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COM (83) 192 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/00 83 
  
 
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COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 
COM(83)  192 final 
Brussels,  12 April 1983 
Proposal  for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION  (EEC) 
increasing  by 25 %  the limits for the amount  of work 
to be done as set out in  Article  11(2) of Regulation 
(EEC) N° 269/79  establishing  a common  measure for  forestry 
in certain Mediterranean  zones of the Community 
(submitted  to the Council by the Commission) 
COM(83) 192 final 

COMMISSION  REPORT TO THE COUNCIL 
ON THE APPLICATION  OF REGULATION (EEC) No  269/79  
ESTABLISHING  A COMMON  MEASURE FOR FORESTRY IN  
CERTAIN MEDITERRANEAN ZONES OF THE COMMUNITY* 
(Progress report) 
This report  on the  state of progress  of work under the common  forestry 
measure  established  by Council Regulation  (EEC) No  269/79 is presented  by 
the Commission  to the  Council  in accordance  with Article  10(3). 
The report reveals that  the limits for the  amount of work to be done, as 
set out in  Article  11, are  likely to be  reached  before the expiry of the 
five-year  period covered  by the common  measure  and concludes that  it will 
be necessary  to implement  the provision allowing  the limits in question  to 
be increased  by 25%. 
A proposal  for a  Regulation  is attached  (Annex  II). 
I. DESCRIPTION  OF MEASURE 
1. Objectives 
The common  forestry  measure  established  by Regulation  (EEC) No  269/79 
supplements  common  agricultural  measures  relating  particularly  to the 
Mediterranean regions  of the  Community  by contributing  to: 
- the conservation  and improvement  of the  soil, the fauna, the flora 
and the surface  and ground-water  balance; 
- the productivity  of agricultural land  by forming  windbreaks  and 
shelter  belts and by  affecting  local water and weather  conditions; 
- better  use of manpower in  agriculture; 
- better forest  management. 
It thus contributes  to the  achievement  in the  zones concerned  of the 
objectives  of the common  agricultural policy  as set out in  Article 
39(1)(a)  and (b) of the EEC  Treaty.  The  measure  covers the following 
French and Italian  regions only: 
Report drawn up under  Article  10(3) of the  Regulation  in question. 

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- France:  Languedoc-RoussiLIon,  Provence-Cote  d'Azur  and Corsica, 
and the  departments  of Ardeche  and Drome; 
- Italy:  the Mezzogiorno, Lazio,  Torcana,  Liguria,  Umbria,  Marche, 
Emi lia-Romagna,  and the provinces of  Cuneo  and Alessandria 
in Piemonte  and Pavia in  Lombardia. 
2. Procedure 
The measure  is covered by outline  programmes  drawn  up by the  Member 
States concerned  for the respective geographical areas in  their 
entirety.  The operations are incorporated into special multiannual 
programmes  consisting of one or  more capital  investment projects to 
be implemented  on public, semi-public or private land,  which must 
fulfil the criteria  laid down in the outline  programme. 
The outline  programmes  are approved  by the  Commission  after consulting 
the Standing  Committee  on Agricultural  Structure. 
The special  programmes  receive aid  from the EAGGF Guidance  Section 
equivalent to 50% of the cost of the  work,  subject to a  Community 
ceiling  laid down in Article  11(2) of Regulation (EEC) No  269/79. 
The decision to grant the aid is taken by the  Commission  after 
consulting  the Standing  Committee  on Agricultural  Structure and the 
Fund Committee  on the  financial  aspects involved. 
The minimum  national contribution in public  funds  is 40% of the costs 
and the minimum  contribution by the  landowner  is 5%, with certain 
exceptions. 
II. IMPLEMENTATION 
Regulation (EEC) No  269/79  entered into force on 
17 February 1979 (the  third  day after its publication in the  Official 
Journal).  In accordance  with the  second  paragraph of  Article  16, the 
Regulation took effect three  days after the Council  amended  Regulation 
(EEC) No  729/70,  viz. on 11 May 1979. 
The three-year period following its taking effect therefore  ended  in 
May 1982. 
However,  fieldwork on the  common  forestry  measure  began much later,  once 
the following two stages had  been completed: 

