31. 12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/5 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) establishing a common action for the promotion of 
agriculture in certain less-favoured areas of northern Italy 
COM(85) 759 final 
(85/C 358/02) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 of 
12 March 1985 on improving the efficiency of agricultural 
structures (*), and in particular Article 18 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas, pursuant to Article 39 (2) (a) of the Treaty, the 
social structure of agriculture and the structural and natural 
disparities between the various agricultural regions must be 
taken into account in working out the common agricultural 
policy; 
Whereas, in order to achieve the objectives of the common 
agricultural policy set out in Article 39 (1) (a) and (b) of the 
Treaty, special measures adapted to the situation in the 
less-favoured agricultural areas should be enacted at 
Community level; 
Whereas in northern Italy the less-favoured agricultural 
areas, within the meaning of Council Directive 75 / 268 / EEC 
of 28 April 1975 on mountain and hill farming and farming 
in certain less-favoured areas (2), as last amended by 
Regulation (EEC) No 797/85, are in a particularly difficult 
situation; 
Whereas these areas are not covered by Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 2088/85 of 23 July 1985 concerning the 
integrated Mediterranean programmes (3); 
Whereas the rural infrastructure of these areas is very 
inadequate as regards public services such as electricity, 
drinking water, farm roads and local roads, and the creation 
or improvement of such services is an important precondition 
for the improvement of agricultural structures; 
H OJ NoL 93, 30. 3. 1985, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 1. 
(3) OJ No L 197, 27. 7. 1985, p. 1. Whereas the threat to agricultural land by soil erosion makes 
it especially vital to protect soil and watercourses; 
Whereas a specific system of aids for forestry schemes is 
especially important in less-favoured areas and whereas 
forestry contributes to agricultural employment and provides 
additional agricultural income; 
Whereas the consolidation of agricultural land reduces its 
fragmentation and enables farm machinery to be used more 
efficiently; 
Whereas the prevention of soil erosion helps: 
— to preserve the soil, the countryside and surface and 
ground water flow, 
— to maintain the recreational potential of an area; 
Whereas soil improvement can help to reduce production 
costs; 
Whereas farmers' incomes can also be increased by 
supplementary activities in the field of rural tourism which 
require the provision of collective infrastructures by local 
authorities; 
Whereas Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 
provides for the adoption of specific measures to encourage 
agriculture as a whole in the region concerned, in harmony 
with any development schemes simultaneously undertaken in 
non-agricultural sectors and with the needs of environmental 
protection; whereas the Council, acting in accordance with 
the procedure laid down in Article 43 of the Treaty, is to 
decide on these measures; 
Whereas the achievement of these objectives should be 
encouraged by a measure which combines these various 
elements within a single programme; 
Whereas it is apparent from the foregoing that the 
abovementioned measures constitute a common measure 
within the meaning of Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 
797/85; 
Whereas it is for the Commission, having received the 
opinion of the Standing Committee on Agricultural 
Structures, to decide whether to approve a programme 
submitted by the Italian Government, 
No C 358/6 Official Journal of the European .Communities 31. 12. 85 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
TITLE I 
Measures to accelerate agricultural development in certain 
less-favoured areas of northern Italy 
Article 1 
1. In order to accelerate agricultural development in 
certain areas of northern Italy, a common measure within the 
meaning of Article 18 of Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 shall 
be introduced, to be implemented by Italy in order to bring 
about a significant improvement in agricultural structures 
and the productive potential of agriculture in the areas 
concerned. 
2. The common measure shall apply to less-favoured 
areas, within the meaning of Directive 75/268/EEC, in the 
regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto 
Adige, Lombardy, Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont. 
3. In accordance with Title II, the Community may 
contribute to the common measure by financing, through the 
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, 
Guidance Section, hereinafter referred to as 'the Fund', the 
measures in support of agriculture which are set out in one or 
more programmes drawn up by the Italian Government or 
other authorities designated at the relevant geographical level 
and approved by the Commission. The aim of such 
programmes shall be the joint and concerted use of the 
various Community and national financial instruments for 
structural purposes, so that they may be concentrated 
effectively on priority objectives. 
