Recital (6)

With natural disasters, severe meteorological events and plant disease outbreaks becoming more frequent, Member States should be given the possibility to extend by up to twelve months the validity of planting authorisations granted for the region affected and due to expire by the end of the marketing year concerned. Holders of such planting authorisations should have the possibility to renounce their authorisations without incurring administrative penalties where they inform the competent authorities of the Member State that they do not wish to make use of their authorisations within the extended deadline. While administrative penalties aim to prevent speculative applications for planting authorisations, exceptional circumstances can lead to unforeseen practical difficulties for winegrowers, preventing them from planting new vineyards. In order to avoid additional hardship in such cases, the competent authorities of the Member States should be allowed to waive the administrative penalties for the non-use of a planting authorisation upon a justified request from the winegrower concerned.