31.12.76 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL364/35
COMMISSION DECISION
of3December1976
ontheimplementation ofthereformofagriculturalstructuresintheFrenchRepublic
pursuanttoTitleIIofDirective75/268/EEC
(OnlytheFrenchtextisauthentic)
(76/947/EEC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,WhereasDirective75/268/EECthereforeauthorizes
theMemberStatestointroduceasystemofaidto
encouragefarmingandraisefarmincomesinthose
areas;
Whereasthisaidmaytaketheformofa
compensatory allowanceforthepermanentnatural
handicaps,paidtofarmerswhoundertaketopursue
afarmingactivityinaccordancewiththeaimsofthe
Directiveforatleastfivemoreyears;whereasinthe
caseofcattle,sheepandgoatfarmingtheallowance
iscalculatedinrelationtolivestocknumbersand
maynotexceed52-50unitsofaccountperlivestock
unitand52-50unitsofaccountperhectareofforage
areawithaminimumof16unitsofaccountper
livestockunit;whereasDirective75/268/EEC
containsatableforconvertingcattle,sheeporgoats
intolivestockunits;HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingthe
EuropeanEconomicCommunity ,
HavingregardtoCouncilDirective72/159/EECof
17April1972onthemodernization offarms,andin
particularArticle18(3)thereof,
HavingregardtoCouncilDirective75/268/EECof
28April1975onmountainandhillfarmingand
farmingincertainless-favoured areas(2),andin
particularArticle13thereof,
Whereason9June1976theFrenchGovernment
notified,pursuanttoArticle13ofDirective75/268/
EECinconjunctionwithArticle17(4)ofDirective
72/159/EEC,DecreeNo74-134of20February1974
introducing aspecialmountainallowancefor
farmersinmountainandhillareaswhopractise
farmingastheirmainoccupation ;
WhereastheFrenchGovernmentannouncedatthe
sametimethatthesystemofaidsetupbytheabove
decreewouldcontinuetobevalidonlyfor1976and
wouldbereplacedbyanewsystemwitheffectfrom
1977;
WhereasArticle18(3)ofDirective72/159/EECand
Article13ofDirective75/268/EECrequirethe
Commissiontodecidewhether,havingregardtothe
compatibility ofthedecreenotifiedwithDirective
75/268/EECandtakingintoaccounttheobjectives
ofthatDirectiveandtheneedforaproper
connectionbetweenthevariousmeasures,the
conditionsforafinancialcontribution bythe
Communityaresatisfied;
WhereasitisabasicaimofDirective75/268/EECto
ensurethecontinuation offarmingintheless­
favouredareasdeterminedbytheCouncilthus
maintaining aiminimum (populationlevelor
conservingthecountryside ;Whereas,inadditiontotheconditionslaiddownin
Articles6and7oftheDirective,theMemberStates
mayfixsupplementary conditionsorrestrictions
regardingthegrantingofthecompensatory
allowance;
Whereastheabovementioned decreeprovidesforan
allowanceofFF200perlivestockunit,wherebyin
thefieldofcattleraisingacowwhichhascalved
countsasonelivestockunitandallothercattleover
oneyearoldas0-5livestockunit;whereasno
allowanceispaidforyounganimalslessthanayear
old;
Whereasthisdeviationfromtheconversiontablefor
expressingcattle,sheepandgoatsaslivestockunits,
aslaiddowninArticle7(1)ofDirective75/268/EEC
inconjunctionwiththeAnnexthereto,which
essentiallymeansthatpreferenceisgiventodairy
farms,cannotyetbeheldtoendangertheobjectives
oftheDirectivesespeciallyasinallothercasesthe
allowancegranted—evenwhentheconversiontable
isused—stillliesabovetheminimumfigureof(*)OJNoL96,23.4.1972,p.1.
(2)OJNoL128,19.5.1975,p.1.

NoL364/36 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 31.12.76
HASADOPTED THISDECISION : 16unitsofaccountperlivestockunitandthe
communication fromtheFrenchGovernment ensures
thatthisformulawillbeamendedinfutureyearsso
astocomplyfullywiththeprovisionsofthe
Directives ;Article1
Whereas,takenasawhole,DecreeNo74-134
thereforemeetstherequirementsofDirective75/268/
EECandinparticulartheobjectiveofmaintaininga
minimumpopulationlevel;1.DecreeNo74-134introducing aspecial
mountainallowanceforfarmersinmountainand
hillareaswhopractisefarmingastheirmain
occupation,notifiedbytheFrenchGovernmenton
9June1976,satisfiestheconditionsforfinancial
contribution bytheCommunity tocommon
measuresasreferredtoinArticle13ofDirective
75/268/EECandArticle15ofDirective72/159/EEC.
2.Financialparticipation bytheCommunity
appliestopaymentsarisingfromthegrantingofthe
allowanceprovidedforinDecreeNo74-134in1975
and1976. Whereassincetheabovemeasureistoapplyonlyin
1975and1976initspresentformtheDecision
shouldbelimitedtothisperiod;
Article2
ThisDecisionisaddressedtoFrance.
WhereastheEAGGFCommitteehasbeenconsulted
onthefinancialaspects;DoneatBrussels,3December1976.
WhereasthemeasuresprovidedforinthisDecision
areinaccordancewiththeopinionoftheStanding
CommitteeonAgriculturalStructures,FortheCommission
P.J.LARDINOIS
MemberoftheCommission