- 3 -
1. Approval of outline  programmes  by the  Commission: 
. France: 18  December  1979 (Commission  Decision  79/1056/EEC 
of 29 November  1979*); 
. Italy  : 16 November  1979 (Commission  Decision  79/953/EEC 
of 26 October  1979 ). 
2. Receipt and examination of special  programmes  by the  Commission, 
followed by  Commission  decision on the granting of  EAGGF  aid (see 
table in Annex  I) and  notification  of said decision to the  Member 
States concerned  and the public agencies responsible. 
In brief : Fieldwork on the  common  forestry  measure  which entered into 
force on 17  January  1979 and took effect on 11 May 1979  really  only 
started  in 1980. It  will therefore be carried out  over the five-year 
period 1980-84  under  Article  10(1) of the Regulation by  which  it was 
established.  It is currently being  implemented  in all but one of 
the regions  concerned  (the special  programme  for Puglia is  still only 
at the draft stage). 
III. STATE OF PROGRESS 
A progress report on  work completed  and in  hand as at mid-1982  was 
drawn up on the basis of information provided by the  Member  States 
concerned  (Annex  I). 
In addition, a special study has  been made of the  speeding-up  of 
progress  over the first few years.  Some  of the information has  been 
checked  on the spot and the following conclusions can be  drawn: 
1) As at  mid-1982  the situation regarding the 184  million  ECU entered 
in the Community  budget  to finance the fieldwork  initially  provided 
for under  the common  measure  was as follows: 
- almost  one-quarter (23%)  corresponded  to completed  work in 
respect of  which payments  are in the process of being  made; 
* 0J No L 289,  16.11.1979,  p. 39. 
** OJ No L 322,  18.12.1979,  p. 29. 

- 4 -
- approximately one  third  (32%) corresponded  to completed  work in 
respect of  which advances  have been paid and the balance should 
be settled  relatively  soon depending  on the  case in question; 
- slightly  less than half (45%)  corresponded  to work due to be 
commenced  in the  next few months. 
2) Regional progress varied  depending  on the nature of the operation. 
Afforestation  and associated  work were generally the furthest 
behind (15% and 17%  completed  and 27% and 24%  under-way 
respectively)  with fire protection, construction of forest  roads 
and improvement  of deteriorated forest considerably  more advanced 
(20%, 31% and 32%  completed  and 36%, 35% and 39%  under-way 
respectively). 
This situation can be explained by a  number  of constraints  which 
affected  afforestation: the  first  year the planting period was 
well under-way  by the  time it was possible to begin  work;  the 
corresponding period the following year was also  much shorter on 
account  of the  drought  in several regions  concerned;  lastly,  in 
certain  regions  priority  was deliberately given to infrastructure 
work, which was a  relatively  important factor in the success of 
the afforestation. 
3) If, in general, the  common  measure  was relatively  slow getting 
under-way,  mainly  because  of the  time taken by the very carefully 
conducted  preparatory  work,  the pace speeded  up considerably during 
the period in question. Actual timing of the  work completed  by 
June 1982 was as follows: 
Year France Italy 
1980 8% 10% 
1981 50% 50% 
mid-1982  (6 months) 42% 40% 
From the above  data, supplemented  by recent information on progress 
during the  second  half of 1982, it can be concluded that the  work 
rate has speeded  up considerably  over the first  three years. On 

