1981L0527 — EN — 01.04.1985 — 001.001 — 1
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►B COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of30June1981
onthedevelopmentofagriculture intheFrenchoverseasdepartments
(81/527/EEC)
(OJ L 197, 20.7.1981, p. 38)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Council Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 of 12 March 1985 L 93 1 30.3.1985
▼B
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of30June1981
on the development of agriculture in the French overseas depart-
ments
(81/527/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (
1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (2),
Whereas, in order to attain the objectives of the common agricultural
policy set out in Article 39 (1) (a) and (b) of the Treaty, special
measures must be taken, at Community level, to remedy the situationin those agricultural areas where production conditions are particularlydifficult;
Whereasfrom 1980 onwardsthere can be no aid from the European
Development Fund;
Whereasthe French overs easdepartmentsare very little developed
compared with the other regionsof the Community and are in a parti-
cularly unfavourable situation as regards agricultural yield and
incomes, while the agricultural sector is the only one capable ofplaying a prominent part in the economic development of the saiddepartments;
Whereasthe conditionsand limitslaid down in Articles13 and 19 of
Council Directive 72/159/EEC of 17 April 1972 on the modernizationof farms(
3), aslas t amended by Directive 81/528/EEC (4), are not well-
suited to the particular structural situation of the said departments;
Whereas the objective should be to enable the structural development
of these regions to catch up through measures having lasting effectson their agricultural economies;
Whereas agricultural production in the said departments is seriously
affected by a water supply situation which is distorted by an inadequateinfrastructure in rural areas, and by soils which require much improve-ment before they can yield well or be efficiently exploited for forestry;
Whereas measures to promote stockfarming and the diversification of
cropsmus t be encouraged;
Whereas these measures concerned with underdevelopment should be
expedited by meansof Community aid;
Whereas these objectives should be pursued by way of a multi-purpose
common measure covering all the French overseas departments andconstituting a special programme extenting over several years andsubmitted by the French Republic;
Whereasit followsfrom the foregoing that the meas uresreferred to
above constitute a common measure within the meaning of Article 6
of Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the finan-
cing of the common agricultural policy (
5), aslas t amended by
Regulation (EEC) No 3509/80 (6),1981L0527 — EN — 01.04.1985 — 001.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 291, 10. 11. 1980, p. 83.
(2) OJ No C 348, 31. 12. 1980, p. 6.
(3) OJ No L 96, 23. 4. 1972, p. 1.
(4) See page 41 of thisOfficial Journal.
(5) OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13.
(6) OJ No L 367, 31. 12. 1980, p. 87.
▼B
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
1. With a view to promoting the development of agriculture in the
French overseas departments, a common measure within the meaningof Article 6 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70, to be implementedby the French Republic, shall be introduced in the departments ofReunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guiana.
Article 2
1. The Community'sfinancial contribution may be us ed only in the
framework of a programme implementing all the measures envisaged
in the departmentsconcerned. Such a programme for all the depart-ments concerned or for one or more thereof shall be submitted to theCommission by the French Republic.
2. The Commission shall decide whether to approve the programme
and any amendmentsthereto in ►
M1accordance with the procedure
laid down in Article 25 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 of 12March 1985 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures (
1),
after◄consultation of the Committee of the European Agricultural
Guidance and Guarantee Fund, hereinafter called the ‘Fund’, on thefinancial aspects.
Article 3
The object of the programme shall be to implement projects essential
to the development of agriculture by meansof:
(a) collective irrigation operations,
(b) improvementsto agricultural infras tructure,
(c) soil improvement, flood protection work and other protection work,
(d) afforestation and the improvement of degraded forest, including the
establishment of shelter belts and forest roads, provided that theseoperations guarantee an improvement in agricultural structures,
(e) measures to encourage stockfarming, with particular emphasis on
meat production, and the diversification of crops by promoting the
cultivation of cropss uited to production conditionsand marketing
possibilities.
Article 4
1. The programme shall include:
— a description of the current situation and requirements,
— a description of the various measures envisaged,
— the plan for financing the programme,
— the scope of operations and the timescale envisaged for carrying out
the programme,
— the rulesgoverning intervention by public authoritiesin carrying
out the programme.
2. All the measures covered by this action must fall within the
framework of the regional development programme where the FrenchRepublic is required to forward it to the Commission under Article 6of Council Regulation 724/75 of 18 March 1975 establishing aEuropean Regional Development Fund (
2), asamended by Council
Regulation (EEC) No 214/79 (3).1981L0527 — EN — 01.04.1985 — 001.001 — 3
(1) OJ No L 93, 30. 3. 1985, p. 1.
(2) OJ No L 73, 29. 3. 1975, p. 1.
(3) OJ No L 35, 9. 2. 1979, p. 1.▼M1
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Article 5
1. Expenditure incurred by the French Republic under the
programme on the measures referred to in Article 3 shall be eligible
under the Guidance Section of the Fund up to the following limits:
— under Article 3 (a), up to 31 million ECU (A);
— under Article 3 (b), up to 90 million ECU (A);
— under Article 3 (c), up to 47 million ECU (A);
— under Article 3 (d), up to 9 million ECU (A);— under Article 3 (e), up to 34 million ECU (A), of which a
maximum of 10 % may be used for technical assistance.
2. The Guidance Section of the Fund shall reimburse to the French
Republic 40 % of the eligible expenditure.
Article 6
1. The duration of the common measure shall be not more than five
yearsasfrom the date on which the programme isapproved.
2. Before the period referred to in paragraph 1 expires, this Direc-
tive shall be reviewed by the Council acting on a proposal from theCommission.
3. The total estimated cost of the common measure to be borne by
the Fund shall be 85 million ECU.
4. Article 6 (5) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 shall apply to this
Directive.
Article 7
When the programme is approved, the Commission shall, by agreement
with the French Republic, determine the manner in which it shall bekept informed periodically of the progress of the common measure.
Article 8
1. Requests for reimbursement shall relate to expenditure incurred
by the French Republic during one calendar year and shall be
submitted to the Commission not later than 30 June of the followingyear.
2. Aid from the Fund shall be decided upon in accordance with
Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70.
3. The Fund may make advance paymentson the bas isof the
method of financing adopted by the French Republic and in the lightof the progress of the programme.
4. Detailed rulesfor the application of thisArticle s hall be adopted
in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 13 of Regulation
(EEC) No 729/70.
Article 9
This Directive is addressed to the French Republic.1981L0527 — EN — 01.04.1985 — 001.001 — 4