No L 85/48 Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 3. 89 COMMISSION DECISION of 30 November 1988 on a national aid scheme for beef in Italy (Only the Italian text is authentic) (89/217/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN .COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and.in particular the first -subparagraph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market - in beef and veal (), as last amended by ‘Regulation (EEC) No 571/89 (3, and in particular Article 24 thereof, After giving notice to the parties. concerned, pusuant to Article 937 (2) of the EEC Treaty, to submit their comments (%), Whereas : I 1.” On 29 January 1988, in the light of information it had - received,- the Commission asked the Italian authorities-for information as to the existence of an aid scheme for beef. The- Italian Government did not reply within the time limit laid down. 2." The measure in question was as follows : According to AIMA (Italian State Intervention Agency for Agricultural Produce) circular No 226/C of 22 January 1988, a decision had been taken by: the CIPE. (Joint Ministerial Committee for- Economic Planning) that the beef hindquarter belonging to the same half-carcase as a forequarter sent into intervention could, after freezing, be left on consignment with the same intervention store. The aid paid — Lit 2000 per kilogram (ECU 1,35 per kilogram) — was, according: to the circular referred to above, intended to offset part of the -market transport costs of the goods left on consignment; and the loss of value of the meat as-a result of freezing. The scheme, which became applicable on 1 February 1988, was intended to cover up to 6 500 tonnes of beef for five. weeks. The anticipated total cost of the aid “was Lit 13.000 million (ECU 8,125 million). ' \ The requirements applicable were as follows : — the hindquarter had to be presented when the forequarter was sent into Community intervention, () OJ No L 148, 28. 6. 1968, p. 24. () OJ No L 61, 4. 3. 1989, p. 43. () OJ No C 41, 13. 2. 1988, p. 3. -— the meat could, after freezing, be removed from the store 72 hours or more but not more than 150 days after being placed in. storage, — the person storing the meat could ask- that the hindquarter be boned under the supervision of the AJA (Associazione Italiana Allevatori — Italian Stockfarmers’ Association) and could then store the resulting boneless meat, — the application for the storage of the hindquarter had to. be submitted at the same time as that for the buying in of the forequarter, - the aid became payable 90 days after the product had been -put into storage, provided that the payment in respect of the forequarter sent into intervention had been made. ’ 11 1. By letter of 8 February 1988 the -Commission notified the Italian Government that it had decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 93 (2) of the Treaty in respect of the aid scheme in question. 2.  In:its letter the Commission informed the Italian authorities that it felt that the scheme constituted operating aid which” could have no lasting effect on the development of the sector concerned ; the effects of the measure would cease to be felt as soon as the scheme itself 'was withdrawn. The Commission pointed out.that, in its opinion, such  schemes were in principle incompatible with the common market. The Commission added that the Community rules for beef and veal constituted a fully comprehensive system which precluded the introduction, by a Member State, of supplementary income-support schemes for beef/veal producers. ' Furthermore, the Italian Government’s measure supple- mented those already adopted by the Community. Commission Regulation (EEC) No 828/87 of 123 March 1987 specifying products in the beef and veal sector which are eligible for buying. in(¥),-as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 654/89 (), lays down that only Category A, Class U, R and O Forequarters are eligible for intervention in Italy. ) OJ No L 80, 24. 3. 1987, p. 8. () OJ No L 71, 15. 3. 1989, p. 38.