30.10.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 328/67 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1899/2004 of 29 October 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 2342/1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal as regards premium schemes THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to 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, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 14542001, (EC) No1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 ("), and in particular Article 155 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Article 42 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2342/1999 (%), lays down the rules on the allocation year for animals subject to applications for, amongst others, the special premium. In anticipation of the imple- mentation by the Member States of the single payment scheme established by Title IIl of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, producers could decide to bring forward, at the end of 2004, the slaughter of animals for the granting of the special premium where it is granted at the time of slaughter in accordance with Article 4(6) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal (%). (2)  The swamping of slaughterhouses at the end of 2004 and the consecutive decrease of slaughters at the beginning of the following year are likely to cause distur- bances on the beef and veal market. Provision should therefore be made to allow producers, during a limited period, to submit a special premium application in respect of 2004 for animals eligible on 31 December 2004 which will be slaughtered at the beginning of 2005. () OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 864/2004 (O] L 161, 30.4.2004, p. 48). (®» OJ L 281, 4.11.1999, p. 30. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1777/2004 (O] L 316, 15.10.2004, p. 66). () OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 21. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 1782/2003 (O] L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 1). (3)  The extent of the risk of disturbances on the beef and veal market connected with the unusual slaughter increase depends on the existing slaughter capacities in each Member State. For this reason, the duration of the period during which animals can be slaughtered can vary according to the Member States. Provision should therefore be made to leave it to the Member States to determine the duration of the period of necessary slaughter, within the period from 1 January to 31 March 2005. (4  Where Member States decide to grant the special premium at the time of slaughter, Article 4(6) of Regu- lation (EC) No 1254/1999 lays down that, for bulls, the age criterion referred to in Article 4(2)(a) of that Regu- lation is replaced by a minimum carcase weight. Obviously, it would no longer be possible to establish, with regard to an animal that is slaughtered after 31 December 2004, whether that animal fulfilled this weight criterion at the latest on that date. In order to avoid animals being presented for slaughter and subject to request for the premium which would otherwise not have fulfilled the weight criterion by 31 December 2004, it is appropriate to replace the weight criterion by the age criterion in case an applicant wants to make use of this measure. (5)  Regulation (EC) No 2342/1999 should therefore be amended accordingly. (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Direct Payments, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 23421999 is amended as follows: