S.I. No. 101/1986:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (CONCENTRATED BUTTER) (MAXIMUM PRICES) REGULATIONS, 1986.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (CONCENTRATED BUTTER) (MAXIMUM PRICES) REGULATIONS, 1986.

I, AUSTIN DEASY, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 3143/85 of 11 November, 1985,¹ hereby, make the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Concentrated Butter) (Maximum Prices) Regulations, 1986, and shall come into operation on the 12th day of May, 1986.

2. (1) In these Regulations--

"authorised officer" means an officer of the Minister authorised in writing by the Minister for the purposes of these Regulations;

"the Minister" means the Minister for Agriculture;

"the Commission Regulation" means Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 3143/85 of 11 November, 1985.¹

(2) A word or expression that is used in these Regulations and is also used in the Commission Regulation shall, unless the contrary intention is expressed, have in these Regulations the meaning that it has in the Commission Regulation.

3. These Regulations apply to butter which, in accordance with the terms of the Commission Regulation, has been processed into concentrated butter and packed.

4. The maximum prices at which concentrated butter may be sold by retail shall be--

¹OJ No. L298 of 12.11.1985, page 9.

(a) in the case of concentrated butter in plastic containers, 40p per ½ lb or 44p per 250 grams,

(b) in the case of concentrated butter in metal containers, 46p per ½ lb or 49p per 250 grams,

(c) in the case of concentrated butter in foil or parchment wrappings or in other wrappings or containers, 37p per ½ lb or 40p per 250 grams,

(d) in the case of any other unit weights, prices calculated at the rates prescribed by paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Regulation.

5. Where concentrated butter is sold by retail in a packet or container purporting to contain a specified weight of the concentrated butter, the packet or container shall be deemed for the purposes of these Regulations to contain that weight of concentrated butter.

6. (1) An authorised officer may--

(a) at all reasonable times enter and inspect any premises in which he has reasonable grounds for believing that butter to which these Regulations apply is stored for the purposes of sale by retail or any books, documents or records relating to such butter are kept, and

(b) inspect and take copies of or, extracts from, any such records, books or documents.

(2) A person shall not obstruct or interfere with an authorised officer when he is exercising a power conferred by this Regulation.

(3) An authorised officer shall be furnished with a warrant of his appointment as an authorised officer and, when exercising any power conferred on an authorised officer by this Regulation, shall, if so requested by any person affected, produce the warrant to that person.

7. A person who contravenes a provision of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

8. An offence under these Regulations may be prosecuted by the Minister.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 5th day of May, 1986.

AUSTIN DEASY,

Minister for Agriculture.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This Order fixes the maximum retail prices at which concentrated butter for cooking and baking, which is manufactured under EEC Commission Regulation No. 3143/85 of 11 November, 1985, may be sold in Ireland. The Order should be read in conjunction with the Commission Regulation.