 on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) No 7972004 on actions in the field of beekeeping THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, Having regard to Council Regulation 797/2004 ('), and in par- ticular Article 6 thereof, Whereas: (1) Regulation (EC) No 797/2004 replacing Council Regu- lation (EC) No 1221/97 () lays down measures for the purpose of improving the conditions under which beekeeping products is produced and marketed. In the interest of clarity, it should be repealed Commission Regulation (EC) No 2300/97 of 20 November 1997 on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey (}) and it should be replaced by a new Regu- lation. (2)  Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 797/2004 states that Member States may establish apiculture programmes. It is necessary to specify the basic elements that these programmes are required to contain and the time limit for their transmission to the Commission. (3)  The Community's financial contribution to national programmes should be restricted, by reference to each Member State's share of the total number of hives in the Community. (4)  The Member States are to monitor programmes imple- mented pursuant to this Regulation. Those monitoring measures are to be notified to the Commission. (5)  Consistency  between  measures of  apiculture programmes and other measures under the various Community policies must be ensured during the imple- mentation of programmes. In particular, any over- compensation owing to the combination of aid and any other inconsistency in the definition of measures must be avoided. (6)  In order to allow certain flexibility in the implementa- tion of the programme, the financial limits notified for each measure may vary by certain percentage without, OJ L 125, 28.4.2004, p. 1. () OJL 173, 1.7.1997, p. 1. OJ L 319, 21.11.1997, p. 4. Regulation last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1387/2003 (O] L 196, 2.8.2003, p. 22). however, exceeding the overall ceiling for the annual programme. If use is made of the flexibility allowed in implementation of the programme, the Community financial contribution must not exceed the limit of 50 % of the expenditure actually borne by the Member State concerned. (7)  In order to allow more flexibility in the implementation of the programme, the measures of the programmes could be adapted during the implementation of the programme, however modified actions must be the same as measures provide for in Council Regulation (EC) No 797/2004. (8)  Rules should be adopted for setting the conversion rates to be applied to the financing of national programmes. (9)  Rules concerning its content should be laid down to ensure that the studies referred to in Article 3 of Regu- lation (EC) No 797/2004 are carried out and up to date in a consistent fashion. (10)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Eggs and Poultry- meat Committee, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 The national programmes referred to in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 797/2004 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the apiculture programmes’) shall: (a) describe the situation in the sector making it possible to update regularly the structural data in the study referred to in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 797/2004; (b) state its aims; (c) give a detailed description of the measures involved, with unit costs where appropriate; (d) state the estimated costs and financing plan broken down yearly at national and regional level;