PURPOSE : to extend transitional measures relating to the fat content requirements for milk intended for human consumption in Finland and Sweden to 4 years.
CONTENT : To take account of the difficulties posed by the immediate application of the Community rules on drinking milk, Finland and Sweden have, since their accession, benefited from a derogation relating to the fat content requirements for that milk.
During an initial period of 3 years, that derogation was based on the Act of Accession and on the assumption that the Council would be re-examining the fat categories for drinking milk. That re-examination has taken place as part of the consolidation of the relevant rules and this process has resulted in the the adoption of Regulation 2597/97/EC. This new Regulation took over the main elements of the existing arrangements with a number of adjustments which did not, however, permit the integration of all the drinking milk marketed in Finland and Sweden.
Prior to this situation, the Council decided, by the adoption of Regulation 2596/97/EC, to extend the derogation to the 31.12.1999 to allow Finland and Sweden to harmonise their rules with the Community rules.
In view of the persistence of the difficulties which made the derogation necessary, this proposal for a Regulation provides for a final derogation of 4 years (that being until 31.12.2003) on the understanding that the new period will be used to introduced measures adjusting to the Community rules.
In order to monitor progress in applying those rules, provision has been made for a mid-term examination (to 31.12.2001).