3. 10. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 256/19 
Where the sample check leads to a reduction, it shall be 
applied proportionately to the entire amount for which 
payment is requested after the Member State has had an 
opportunity to present its observations. 
Article 9 
Transitional provisions 
1. In accordance with Article 15(4) of Regulation (EEC) 
No 2052/88, applications for assistance for 1989 submitted 
before 21 October 1988 shall be covered by Council 
Decision 83/516/EEC (x) and the provisions implementing 
it. 
2. The first plans shall cover a period beginning on 1 
January 1990. Plans concerning Objectives 1, 2 and 5(b) 
shall be presented before 31 March 1989. Plans concerning 
Objectives 3 and 4 shall be presented by 1 June 1989. 
3. Applications for assistance for operations to be 
implemented starting in the 1990 financial year shall be 
submitted before 30 June 1989. 
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, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas Article 3(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 2052/88 (*) provides for the Council to adopt the 
specific provisions governing operations under each 
Structural Fund; 
(i) OJ NoL 185, 15.7. 1988, p. 9. Article 10 
Administrative procedures 
The Commission shall lay down the detailed provisions 
necessary for the implementation of this Regulation. 
Article 11 
Entry into force 
1. This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 
1989. Subject to the transitional provisions laid down in 
Article 9, it shall be applicable as from that date. 
2. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2950/83 (2) is hereby 
repealed. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
applicable in all Member States. 
Whereas the tasks laid down for the Guidance Section of 
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, 
by Article 3(3) of the above Regulation should be further 
specified in the light of the contribution it makes to 
achieving Objectives 1, 5(a) and 5(b) as set out in Article 1 
of that Regulation; 
Whereas measures to speed up the adjustment of agricul­
tural structures with a view to the reform of the Structural 
Funds must include measures closely connected with the 
Common Agricultural Policy and designed to meet its 
general requirements; 
Whereas, however, some of those measures, which already 
exist at Community level, may be adjusted to allow for the 
differing structural situations in the different regions of the 
Community, by increased diversification, and specifically (!) OJ No L 289, 22. 10. 1983, p. 38. (2) OJ No L 289, 22. 10. 1983, p. 1. 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down provisions for implementing Regulation 
(EEC) No 2052/88 as regards the EAGGF Guidance Section 
COM(88) 500/2 final — SYN 151 
(Submitted by the Commission on 30 August 1 
(88/C 256(04) 
No C 256/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 10. 88 
by differentiation of the contribution in favour of the areas 
concerned by Objective 1; 
Whereas measures designed to contribute to Objective 1 
and to promoting the development of rural areas 
[(Objective 5(b]) should include action to respond to those 
areas' specific structural problems; 
Whereas, however, that action must be implemented in 
accordance with the objectives of the Common Agricul­
tural Policy and should not lead to an increase in output of 
products in which there is a surplus, especially through 
irrigation; 
Whereas measures for the development and exploitation of 
woodland are of particular interest, not only as offering 
alternative activity and income for agriculture in those 
areas but also in order to increase woodland's contribution 
to improving the environment and to expand its protective 
function; 
Whereas the forms of assistance by the Fund should be 
determined and whereas operational programmes, and 
where appropriate global grants, are the most appropriate 
forms, both for measures for the development of less-
developed areas and of rural areas and for measures to 
improve structures for marketing and processing agricul­
tural products; 
Whereas provision should be made for the Commission to 
lay down such provisions as are necessary for the 
implementation of this Regulation, and specifically as 
regards the way in which operational programmes are to be 
presented, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. The Guidance Section of the European Agricultural 
Guidance and Guarantee Fund, hereinafter referred to as 
'the Fund', referred to in Article 1(1) of Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 729/70 (l), may, in accordance with the criteria 
and objectives laid down in Titles I to IV of this Regulation, 
finance measures for performing the tasks referred to in 
Article 3(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 in order to 
attain Objectives 1 and 5 as set out in Article 1 of that 
Regulation. 
2. The conditions and criteria laid down in Council 
Regulation (EEC) No... (COORD/88) shall apply to 
measures financed under this Regulation, except if this 
Regulation or provisions adopted under Article 2(1) 
thereof specify otherwise. 