- 5 -
the basis  of the  above figures, four  to five times more work was 
done in 1981  than in 1980 and  eight to ten  times more in 1982. 
4) This acceleration  is due  primarily  to the  efforts  made by the 
national  and regional forestry authorities involved  and to the warm 
reception given  to the common  measure  by forestry associations  and 
the individuels  concerned. 
In brief: The  limits for the  work, as laid down  initially, will  in 
all probability  be reached  well before  the end of the  period covered 
by the common  measure. 
However, most  of the  work included  in the  special  programmes  for the 
fifth year has been scheduled  on the  assumption  that a positive 
decision  will be taken on the 25%  increase provided  for in  Article  10(3) 
of Regulation  (EEC) No  269/79. 
CONCLUSIONS 
Examination  of progress  and speed of work under  the common  forestry  measure 
during the first three years reveals  the following: 
1) The limits for the  amount of work to be done, as set out in  Article  11, 
are likely to be  reached  by the end of 1983,  i.e. one year before expiry 
of the five-year period covered  by the common  measure. 
2) The work programme,  which was based from the outset on the  possibility  of 
extending  the limits under  Article  10(3) of  Regulation  (EEC) No  269/79, 
would in most cases be brought  to an  abrupt halt  by late 1983 if the 
financial  increase  of 25%  provided  for were not granted.  If  this were 
to happen,  continuation  of the common  forestry  measure  could be 
irreversibly  jeopardized. 
3) If the  measure's  objectives  are to be  achieved  in full and progress  is 
not to be  disrupted,  it is  essential that  an official  decision  be taken 
as soon as possible  to grant the increase allowed  under the Regulation. 
To this end the  Commission  is proposing that  the Council increase  the 
limits of the common  measure  by 25% and  enter the corresponding  amounts 
in the 1984  budget (see proposal  for a  Council Regulation,  Annex  II). 
This increase  is covered in the EAGGF  Guidance  Section's five-year 
endowment  for the  period 1980-84. 

- 6 -
ANNEX I 
State of progress  on forestry  work 
under Regulation  (EEC) No 269/79 
as at mid-1982 
NATURE OF 
WORK UNITS LIMITS 
1 IM Pi C D FORESTRY WORK NATURE OF 
WORK UNITS 
U1 \ U t K 
ARTICLE COMPLETED UNDER-WAY PENDING NATURE OF 
WORK UNITS 
11(2) Total France Italy Total France Italy Total 
Afforestat ion ha 
% 88 000 
100 13 480 
15 4 480 
III III 9 000 
IIIIII 23 795 
27 13 789 
IIIIII 10 006 
III III 50 725 
58 
Improvement  of 
deteri orated 
forest ha 
% 96 000 
100 30 760 
32 2 563 
IIIIII 28 197 
IIIIII 37 081 
39 12 293 
IIIIII 24 788 
III/II 28 159 
29 
Associated  work 
(terracing,  soil 
stabilization,  ...) ha 
% 80 000 
100 13 568 
17 2 215 
III III 11 353 
IIIIII 19 437 
24 8 618 
III/II 10 819 
IIIIII 46 995 
59 
Fire protection ha 
% 200 000 
100 40 227 
20 5 667 
III III 34 560 
IIIIII 71 463 
36 33 391 
IIIIII 38 072 
III II  1 88 310 
44 
Construction  of 
forest roads km 
% 2 400 
100 748 
31 106 
IIIIII 642 
IIIIII 840 
35 443 
IIIIII 397 
IIIIII 812 
34 
Estimate by category  of work based on information provided  by the Member  States. 
N.3. In cases where a global percentage  for completion  has been given for a specific 
programme,  this percentage  has been applied systematically  to each of the categories 
of work involved. 

- 7 -
ANNEX II 
Proposal  for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
increasing  by 25 % the  limits for the  amount of work 
to be done as set out in  Article  11(2) of  Regulation 
(EEC) N° 269/79  establishing  a common  measure  for forestry 
in certain Mediterranean  zones of the  Community 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard  to the  Treaty establishing  the European Economic Community, 
Having regard  to Council Regulation  (EEC) N°  269/79 of 6 February  1979 
establishing  a common  measure  for forestry  in certain Mediterranean  zones 
of the Community,  and in  particular  Article  10(3)  thereof, 
Having regard  to the  proposal from  the Commission, 
Whereas under  Article  10(3) of  Regulation  N° 269/79 the Council,  on a pro­
posal from the Commission,  is to review the state of progress three years 
from the date on which the Regulation took  effect;  whereas,  if the  review 
reveals  that the limits for the  amount of work to be done as set out in 
Article 11 are  likely to be  reached before expiry  of the  five-year period 
(period  covered  by the common  measure),  those Limits  may be  increased  by 
a maximum of 25 %,  with a corresponding increase  of the common  measure; 
Whereas  three years  have now elapsed since  the Regulation took  effect  and 
the Council,  on a proposal from  the Commission,  has carried  out the  requi­
red review, which  has revealed that  the limits for the  amount of work to 
be done are likely to be  reached before  the end of the  five-year period 
covered by the common  measure, namely  the end of 1984; 
Whereas in order fully to reach its objectives  the common  measure  should 
continue  until the appointed time, steaduly  and smoothly;  whereas  the 
limits laid  down must accordingly  be increased  by the maximum  provided 
for in Article  10(3); 
HAS ADOPTED  THIS REGULATION : 
(1) 0J No L 38,  14.2.1979,  p. 1 

