29.1.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 24/25 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 141/2004 of 28 January 2004 laying down rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 as regards the transitional rural development measures applicable to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Treaty of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia and in particular paragraph 3 of Article 2 thereof, Having regard to the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia and in particular the first paragraph of Article 41 thereof, Whereas: (1) Chapter IXa of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regula- tions (") introduced by the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, defines in general terms the conditions under which temporary additional support is to be granted for transitional rural develop- ment measures in the new Member States. Implementing rules should be adopted to supplement those conditions and adapt certain rules foreseen by Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 445/2002 of 26 February 2002 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regu- lation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural develop- ment from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (). (2)  Those rules must conform to the principles of subsi- diarity and proportionality and must therefore be limited to what is necessary to achieve the objectives pursued. (3)  Conditions of eligibility for certain transitional measures must therefore be specified and the support ceilings for the specific measures applicable to Malta should be fixed. (4)  To facilitate the establishment of rural development plans comprising those measures, and their examination and approval by the Commission, common rules relating (") OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80, Regulation as last amended by the Act of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. () OJ L 74, 15.3.2002, p. 1, Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 963/2003 (O] L 138, 5.6.2003, p. 32). to their structure and content must be laid down on the basis of Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 in particular. (5)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Agri- cultural Structures and Rural Development, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: CHAPTER I SCOPE Article 1 Scope The present Regulation lays down the implementing rules related to: (a) the specific rural development measures foreseen in Chapter IXa of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 and applic- able to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (designated hereafter as ‘the new Member States); (b) programming and evaluation of all rural development measures for the new Member States. CHAPTER II SPECIFIC MEASURES APPLICABLE TO THE NEW MEMBER STATES Atticle 2 Support for semi-subsistence farms undergoing restruc- turing The business plan foreseen in Article 33b(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 must be sufficiently detailed to be able to be used to support an application for support for investment in agricultural holdings.