The Community has decided to provide special assistance in the form of pre-accession aid for the countries applying for accession in order to carry out action to support the current economic and social reform process in those countries and to prepare and facilitate the integration of their economies into the Community economy. This Regulation establishes the framework for Community support for sustainable agriculture and sustainable rural development for the pre-accession period for the following applicant countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Regulation is composed of six Titles. Title I outlines the objectives and types of measures. Support for agricultural and rural development shall encompass the measures referred to in article 2, such as: improving the processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products; improving the structures for quality, veterinary and plant health controls, for the quality of foodstuffs and for consumer protection; agricultural production methods designed to protect the environment and maintain the countryside; land improving and reparcelling; establishment and updating of land registers; agricultural water resources. Titles II and III concern assistance and financial resources respectively. The Commission shall present an annual report on the Community support granted under this Regulation to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions.
1999-06-21