(!) OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. 3. Without prejudice to Article 34 of Regulation (EEC) 
No ... (COORD/88) and Article 11 of this Regulation, the 
Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 43 of 
the Treaty, shall decide by 31 December 1989 on any 
alterations to the common measures introduced under 
Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 in order to 
achieve the objectives referred to in Regulation (EEC) 
No 2052/88, in conformity with the rules laid down by 
Regulation (EEC) No... (COORD/88) and with this 
Regulation. 
TITLE I 
SPEEDING UP THE ADJUSTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL 
STRUCTURES WITH A VIEW TO THE REFORM OF THE 
COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY 
Article 2 
1. The Fund may finance common measures adopted by 
the Council in accordance with the procedure provided for 
in the third subparagraph of Article 43(2) of the Treaty, in 
order to speed up the adjustment of agricultural structures, 
with a view in particular to the reform of the Common 
Agricultural Policy. 
2. The common measures referred to in paragraph 1 may 
concern: 
— measures to accompany markets policy, such as 
reducing production potential and adjusting and 
converting production, including measures to promote 
quality products and the marketing of produce at the 
farm, 
— the afforestation of farmland, 
— measures to encourage early retirement from farming, 
in order to reduce the areas of land devoted to farm 
production, 
— measures to support farm incomes, such as compens­
ation for permanent natural handicaps in mountain, hill 
or less-favoured areas, 
— measures to protect the environment and safeguard the 
landscape, 
— measures to encourage the installation of young 
farmers, 
— measures to adapt structures on holdings, especially 
investments, 
— measures to improve the marketing and processing of 
agricultural and forestry products, in accordance with 
the conditions and the criteria laid down in the 
provisions referred to in Article 11(1), 
— measures to improve the marketing and processing of 
fishery products. 
3. 10. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 256/21 
TITLE II 
PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURAL 
ADJUSTMENT OF THE LESS-DEVELOPED REGIONS 
Article 3 
1. The Fund may contribute to achieving Objective 1 
referred to in Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 by 
financing measures for developing and strengthening 
agricultural and forestry structures, for maintaining the 
landscape and for rural development. 
2. Priority for assistance from the Fund shall be granted 
to areas within less-developed regions where agricultural 
structure is seriously inadequate, especially if they are 
located in mountain, hill or less-favoured areas within the 
meaning of Article 3 of Council Directive 75/268/EEC (]). 
Article 4 
In accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/ 
88, the Fund may finance operational programmes, 
integrated operational programmes and global grants 
covered by Community support frameworks and concern­
ing one or more measures as referred to in Article 5. 
Article 5 
Financial assistance by the Fund to operational program­
mes may cover the following: 
— encouraging retirement from farming in order to 
restructure agriculture and encourage the installation of 
young farmers, 
— the conversion, diversification and reduction of produc­
tion by specific measures, 
— if their financing is not provided for by Council 
Regulation (EEC) No... (FEDER/88): 
— improving rural infrastructures which are necessary 
for the development of agriculture and forestry, 
— measures to achieve diversification, especially those 
providing multiple activities or alternative incomes 
for farmers, 
— reparcelling and associated work, 
— individual or collective land or pasture improvement, 
— irrigation, including the renovation and improvement 
of irrigation networks, the creation of collective 
irrigation works from existing main channels, the creation of small irrigation systems not supplied from 
collective networks, and the renovation of drainage 
systems, 
— encouragement for tourist and craft investments, 
including the improvement of living accommodation on 
agricultural holdings, 
— protection of the environment and maintenance of the 
countryside, 
— restoring agricultural production potential after natural 
disasters, 
— the development and exploitation of woodland, in 
accordance with conditions and criteria to be laid down 
by the Council on a proposal from the Commission, 
including: 
— afforestation and the improvement and reconsti-
tution of woodland, 
— related work and accompanying measures neces­
sary for the exploitation of woodland, 
in order to increase woodland's contribution to the 
— conservation and protection of the environment and 
to offer farmers alternative activities and income, 
— the development of agricultural and forestry advisory 
services, and the improvement of facilities for agricul­
tural training. 
