31.3.93 Official Journal of the European Communities ' No L 77/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 738/93 of 17 March 1993 amending the transitional measures governing common organization of the market as provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 3653/90 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, and in particular Article 234 (3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament ('), Whereas the achievement of the Single Market requires the removal of all barriers to trade, not only between the Member States of the Community as constituted on 31 December 1985 but also, to the greatest possible extent, between those Member States and Spain and Portugal ; Whereas this will mean abolition for the supplementary trade mechanism applicable to cereals and rice, and where cereals are concerned makes it appropriate, in order to enable Portuguese farmers to meet increased competition for the other Member States, to reduce over a longer period the aid provided for by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3653/90 of 11 December 1990 introducing transi- tional measures governing the common organization of the market in cereals and rice in Portugal (% ; Whereas, under the reform of the common agricultural policy, provision was made for a reduction in intervention prices by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organization of the market in cereals (*); whereas the resulting loss of income is compensated for by direct support on a per hectare basis introduced by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 of 30 June 1992 establishing a support system for producers () OJ No C 21, 25. 1. 1993. () OJ No L 362, 27. 12. 1990, p. 28. () OJ No L 181, 1. 7. 1992, p. 21. of certain arable crops (*) ; whereas the method of calcula- ting Portuguese aid should be adapted so as to avoid a double compensation ; Whereas accession compensatory amounts are due to be applied in trade in rice between Portugal and the other Member States until the end of the 1994/95 marketing year since Regulation (EEC) No 3653/90 provides for the price of the said product to be aligned on the common price only with effect from that date; Whereas price alignment for this product can be brought forward and all accession compenstory amounts can therefore be abolished on that date if the loss of earnings of Portuguese rice producers is offset by a similar aid scheme to that already provided for cereals by Regulation (EEC) No 3653/90 ; whereas the arrangements provided for in that Regulation should therefore be amended accordingly ; Whereas to offset the difficulties that elimination of the supplementary trade mechanism for rice would otherwise involve for Portuguese producers the initial amount of the said aid should be set at more than the simple price diffe- rence of ECU 17,45 per tonne and it should be made degressive to the end of the 1997/98 marketing year; Whereas, at the same time, the fixed components appli- cable to products processed from cereals and rice until 31 December 1999 at the latest pursuant to the above- mentioned Regulation should be abolished ; whereas, in the case of most products, following attainment of the single market the difficulties and cost of the monitoring required in connection with the components would be out of proportion to their size and they will not in fact be really necessary to protect the processing industry in () OJ No L 181, 1. 7. 1992, p. 12. Regulation as amended by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2467/92 (O] No L 246, 27. . 8. 1992, p. 1).