- 8 -
Article 1 
The limits  specified  in Article  11(2) of  Regulation  (EEC) No  269/79  are 
hereby increased  by 25%. 
The estimated cost  to the  Fund of the common  measure  laid down in  Article  10(2) 
is hereby  increased  from 184 million  ECU to 230  million  ECU. 
Article 2 
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. 
Done at Brussels, 
For the Council 

- 9 -
FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 
Dat* : 13 January  1983 
HUOGET  HEADING Item 3210 APPRi mif. NS 
) AC - 40 MECU 
AP - 28.3 MECU 
TITLE Regulation increasing  by 25%  the limits for the amount  of work to be done 
as set out in  Article  11(2) of Regulation  (EEC) No 269/79 of 6 February 
1979 establishing  a common measure for  forestry  in certain Mediterranean 
zones of the Community  
I I (,AI  OA  ili Article 10 of Regulation  (EEC) No 269/79 
<,. AIMS  Of  PROJECT To increase  the limits for the amount  of work covered by the 
common measure  established  by Regulation  (EEC) No 269/79, as 
provided  for in Article 10(3)  thereof. 
5 .  FINANCIAL  if.--i  icAtioNS (AC in 
5.H Exr-f.DiTURE million  ECU) 
- CHARt.fD  TO THE EC  BUDGET 
(Rf F'jNCi/INTERVFNTlONS) 
- NATIONAL  ADMINISTRATION 
5.1 NiUIF  '5 
- OWN PI  SOURCES  OF THE EC 
(LE'/IES/CilSTCS  DUTIES) 
- NATIONAL PERIOD  OF 1?  MONTHS CURRENT  FINANCIAL  YEAR 
t 198^5 > FOLLOWING FINANCIAL  YEAR 
(1984  1 
46 
46 
5.Ô.1  EiTl-'ATED EXP r. '.51 TURE 
•5.1.1  tST  L'.ATED  «CwElPTS 1985 . 1986 
5.Ô.1  EiTl-'ATED EXP r. '.51 TURE 
•5.1.1  tST  L'.ATED  «CwElPTS - -
1.2 METHOD of CALCULATION  25%  increase  in volume  of work, i.e.: 
- afforestation:  22 000 ha x 1 700 ECU = 37.4 million ECU 
- improvement  of deteriorated forest:  24 000 ha x 1 250 ECU = 30 million ECU 
- associated  work: 20 000 ha  x 750 ECU = 15 mi Llion ECU 
- fire protection:  50 000 ha  x 40 ECU = 2 million ECU 
- construction  of forest roads:  600 km x 10 000 ECU  = 6 mi LI ion ECU 
- preparatory  work: 1.5 mi LI ion ECU 
giving a total of 92  million  ECU, of which the EAGGF  will reimburse  50%: 
92 million  ECU x 50% = 46 million ECU 
6.0 CAN THE  PROJf.T  Hi FINANCED FROM APPROBATIONS ENTERED  IN THE  RELEVANT CHAPTER  OF THE  CURRENT BUDGET 9 
<NIM 
6.1 CAN THE  PROJECT  HE FINANCED  BY  TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS  OF THE  CURRENT BUDGET  ? «m 
6.? IS A  iUPPl  > M! N1ARY BUDGET  Of.  NECESSARY  ? H Ml 
6.5 WILL  FUTURE BUDOlT Ai'fRLBIAIIONS  BE  NECESSARY  ? 
YESIH 
GU5ERVATI0NS On the basis of past experience  the rate of payments  should be 
as follows: 
1984 1985 1986 1987 
6.9 18.4 13.8 6.9