Article 2 
The common measure in the areas defined in Article 1 (2) 
shall concern schemes for: 
1. improving the rural infrastructure, including: 
— supplying the holdings and villages whose 
inhabitants depend chiefly on agriculture with 
electricity and drinking water, 
— building and improving farm roads and local roads 
used chiefly for agricultural purposes; 
2. forestry improvements, including: 
— afforestation, 
— improvement of deteriorated woodlands, 
— other supporting measures; 3. land consolidation including the voluntary reparcelling 
of agricultural land and involving: 
— a lasting increase in the size of parcels so that, in 
general, they increase by a factor of at least 3, 
— related operations such as surface grading and the 
provision of drainage ditches; 
4. the prevention, of soil erosion, involving: 
— the construction of small dams, dykes or 
breakwaters, 
— the construction or repair of banks, 
— planting suitable varieties of saplings along 
watercourses to improve the soil's retaining 
capacity; 
5. improving privately-owned farmland according to an 
overall plan, including: 
— drainage, 
— other soil improvement measures; 
6. the improvement or setting up of collective 
infrastructures to encourage rural tourism in villages 
which depend chiefly on agriculture and which offer 
good potential for tourism. 
Article 3 
1. Any programme as provided for in Article 1 (3) shall 
include at least the following details: 
(a) a description of the problems in each sector, the areas 
affected and the various measures to be adopted under 
the common measure in order to solve them, an estimate 
of the costs involved and the method of financing; 
(b) the expected timetable for completion of the various 
measures and evidence that the Community measures 
are in addition to national ones; 
(c) the arrangements for coordinating the programme with 
all thp other nrnprammes and nrnvisionS which 
area the arrangements for coordinating the programme with 
all the other programmes and provisions which may 
influence the development of agriculture in the area 
concerned; 
(d) evidence that the measures contemplated are compatible 
with the protection of the environment. 
2. The programme shall last at least for the duration of 
the common measure. 
Article 4 
1. All programmes shall be forwarded to the Commission 
by the Italian Government. 
31. 12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/7 
2. All programmes and any amendments thereto shall be 
approved in accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 10 after the Fund Committee has been consulted on 
the financial aspects. 
TITLE II 
General and financial provisions 
Article 5 
Expenditure on the prevention of soil erosion, forestry 
activities on agricultural land and the improvement of 
agricultural land which receive aid, pursuant to Article 17 or 
20 or Regulation (EEC) No 797/85, or which may receive 
Community aid in connection with other common measures, 
within the meaning of Article 6 (1) of Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 729/70 (*), shall not be covered by this 
Regulation. 
Article 6 
1. The common measure shall last no longer than six 
years from the date of approval of the programme referred to 
in Article 1 (3). 
2. In the course of the third and fifth years, the 
Commission shall submit a report on the progress of the 
common measure. Before the six-year period expires, the 
Council shall decide, on a proposal from the Commission, 
whether the measure should be extended. 
3. The cost of the common measure to be met by the Fund 
is estimated at 78,4 million ECU. 
4. Article 6 (5) of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 shall 
apply. 
Article 7 
1. Expenditure by the Italian Government or by the local 
authorities affected by the common measure shall be eligible 
for aid from the Fund not exceeding the amounts specified in 
paragraph 2. The Fund shall refund to the Italian 
Government or the authorities designated at the relevant 
geographical level 40 % of the eligible expenditure. 
