8. 10. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 280/19 COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 2944/91 of 7 October 1991 on measures in respect of the improvement of the quality of milk in Ireland and Northern Ireland THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1079/77 of 17 May 1977 on a co-responsibility levy and on measures for expanding the markets in milk and milk products ('), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1632/91 (¥, and in particular Article 4 thereof, Whereas provision should be made, amongst the measures favouring the enlargement of the markets for milk products referred to in the fourth indent of Article 4 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1079/77, to improve the milk quality in Ireland and Northern Ireland, taking into account the seasonal character of milk production and the strong export tradition of these areas; Whereas for administrative reasons the organizations and . producer groups possessing the necessary qualifications and experience should therefore be invited to propose detailed programmes which these organizations would themselves carry out; Whereas, as regards' the other arrangements, the main provisions of earlier Regulations, as amended in the light of relevant experience, may be repeated ; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 1. Under the conditions laid down in this Regulation, measures shall be taken in Ireland and Northern Ireland ' to encourage : ' {a) provision and installation, upgrading and testing of on-farm milk holding facilities and milking equip- ment, directed in particular towards improvements in total bacterial count and somatic cell count; (b) setting-up of milk collection centres, if necessary with refrigeration facilities (in properly justified exceptional cases, aid may also granted to single farms); () OJ No L 131, 26. 5. 1977, p. 6. () OJ No L 150, 15. 6. 1991, p. 23. {c) counselling of individual milk producers, directed in particular towards the obtaining of milk (cowshed hygiene, milking, animal health) and its treatment (cooling) ; (d) counselling on the collection (jointly operated equip- ment collection points) and transport of raw milk (specifications, equipment and operation of milk tankers) ; ~ (e) counselling of producers directed in particular towards antibiotic use, mastitis control, need for milking machine testing, udder preparation and milking tech- niques ; (f) the improvement of the quality of water on farms. . 2. The measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall be eligible only if they are begun after 17 June 1991 ; they shall be completed before 1 February 1993. In exceptional cases, however, a longer period may be fixed in accord- ance with Article 5 (2) to ensure maximum effectiveness of the measures concerned. 3. The time limit fixed in paragraph 2 shall not prevent subsequent agreement to an extension of that limit where the party to a contract, before the fixed expiry date, makes the appropriate application to the competent authority and proves that due to exceptional circum- stances beyond his control, he is unable to meet the dead- line originally stipulated. However, this extension may not exceed six months. Article 2 1. Measures as referred to in Article 1 (1) shall be proposed and carried out by organizations or producer groups which: (a) have the necessary qualifications and experience ; (b) give guarantees that they are capable of ensuring the satisfactory completion of the work. 2. Community financing is hereby limited to 50 %. Not more than 10 % of the total sum available to Ireland or Northern Ireland may be spent on measures pursuant to Article 1 (1) (c), (d) and (e). 3. No account shall be taken of administrative expenses incurred in carrying out the measures in ques- tion. :