ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(76)278
Vol.1976/0088

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
, /
COM(76)278final
Brussels,2dJune1976
i ■ •,
< \
!
COMMUNITY HELPFORFRIULI
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION TOWARDSREPAIRING
THEDAMAGESCAUSEDTOAGRICULTURE INFRIULI
BYTHEEARTHQUAKE OPMAY1976
(SubmittedbytheCommissiontotheCouncil)
COM(76)278final

COK(76)278final
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1*On6May1976asevereearthquakeoccurredinPriuli.Over1,000lives
werelost.Itwillnotbepossibletomeasurethematerialdamagewithany
precisionuntilthemostessentialrescueandreconstruction workiscomplete*
AgricultureisimportantintheeconomyoftheregionofFriuli–Venezia–
Giulia.ThedamagedprovinoesareUdine(412,474hectaresofUAA,64.2$of
thetotalarea)andPordenone(180,126ha,28$).Agriculturetheremainly
consistsoftheproductionofcereals,meat,milk,wine,fruitandvegetables.
2.Thetelexof20May1976fromtheMinistryofAgricultureinRomelistedthe
followinglosses:
–10,000ruraldwellingsdestroyedcompletelyand4»000partially;
–8,000cattleshedsdestroyedandnearly20,000animalslost;
–farmmachineryworth10milliardlire,stocksofgoodsworth5milliard,
rawmaterials(seeds,fertilizeretc...)worth1milliard;
–7pig-housesand1cooperativepigfarm;
–69collectiveharvesting,processingandmarketingestablishments (cheese­
makingandwinecooperatives,maizedryingplants,etc.);
–500kmoffarmroadsinthehillsandmountains;
–30kmofruralelectricity network;
–40kmofruralaqueducts;
–irrigationsystemandhydraulioworksworth2milliardlire;
–publiclanddevelopment works,landimprovement schemesinthemountains
andforestsworth33milliard.
Thisisnotanexhaustivelist.
The29mostseverelydamagedcommunesare:
intheProvinceofUdines
Artegna,Buia,CavazzoCarnico,ColloredodiMontalbano,PelettoUmberto,
Porgaria,Qemona,Lusevera,MagnianoinRiviera,Majano,MoggioUdinese,
Montenars,Osoppo,Pradielis,Nimis,Ragogna,Resia,S.DanieledelFriuli,
Sedegliano,Tarcento,Tavagnacco,Trasaghis,Venzone;
intheProvinceofPordenone î
CastelnuovodelFriuli,Fanna,PinzanoalTagliamento,Sequals,Travesio,
vitod'Asio.

Clearly,itis"beyondthemeansandcapabilityofthefarmerstorepairsuch
severedamagebytheirownefforts,particularly sinceofthe29communes
elevenasregardstheirentireterritoryandsixasregardspartareonthelist
ofless–favouredareaswithinthemeaningofArticle3(3)ofCouncil
Directive75/268/EECof28April1975onmountainandhillfarmingand
farmingincertainless-favoured areas.TheCommunityisthereforecalled
ontoshowsolidaritywithpartofthepopulationthathassufferedsomuch
fromanatviraldisaster.
Once"before,atthetimeofthedisastrousfloodsinItalyin1966,the
Communityadoptedaspecialmeasuretoassistdistressedagricultural areas
underCommissionRegulationsUos.206/66/EECof7December1966onthe
E.A.G.G.F.contribution towardsrepairingthedamagecaused "bydisastrous
floodsincertainregionsofItalyduringtheautumnof1966and17/67/EEC
of27January1967^«
UndertheseRegulationsprovisionwasmadeforaidfromtheGuidanceSection
oftheE.A.G.G.F.forreconstruction andtheimprovement ofthemeansof
productionandthemarketingofagricultural produce.Tenmillionunitsof
accountweregrantedfor29individualprojectssubmitted;thedecisionwith
respecttothesubstanceofeachcasewastakenatmostsixweeksafterreceipt
oftherelevantdatabytheCommission.
Torepairthedamagecausedbytheearthquakeitisappropriatetoadapt
theaidsystemwhichhasalreadybeenapplied.
1O.J.lio229,10.2.1966,p.3869/66
2O.J.No18,28.1.1967,p.300/67

ThroughtheItalianauthorities,thevictimsmayforwardtotheCommission
projectsfortherestoration andimprovementof:
–productinnconditionsinagricultureoronfarms,
–facilitiesformarketingorprocessingagricultural produce.
Forprojectspromotingeconomicrecoveryinagriculture ,theCommunitymay
grantaidupto45%oftheamountinvested.The"beneficiaryoftheproject
must,atalevellewerthanthatrequired "byRegulationHo.17/64/SEC,
participateinthefinancingandtheItalianRepubliciscalledontomake,
upthedifference ■'betweenthetotalcostoftheinvestment
andtherespectivecontributions ofthe"beneficiary andtheCommunity.
TheCommissionmaytakearapiddecisionongrantingaid;itisprovided
thatthedecisionwill"betakenatthelatestsixweeksafterreceiptof
theinformation neededforthedecision.Therefore,tohastentheCommission
decision,provisionismadeforanexceptiontotheprocedureforconsulting
theStandingCommitteeonAgricultural Structures.AlthoughtheCommission
willtrytoconsulttheCommittee "beforetakingadecision,inurgentcases
theCommission maytakeadecisionwithoutwaitingfortheCommittee's
opinion;insuchcasestheCommissionisobligedtoinformtheCommittee
ofitsdecisionsassoonaspossible.
Thesimpledecisionproceduremustbecombinedwithasystemofsubmitting
applications foraidthattakesaccountofthefactthatInthepresent
circumstancesitissometimesdifficulttomakeupthefilesandthatspeed
isessentialsothataidcanbegivenasquicklyaspossible.Therefore,
theCommissionintendstolaydownconditionsofapplicationthatareas
flexibleaspossibleandtoaskonlyforthedetailsthatareabsolutely
necessaryforadecision.