TITLE III 
PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS 
OF THE COMMUNITY IN REGIONS COVERED BY 
OBJECTIVE 5 
Article 6 
1. In order to promote, especially with a view to the 
reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the develop­
ment of rural areas of the Community in regions not 
covered by Objective 1, in particular by exploiting the 
indigenous development potential of those areas, Member 
States may submit rural development plans for geograp­
hical areas at the territorial level considered appropriate, 
selected in accordance with the criteria specified in Article 4 
of Regulation (EEC) No... (COORD/88). 
2. In accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) 
No 2052/88 the Fund may finance operational program­
mes, integrated operational programmes and global grants 
covered by Community support frameworks and concern­
ing one or more measures as referred to in Article 5. 
Article 7 
(") OJ No L 128, 19.5. 1975, p. 1. 1. Rural development plans shall include the particulars 
referred to in Article 11(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/ 
No C 256/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 10. 88 
88 and Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) No ... (COORD/88), 
and in addition: 
— a delimitation of the rural areas proposed and the 
reasons therefor. As a rule an area proposed must be a 
territorial unit at NUTS level III or a homogeneous area 
not exceeding an area equivalent to regional NUTS level 
HI, 
— the particulars required for verifying compliance with 
the selection criteria laid down in Article 4(2) of 
Regulation (EEC) No ... (COORD/88), 
— particulars of the socio-economic environment of the 
areas proposed. 
TITLE IV 
GENERAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS 
Article 8 
Assistance from the Fund for the measures provided for in 
Article 5(2)(e) of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 may cover: 
— carrying out pilot projects for promoting the develop­
ment of rural areas, including the development and 
exploitation of woodland, 
— supporting such technical assistance and preparatory 
studies as are necessary for operations, 
— studies to assess the effectiveness of the measures 
provided for by this Regulation, 
— carrying out demonstration projects to show farmers 
the real possibilities of systems, methods and techniques 
of production which are in accordance with the 
objectives of the reform of the Common Agricultural 
Policy. 
Article 9 
The Commission shall lay down the detailed provisions 
necessary for the implementation of this Regulation. 
Article 10 
Member States shall supply the Commission with inform­
ation enabling it to verify that the provisions of Article 7(1) 
of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 have been complied with. 
Article 11 
1. The Council, acting on a proposal from the Commis­
sion in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 
43 of the Treaty, shall by 31 December 1989 decide upon 
the forms of and the conditions for the Fund contribution 
to measures to improve the conditions under which agricultural, forestry and fishery products are processed 
and marketed, as referred to in Article 2(2), in compliance 
with the following principles: 
—- Community assistance shall be subject to the approval 
of sector plans showing the need for the production 
sector concerned to be adjusted in line with the 
requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy and 
the Common Fisheries Policy, 
— the form of assistance shall be an operational pro­
gramme within the meaning of Article 5{5) of Regu­
lation (EEC) No 2052/88 or a global grant as provided 
for in Article 5(2)(c) of that Regulation, 
— in areas of the Community other than those referred to 
in Articles 3 and 6 of this Regulation, assistance shall be 
granted only if the measures concern: 
— the necessary adaptation of a sector of agriculture, 
— conversion to products which are not in surplus, 
including non-food products, or alternative forms 
of production, 
— forestry, 
— fisheries. 
2. With effect from the date of entry into force of the 
Council Decision referred to in paragraph 1, Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 (*) is hereby repealed. 
However, projects concerning fisheries may still be 
submitted under that Regulation until ... 
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, Articles 6 to 
15 and 17 to 23 of Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 shall 
continue to apply to projects submitted by the date of entry 
into force of the Council Decision referred to in paragraph 
1, or as regards the fishery sector, by ... 
4. Operational programmes as referred to in Articles 4 
and 6 may, as soon as this Regulation enters into force, 
include measures for improving the marketing and 
processing of agricultural, forestry and fishery products, 
provided they comply with the relevant current provisions. 
(!) OJ No L 51, 23. 2. 1977, p. 1. 
3. 10.88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 256/23 
Article 12 Article 13 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1989. 
Article 1(3), Articles 6 to 6c and Article 7(2) of Regulation This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
(EEC) No 729/70 are hereby repealed. applicable in all Member States.