
Article 1 
For the purposes of this Regulation, ‘new Member States’ shall mean the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Article 2 

1. By way of derogation from Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1432/2003 and Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, the new Member States may decide to consider producer organisations or groups which have been recognised before 1 May 2004 in accordance with national legislation, either as recognised producer organisations or producer groups granted preliminary recognition under Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 (hereinafter referred to as ‘recognised producer organisations’ and ‘recognised producer groups’).The new Member States shall notify each producer organisation or group recognised in accordance with national legislation before 1 May 2004 of the decision concerning its recognition, as provided for in the first subparagraph, as soon as possible after 1 May 2004.
2. The decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall apply from the date of its notification until 31 December 2005.
3. The new Member States shall communicate to the Commission, within 30 days following the notification of the decision referred to in paragraph 1, the information referred to in Article 12(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 and Article 17(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1432/2003 concerning producer organisations and producer groups respectively, which have been recognised or refused recognition in accordance with this Regulation.
Article 3 
If a new Member State has no legislative provisions regarding the categories of producer organisations, provided for in Article 11(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, the recognised producer organisations in such new Member States shall be considered as belonging to category ‘fruit and vegetables’, referred to in Article 11(1)(a)(i) of that Regulation.
Article 4 

1. A producer organisation of a new Member State, recognised before 1 May 2004 in accordance with national legislation, may submit an operational programme, for a period ending 31 December 2005 at the latest, for approval before 30 June 2004. Such applications shall be accompanied by an undertaking from the organisation to submit a new operational programme on 15 September 2005 at the latest. Operational programmes shall indicate the estimated amounts of operating funds as provided for in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003, based on a reference period determined pursuant to Article 4 of that Regulation, and contain the information referred to in Articles 8 and 9 of that Regulation.
2. Within three months from the submission of the application referred to in paragraph 1, the competent national authorities shall take a decision on the operational programmes submitted.However, operational programmes shall not be approved unless a positive decision, as referred to in Article 2(1), has been notified to the producer organisations concerned.
3. The competent national authorities shall notify the producer organisations of their decisions approving operational programmes. Implementation of operational programmes may commence only after the competent national authorities have approved them.By way of derogation from Article 16(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003, in 2004, the operational programmes shall run from their date of approval by the competent national authorities until 31 December 2004.
4. Subject to Articles 18, 20 and 21 of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003, producer organisations may apply for aid to their operational programme.However, the relevant new Member State shall bear the financial responsibilities resulting from the use of aid received in 2004 and 2005 in violation of Article 6 or 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003.
4a. By way of derogation from Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003, for the application for aid for 2004, the value of marketed production during the reference period shall be multiplied by the number of days from the date of the approval of the operational programme to 31 December 2004 (both days included), and divided by 366.
5. Subject to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 103/2004, producer organisations recognised before 1 May 2004 in accordance with national legislation may apply for Community withdrawal compensation.However, the new Member State concerned shall bear the financial responsibilities resulting from the notification of a negative decision, as referred to in Article 2(1).
Article 5 
Recognised producer groups may apply for aid referred to in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, if available in the Member State concerned, subject to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1943/2003.
If the implementation of a recognition plan, accepted in accordance with national legislation, has started before 1 May 2004, its date of acceptance referred to in Article 18(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1432/2003 shall be deemed to be 1 May 2004.
Article 6 
In 2005, the new Member States may reduce the percentage of checks at producer organisations and producer groups to no less than half of the minimum percentages provided for in Article 20(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1432/2003 and in Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1433/2003.
If the new Member States make use of this possibility, the percentage shall be increased by the same rate as the rate of reduction in 2005 in 2006, in order to reach the normal level on a two-year average.
Article 7 
Regulations (EC) No 1432/2003, (EC) No 1433/2003, (EC) No 1943/2003 and (EC) No 103/2004 shall apply subject to the rules provided for in this Regulation.
Article 8 
This Regulation shall enter into force subject to and on the date of the entry into force of the Treaty of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.