Thanks to the agri-environmental conditions found in Trás-os-Montes, in particular the warmth provided by well manured and hoed soils, the Batata de Trás-os-Montes has a pleasant, very typical and slightly sweet taste, a similarly pleasant earthy smell and, compared with other potatoes, an uncommonly high starch content, which averages 78 % in the dry matter.

EU production of potato starch remained close to the quota fixed (period 1998-2004); total exports of cereal starch and potato starch remained relatively stable; total starch production in the EU has grown at a rate of approximately 2 % per year on average since 1998; the share of potato starch in starch production as a whole is declining, at around 20 %; it will probably take up to two years to assess the initial effects of the reform of the common agricultural policy (decoupling), and of the enlargement of the EU on the starch production sector.

In order to take into account the transfers of land that have taken place in the period before the application of the single payment scheme, it is justified to consider the transfer of holding or part of it together with the future payment entitlements as a valid transfer of the payment entitlements with land within the meaning of Article 46 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, subject to certain conditions, in particular the fact that the seller should apply for the establishment of the payment entitlements as far as that Regulation clearly provides that only those who received the direct payment in the reference period have access to the s ...[+++]cheme.

(12) Potato production is essential in the Canary Islands, for both economic and social and environmental reasons. The cultivated areas are situated in areas of average altitude where the difficult terrain and small size of holdings (terrace cultivation), together with the high prices of inputs, make for very high production costs. Specific aid is granted for growing potatoes for human consumption in order to support domestic production to satisfy the islands' consumption patterns. Abolition of the temporary measure restricting the deliveries of potatoes for human consumption during sensitive periods for the marketing of local production ...[+++] has left the sector very vulnerable. It is therefore planned to grant aid for local marketing of this potato production.

Less-favoured areas - Article 3(4) a) Infertile land -------------- - northern wet region: level of yield less than 30 (as measured by the fertility index of L. TURC) - arid and semi-arid regions: less than 50% arable land in farmed area. b) Poor economic conditions ------------------------ - northern wet region: standard gross margin per farm worker not more than 80% of the average for the region and less than half the national average for both utilized agricultural area (UAA) per farm and hectares per field; - arid and semi-arid regions: irrigated area less than 20% of the arable area and fallow area greater than 20% of the grassland ...[+++](1) COM(86) 284 final (2) A "municipio" is the smallest administrative unit for which data is available and consists of a village.

Less-favoured areas - Article 3(4) a) Infertile land -------------- - northern wet region: level of yield less than 30 (as measured by the fertility index of L. TURC) - arid and semi-arid regions: less than 50% arable land in farmed area. b) Poor economic conditions ------------------------ - northern wet region: standard gross margin per farm worker not more than 80% of the average for the region and less than half the national average for both utilized agricultural area (UAA) per farm and hectares per field; - arid and semi-arid regions: irrigated area less than 20% of the arable area and fallow area greater than 20% of the grassland ...[+++](1) COM(86) 284 final (2) A "municipio" is the smallest administrative unit for which data is available and consists of a village.