31.8.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC223/67
Addnewpoint2.7:
'Onamoregenerallevel,suchforbiddenzonesreduceconsumerchoiceandlimitproductdevelopment .They
are,therefore,inappropriate inaSingleMarketwhichistheretoimprovechoicefortheconsumerby
removingartificialbarriers.'
Reasons
Self-evident .TheSingleMarketshouldremoveexistingbarriersandnotcreatenewonesasthisproposal
attemptstodo.
Voting
For:17,against:40,abstentions :13.
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)authorizinganenhancedaidsystem
fortheformationofproducers'organizationsintheFrenchoverseasdepartments,inthe
CanaryIslands,inMadeiraandintheAzores(*)
(92/C223/21)
On22April1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedtoappointMrPricoloasRapporteur-General
foritsOpinion.
Atits297thPlenarySession(meetingof27May1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.TheCommitteefullyendorsestheCommission's
reasonsforproposingenhancedaidfortheformation
andinitialoperationofproducers'organizationsinthe
fisheriessectorintheFrenchoverseasdepartments ,
CanaryIslands,MadeiraandAzores.No1360/78of19June1978asamendedbyRegulation
(EEC)No3808/89of12December1989and,with
particularreferencetothefisheriessector,inRegulation
(EEC)No3687/91of28November1991.Thepro­
visionsaredesignedtoovercomestructuralproblems
connectedwiththeconcentration ofsupplyandthe
adjustmentofproductiontomarketdemand.
2.Theprinciplethataidshouldbegraduatedto
reflectthespecialstructuralcircumstancesofdifferent
ECregionsmustnowberecognizedasaconstantand
inalienablepartofagriculturalstructurespolicy.Theseproblemsaremuchmoreacute—sometimesdra­
maticallyso—intheCommunity'smostoutlying
regionsandislands.Hencetheneedforagreaterecon­
omicandfinancialefforttotackletheproblemofthe
veryhighnumberofsmall,inadequatelyorganized
enterprises.Theuseofdifferentiated parameterswhichtake
accountofthefactorsthatimpedeeconomicdevelop­
mentandproductioninthelessfavouredandmost
outlyingregionsoftheCommunityprovidesawayof
reducing(ifnoteliminating )structuraldisparitiesand
thusboostingeconomicandsocialcohesion.4.TheCommitteethereforewelcomestheCom­
mission'smove,notleastbecauseitwillprovidea
consistentderogationsystemforproducers'organiza­
tionsinthefisheriessector.TheCouncilDecisionsof
26June1991concerningthePoseican(CanaryIslands)
andPoseima(MadeiraandAzores)programmes
alreadyadopttheprinciplethatproducers'organiza­
tionsinthefisheriessectorintheseislandsshouldbe
eligibleforenhancedaid.3.Provisionsonproducergroupsandassociations
thereofarecontainedinhorizontalRegulation (EEC)
(!)OJNoC100,22.4.1992,p.13.

NoC223/68 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 31.8.92
TheprincipleisnowbeingextendedtotheFrench
overseasdepartments ,andaderogationfrom
Article6(2)ofRegulation (EEC)No3687/91istoapply
bothtothedepartmentsandtotheislands.
5.UnderArticle6(2),aidmaybecurrentlygranted
fortheformationofproducers'organizationsanddur­
ingthefirstthreeyearsfollowingrecognition .Foryears
one,twoandthree,aidisnottoexceed3%,2%and
1%respectivelyofthevalueofproductionmarketed.
Normustitexceed60%,40%and20%oftheorganiza­
tion'sadministrative expensesinthefirst,secondand
thirdyearsrespectively .Thederogationnowbeingproposedwouldauthorize
aidforafive-yearperiodinsteadofthree,andata
higherlevel:upto5%,4%,3%,2%and1%of
thevalueofproductionmarketedinyearsonetofive
respectively .Thenewaidceilingswouldbe80%,70%,
60%,40%and20%oftheorganization'sadministrat­
iveexpenses,againinyearsonetofiverespectively .
6.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheenhancedaid
schemeshouldboostthedevelopmentandconsoli­
dationofproducers'organizations intheFrenchover­
seasdepartments ,CanaryIslands,MadeiraandAzores.
ItthereforeendorsestheCommissionproposal.
DoneatBrussels,27May1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH