L 113/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 12.5.2000 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 983/2000 of 11 May 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 20/98 laying down rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards aid to producer organisations granted preliminary recognition THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables ('), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 (3, and in particular Article 48 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 20/98 (}), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 243/1999 (%), lays down rules on aid to be paid to producer organisations granted prelimi- nary recognition in accordance with Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 47897 of 14 March 1997 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as regards preliminary recognition of producer organisations (°), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 243/1999. (2)  The way that aid is to be financed, as set out in Article 52 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, was amended with effect on 1 January 2000 by Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural devel- opment from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain regulations. That aid is to be regarded in future as intervention intended to stabilise the agricultural market within the meaning of Article 1(2)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (%). (3)  Under the circumstances, Regulation (EC) No 20/98 should be amended to bring it into line with this new situation. The amendments relate in particular to the eligibility of aid for preliminary recognition under the EAGGF Guidance Section, the time limits for the submission of aid applications and for payment thereof, the new descriptions of the regions qualifying for the various percentages of funding in order to bring those descriptions into line with those set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1. 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80. 4, 8.1.1998, p. 40. 27, 221999, p. 8. 75, 15.3.1997, p. 4. 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103. down general provisions on the Structural Funds () and, lastly, the Member States' obligation to verify compli- ance with the conditions on the granting of the aid. It should be made clear that this Regulation is to apply to aid paid under recognition plans accepted from 1 January 2000 and to aid paid under recognition plans accepted before 1 January 2000 for annual periods starting from 1 January 2000. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 20/98 is hereby amended as follows: 1. 2. The third indent of Article 1(2)(d) is deleted. Article 2(2)(d) is replaced by the following: ‘(d) be paid in annual instalments at the end of each annual period for the implementation of the recognition plan. To calculate the annual instalments, the Member States may use as a basis the annual marketed production corresponding to an annual period other than that in respect of which the annual instalment is paid, where checks so require. The period by which the annual period used fails to coincide with the actual annual period concerned must be less than 12 months.’ . The second subparagraph of Article 3(1) is replaced by the following: ‘Investments liable to distort competition where the other economic activities of the organisation are concerned shall be excluded. . Article 5 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 5 1.  Producer organisations shall each submit a single application for the aid referred to in Articles 2 and 3 within three months of the end of each annual period as referred to in Article 2(2)(d). () O] L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.