23.12.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 331/51 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2759/1999 of 22 December 1999 laying down rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant coun- tries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21 June 1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant coun- tries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period ("), and in particular Articles 9(2) and 12(1) (1) thereof, Whereas: 1) the Community pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe (hereinafter referred to as ‘SAPARD) as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1268/ 1999 shall relate in particular to contributing to the implementation by the applicant countries of the acquis communautaire concerning the common agricultural policy and related policies, as well as solving priority and specific problems for the adaptation of the agricul- tural sector and rural areas in the applicant countries; the support granted pursuant to SAPARD should take into account in particular its effect on the protection of the environment and on the sustainable development of the economies of the applicant country concerned and the principles of social cohesion policies; Community support should not replace funding available in each applicant country and shall complement corresponding national actions or contribute to these; in this framework, as a general principle, support shall be granted according to the rules in force for Community rural development support, and, in partic- ular, according to the main objectives and instruments laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricutural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regula- tions (3) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1750/ 1999 (%) laying down detailed rules for the application of the aforementioned Regulation; particular measures referred to in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 are similar to measures referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 and should therefore 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87. oj L 0] L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80. oj L 214, 13.8.1999, p. 31. be implemented by the applicant countries as far as possible in accordance with the principles for imple- menting those measures in the Community; reference should be made to the conditions to be applied in respect of those measures; in order to remedy the structural deficiencies affecting the supply and marketing of agricultural products resulting from insufficient producer organisation in the applicant countries, support is necessary to encourage the setting up of producer groups; for this purpose, support should be granted for the transitional pre-acces- sion period according to the Community relevant princi- ples, deviating from and complementing them where this is necessary to address the particular situations in the applicant countries; other measures mentioned in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 may be eligible for Community support provided that they form part of the programme approved by the Commission; the rules for eligibility of expenditure under SAPARD should take into account the period in which Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 applies, as well as the requirement of a minimum period in which the undertakings have to remain substantially unmodified in order to attain their purpose; specific conditions of eligibility of expenditure should be agreed upon in the framework of bilateral agreements between the Community and the different applicant countries; the implementation of SAPARD should be carried out according to the management guidelines laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (*; according to Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999, the Commission and the applicant country shall jointly agree on the procedures concerning the monitoring of the implementation of the programme, it is nevertheless necessary to define the indicators used in this procedure; for this exercise the indicators set forth in Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 should be taken into account; () O] L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.