Key Benefits:
The Royal Decree-Law 20/1999 of 3 December, adopting new measures to alleviate the effects of drought on certain woody crops, establishes a line of loans for a maximum overall amount of 3,000,000,000 Pesetas with funds transferred by the Institute of Official Credit to support the holders of holdings which grow almond-affected almond trees, under the conditions laid down in Article 2 thereof.
Article 2.1.d) provides that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shall grant the interest rate of the abovementioned loans equal to half the amount applicable.
By this Order the procedure for granting the aforementioned bonuses is established, in development of what is foreseen in the final disposition of the Royal Decree-Law 20/1999.
The Autonomous Communities and representative entities of the sectors concerned have been consulted.
In its virtue, I have:
Article 1. Object.
By this Order the granting of aid in the form of a bonus for the interest of loans made by holders of almond farms, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, provided for in Article 2 (2) (d) of Royal Decree-Law No 20/1999 of 3 December, laying down new measures to alleviate the effects of drought on certain woody crops.
Article 2. Beneficiaries.
May be beneficiaries of the aid covered by this Order, the holders of holdings which grow almond-affected almond trees and which subscribe to the loan contracts referred to in Article 2 of the Royal Decree of the European Union. Decree-law 20/1999.
Article 3. Processing and resolution.
1. Applications for interest subsidies shall be submitted to the competent bodies of the respective Autonomous Communities within the time limits specified by them and, in any event, before the 15th of March of this year.
2. The Autonomous Communities shall verify that the conditions laid down in Articles 1 (a) and 2 of Royal Decree-Law No 20/1999 are fulfilled, in which case they shall certify that compliance with the applicants so that they can subscribe, if appropriate, to the corresponding loan contracts.
3. It is for the Autonomous Communities to resolve the grant or refusal, where appropriate, of the interest rate subsidy from the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and shall send the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Power copy of the same.
Article 4. Payment.
Interest bonuses will be paid to the beneficiaries by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food through the Official Credit Institute that will act as a contributing entity, in accordance with the terms of the Convention to be signed, where appropriate, between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the said entity, as provided for in Article 2.2 of Royal Decree-Law 20/1999, and its amount shall be deducted from the amount which it would have to pay, in its Case-law, to the borrower pursuant to Article 2.1.c) of the aforementioned Royal Decree-Law.
Article 5. Determination of the performance of a normal crop.
For the purposes set out in Article 1.a) of Royal Decree-Law No 20/1999, the determination of the yield of a normal harvest shall be established from the average value of the yields corresponding to the last three harvests.
Single end disposition. Entry into force.
This Order shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette of the State.
Madrid, 24 January 2000.
POSADA MORENO
Ilmos. Mr Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary-General for Agriculture and Food.