26.6.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 160/21 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 36 and 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (), (1) Whereas the operation and development of the common market in agricultural products should be accompanied by the establishment of a common agricultural policy to include in particular a common organisation of agricultural markets which may take various forms depending on the product; (2) Whereas the aim of the common agricultural policy is to attain the objectives set out in Article 33 of the Treaty; whereas, in the beef and veal sector, in order to stabilise markets and to ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, provision should be made for internal market measures comprising, in particular, direct payments to beef producers, private storage aid and a public storage scheme; (3) Whereas, in order to rebalance meat consumption in the Community to the benefit of the beef sector and to improve the Yy OJ C 170, 4.6.1998, p. 13. (3) Opinion delivered on 6 May 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (3) OJ C 407, 28.12.1998, p. 19. () OJ C93,6.4.1999, p. 1. (5) OJ C 401, 22.12.1998, p. 3. competitiveness of these products on the international markets, the level of market support should be gradually reduced; whereas, given the consequences for producers, the level of income aid provided for under the common market organisation should be adapted and reshaped; whereas, to that end, it is appropriate to establish a comprehensive scheme of direct payments for producers; whereas the amounts of these payments should develop in parallel with the gradual reduction of market support; Whereas, given the variety of stockfarming enterprises, direct payments should include a special premium for producers of bulls and steers, a premium for maintaining suckler cow herds and a slaughter premium available for all types of bovine animals including dairy cows and calves; whereas the granting of the premiums should not be reflected by an increase in overall production; whereas, to that end, the number of male bovine animals and suckler cows eligible for special and suckler cow premiums should be limited by applying respectively regional and individual ceilings and, in the case of the special premium, a headage limit per holding which Member States should have the power to modulate in the light of their specific situation; whereas, as regards the slaughter premium, national ceilings should be established on the basis of historic production figures; Whereas the conditions of steer production usually differ from those of bull production; whereas it is therefore justified to set the special premium for steers at a different level per animal than for bulls; whereas, however, the special premium for steers should be split into two payments for specific age brackets; Whereas slaughtering too great a number of steers during the slaughtering season in Member States where this type of production is particulary important, could disturb the stability of the market and, in particular, lead to a fall in market prices; whereas to encourage the slaughter of steers outside the annual ‘off grass’ period, an additional premium should be granted, subject to certain conditions, in addition to the special premium for animals slaughtered out of season during the first 23 weeks of the year;