2. The Fund shall refund to Italy its actual expenditure up 
to a maximum eligible of: 
— 70 million ECU for improving the rural or forestry 
infrastructure pursuant to Article 2 (1). However, the 
financial contribution from the recipient must be at least 
10%, — 40 million ECU for forestry improvements and 
supporting measures pursuant to Article 2 (2), within the 
eligibility limits per hectare set out in the first four indents 
of Article 11 (2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 269/79 
of 6 February 1979 establishing a common measure for 
forestry in certain Mediterranean zones of the 
Community (2), 
— 600 ECU per hectare affected within an overall limit of 
15 000 hectares with respect to the land consolidation 
operations referred to in Article 2 (3), 
— 40 million ECU for the operations referred to in Article 2 
(4), 
— 900 ECU per hectare affected within a limit of 30 000 
hectares with respect to the operations referred to in 
Article 2 (5), 
— 10 million ECU with respect to the operations referred to 
in Article 2(6); however, the financial contribution from 
the recipient municipalities must be no less than 30%. 
3. At the request of Italy relating to the updating of any 
programme, the Commission may, in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 10, approve an amendment to 
the limits laid down in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided 
that it does not exceed the total amount referred to in Article 
6(3). 
Article 8 
When approving the programme referred to in Article 1 (3), 
the Commission shall establish, by agreement with Italy, the 
procedures whereby it shall be informed of the progress of the 
development programme. 
Article 9 
1. Applications for refunds shall relate to expenditure by 
Italy in the course of one calendar year and shall be submitted 
to the Commission before 1 July of the following year. 
2. The contribution from the Fund shall be decided on in 
accordance with Article 7 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 
729/70. 
3. Advance payments may be granted by the Fund 
according to the financing procedures adopted by Italy and 
according to the progress made by the programme. 
4. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be 
adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 13 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70. 
Article 10 
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be 
followed, the chairman shall refer the matter to the Standing 
Committee on Agricultural Structures, either on his own 
(>).OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. (») OJNoL.38, 6.2. 1979, p. 1. 
No C 358/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 85 
initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member 
State. 
2. The chairman shall submit to the Committee a draft of 
the measures to be adopted. The Standing Committee on 
Agricultural Structures shall deliver its opinion on the draft 
within a time limit which the chairman may lay down 
according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be 
delivered by a majority of 45 votes, the votes of the Member 
States being weighted as provided for in Article 148 (2) of the 
Treaty. The chairman shall not vote. 
3. The Commission shall adopt measures which shall 
apply immediately. However, if these measures are not in 
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on 
Agricultural Structures, they shall forthwith be 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 of 
12 March 1985 on improving the efficiency of agricultural 
structures (*), and in particular Article 18 thereof, 
H OJNoL93, 30. 3. 1985, p. 1. communicated by the Commission to the Council. In that 
event the Commission may defer application of the measures 
which it has adopted for not more than one month from the 
date of such communication. 
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a 
different decision within one month. 
Article 11 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day 
following its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Communities. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
applicable in all Member States. 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas Article 39 (2) (a) of the Treaty provides that, in 
working out the common agricultural policy, account is to be ANNEX 
(million ECU) 
Measures to be financed 
1. Improvement of rural infrastructure 
2. Forestry improvement 
3. Consolidation and connected work 
4. Measures to combat erosion 
5. Drainage and other land-improvement 
measures 
6. Improvement or establishment of collective 
infrastructures to encourage farm tourism 
Total Total maximum 
eligible cost 
70(i) 
40(M 
9 
(600 ECU/ha x 15 000 ha) 
40(2) 
27 
(900 ECU/ha x 30 000 ha) 
10 
196 Total cost 
to EAGGF 
28 
16 
3,6 
16 
10,8 
4 
78,4 
(') The estimate is based on experience in connection with Regulations (EEC) No 1760/78 and (EEC) No 269/79 and indicators 
making it possible to gauge the scope of the new scheme compared with the old and establish its cost. 
(2) The calculation is based on an area of 30 000 hectares and an average cost of 1 350 ECU per hectare. 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) establishing a common action for the promotion of 
agriculture in the Scottish islands off the northern and western coasts with the exception of the 
Western Isles 
COM(8S) 759 final 
(85/C 358/03)