The European Commission has adopted a Regulation changing the rules for the eligibility of maize for intervention.

Since EU enlargement, the maize market has become unbalanced and intervention stocks are piling up (5.1 million tonnes at the moment).

Maize grains tend to degrade more rapidly when stored than other grains. To make sure that maize offered to intervention is suitable for long-term public storage and to guarantee that only maize of good quality is eligible for intervention, an adjustment of the current quality criteria for maize buying-in is required.

Therefore the Commission agreed to upgrade some of the quality standards for intervention: the maximum moisture content as well as the maximum percentage of broken grains and grains overheated during drying will be reduced and a specific maximum weight will be introduced.

The Regulation will now be published in the Official Journal in the next few days and the revised criteria will apply from the first of November.