Federal Office for Agriculture and Food

BLE Intervention Measures by public and private storage

In order to stabilize markets and ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, a differentiated market support system has been developed for the different sectors. Direct support measures have been introduced taking into account the different needs in each of these sectors on the one hand and the interdependence between different sectors on the other.

These measures take the form of public intervention or the payment of aid for the private storage of products. In Germany, the BLE is the responsible authority for the implementation of intervention measures.

In the case of intervention by means of public storage the BLE purchases goods subject to market regulation (e.g. common wheat, butter, skimmed-milk powder).

For the purpose of implementing public storage, the BLE concludes annual storage contracts for dry storage facilities and cold store capacities before the start of the following public intervention periods:

• for common wheat 01/11 to 31/05 of the following year (of each year)
• for butter and skimmed-milk powder 01/03 to 30/09 of each year

The BLE issues intervention guidelines with regard to the conditions at the beginning of the respective buying-in period.

The main legislative provisions are:

Regulation (EU) No 1306/ 2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008

Regulation (EU) No 1308/ 2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007

Council Regulation (EU) No 1370/ 2013 of 16 December 2013 determining measures on fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/ 1240 of 18 May 2016 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to public intervention and aid for private storage

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/ 1238 of 18 May 2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to public intervention and aid for private storage (Text with EEA relevance)

Sale of products from public storage

The sale of intervention goods takes place on the basis of public tender procedures in compliance with EU legal requirements. Basic principles are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2016/1240. For the purpose of administrative implementation the general conditions for the sale of intervention goods have been set out in notice no. 23/16/51.

Aid for private storage

In order to achieve a balance on the market and stabilize market prices, it may be necessary to grant aid for private storage of certain agricultural products (for example pigmeat, butter, skimmed-milk powder).

In this kind of situation it is for the European Commission to decide upon measures in the field of private storage.

The measures aim at supporting operators affected by a particularly difficult market situation in placing goods on the market only after a certain storage period, and thus to relieve pressure on the market and achieve price support.

Where the implementation of a private storage measure has been decided upon, the BLE publishes participating conditions by means of a notice.