Agenda 2000: CEEC applicant countries, pre-accession aid for agriculture and rural development SAPARD

COMMUNITY MEASURE : Commission Regulation 2251/2002/EC amending Regulation 2759/1999/EC laying down rules for the application of Council Regulation 1268/1999/EC on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession period. CONTENT : the objective of Regulation 1268/1999/EC is to solve priority and specific problems for the sustainable adaptation of the agricultural sector and rural areas in the applicant countries. Damage caused to agriculture and rural areas, including woodland, by exceptional natural disasters can constitute such problems as demonstrated by the flooding which in August 2002 caused considerable damage in various applicant countries. The Community needs to be able to respond appropriately to such exceptional natural disasters using various instruments including the pre-accession instrument set up under Regulation 1268/1999/EC. In this context, grant support for vocational training that contributes to the improvement of the occupational skill and competence of farmers and other persons involved in agricultural and forestry activities should be agreed with a view to their conversion. It is the aim of the present amending Regulation laying down the rules for the application which intends to authorise this type of support via an amendment of the application Regulation of the SAPARD Regulation. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 21.12.2002.