On"theotherhand,atthetimeofpaymentoftheaid|effectivecontrol
'ofplannedexpenditureispossibleunderCommissionRegulationITo99/64/EECof
1-–24July1974onprocedures "Torimplementing decisions "bytheGuidanceSection
oftheEAGGPtograntaid.Obviouslythepaymentsshould "bemadeassoonas7
possible,"priority "beinggiventoprojectsconcerningtherepairofearthquakedamage
5.Inadditiontotheregulations "basedonArticle43oftheTreaty,provision
should "bemadeforasupplementary "budget.
6.InviewoftheneedtoensurethatCommunityaid"benefitsthevictimsof
theearthquakeasaaonaspossible,stepsshould "betakentoseethatapplications
forassistancereachtheCommission "beforelong.TheItalianauthorities have
signifiedtheiragreementtothismeasure.
9••/•••
10J71,6April1974,page117/74

CouncilRegulation(EEC)Ho/']6
ofJune1976
OntheCommunitycontribution towardsrepairingthedamagecausedto
agriculturebytheearthquakeofMay1976intheFriuli–Venezia^-Giulia
Region
THECOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,and
inparticularArticles43and209thereof;
.L ■ '•
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ;
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament ;
WhereastheFriuliregionwasseriouslydamagedbyanearthquakeinMay1976;
whereasthedisaster–strickencommunesareessentiallyagricultural ;
Whereasthedamagetoagricultureissoseriousthatthefarmerscannotrepairit
"bytheirownmeansalone;
WhereastheCommunityshouldaccordinglyprovideeffectiveandrapidaidforthe
restoration andimprovementoftheagricultural potentialofthestrickenregion;
HASADOPTEDTHISREGULATION :

Article 1
WithinthelimitsofthefundsallocatedforthispurposeintheBudget,
theCommunityshallcontribute,ontheconditionslaiddowninArticle2
andinaccordancewiththeprocedurereferredtoinArticle3,tothe
restoration andimprovement of:
-productionconditionsinagriculture oronfarms;
-plantforthemarketingorprocessingofagricultural products,
whicharerequiredintheFriuli-Veneziar-Giuliaregionasaresult
ofthedamagecaused "bytheearthquakeofMay197

Article 2
1.Thefollowing provisions ofCouncil Regulation 17/64/SEContheconditions
1forgiving aidfrom theEuropean Agricultural Guidance andGuarantee Fund are
toapply layanalogy totheCommunity aidprovided forinArticle 1:
-Article 13
-Article 14»paragraphe l(c)andl(a)and (c)
-Article 17
-Article 20,paragraphs 2,3,4and6
-Article 21,paragraph 2
-Article 22
Furthermore ,thefollowing special conditions arelaid down foraidfrom the
Community :
(a)theproject must help topermit theeconomic recovery oftheagricultural
sector inthelight oftheneed toincrease agricultural productivity ,in
accordance with Article 39(0 (a)of Treaty ,ortoimprove theoutlets
foragricultural products ;
(t)foragiven project :
–thesubsidies granted "bytheFund maynotexceed 45$oftheinvestment
made ;
-the "beneficiary oftherestoration orimprovement operation must
participate inthefinancing ;such financial participation must represent
notless than 10$,iftherestoration orimprovement relates toplant for
themarketing orprocessing ofagricultural products ;
(c)theItalian Republic shall undertake tocover thefinancing plan ,account
"being taken oftheaidfrom theCommunity andtheparticipation ofthe
"beneficiary .
••§/•••
1O.J.Ho34of27.2,1964 ,p.586/64

Article3
ThefollowingprocedureislaiddownfortheaidprovidedforunderArticle1s
(a)applicationsforaidmay"besubmittedtotheCommissionatanytime,upto
31stOctober1976a"k"thelatest;however,applicationsrelatingtofarm
■investments can"besubmittedupto3'lstDecember1976*
(b)theCommissionmusttakeallnecessarymeasurestoensurethatadecision
onthesubstanceofeachindividual caseistakennotlaterthansixweeks
followingreceiptoftheinformationrequiredforitsdecision;
(c)theCommissionshallconsult,insofaraspossible,theStandingCommittee
onAgricultural Structuresonthesubstanceofdraftdecisionsatthe
periodicalmeetingsofthatCommittee,althoughsuchconsultation maynot
preventtheadoptionofthedecisionswithintheperiodlaiddownin(b);
failingthis,theCommissionshallinformtheCommitteeassoonaspossible
ofthedecisionswhichithastaken.
Article4
1
Thefollowingprovisionsofthefinancialregulationof25thApril1973shall
apply "byanalogytothefundsallocatedintheBudgettothefinancingofthe
actionsprovidedfor"bythepresentRegulations
-Article6,paragraph5
-Article40,paragraph2
-Article114
Article5
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceonthethirddayfollowingits
publicationintheOfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities.
ThisRegulationshall"be"bindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicable
inallMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels, FortheCouncil
ThePresident
0.J•No.L116,1.5.1973