27. 9. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 252/1 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the acceleration of agricultural 
development in certain regions of Greece 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 84 of 3 April 1982, page 5. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 17 March 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 199th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 30 June and 1 July 1982. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 17 March 1982 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the 
acceleration of agricultural development in certain 
regions of Greece, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 27 
April 1982, instructing the Section for Agriculture to 
prepare the Committee's work on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Agriculture at its 235th meeting held on 3 June 1982, 
Having regard to the report submitted by the rapporteur, 
Mr Dassis, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 199th plenary 
session held on 30 June and 1 July 1982, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: - 1. The Committee endorses the Commission 
proposal, subject to the following comments, 
2. The Committee observes that the proposed 
Regulation embodies a set of measures, constituting a 
common measure within the meaning of Article 6 of 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 and aiming to 
accelerate agricultural development in 22 regions of 
mainland Greece. These measures are to be seen as 
reinforcing the common structural policy, which applies 
in its entirety to Greece (including the provisions 
concerning the processing and marketing of farm 
products) (1), 
3. The Commission estimates that the proposed 
programme involves a total cost for the EAGGF, 
Guidance Section, of 197-9 million ECU; 34 million ECU 
of this total fall within the 1980/1984 five-year 
allocation and are already available. 
In view of the scale of requirements and the number of 
regions concerned, the Committee wonders whether this 
sum can be considered adequate. 
Since the proposed common measure is to span five years, 
it should be possible, if necessary, to step up the amount 
envisaged. 
(») Council Regulation (EEC) No 355/77, OJ No L 51, 
23. 2. 1977. 
No C 252/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 27. 9. 82 
4. The Committee would stress that the success of the 
various components of the Commission programme will 
depend to a great extent on back-up management 
schemes. 
It regrets that the Commission proposal does not 
emphasize this aspect and recommends that provision be 
made for funding such schemes. 
5. On a number of occasions the Committee has 
pointed out that agricultural cooperatives and voluntary 
associations are a particularly suitable means of boosting 
agricultural development in regions hampered by major 
structural difficulties. 
The proposed action programme should therefore 
encourage the setting-up of agricultural cooperatives or 
associations, where such bodies do not exist, besides 
furthering the development and activities of existing 
cooperatives and associations. 
Done at Brussels, 30 June 1982. 6. The Committee has reiterated in the past (a) its plea 
to give maximum publicity to the financial aid available 
under the various Community financial instruments so as 
to bring home to less-favoured regions the potential 
benefits of membership of a Community which expresses 
its solidarity in practice as well as theory. 
In the Committee's view, the Regulation should require 
the Greek Government to take appropriate measures to 
draw the attention of the general public to 
Community-funded projects, e.g. by erecting hoardings 
on such sites. 
It therefore asks the Commission to amplify the proposed 
Regulation by suitable provisions framed along the lines, 
for instance, of Article 15 of the proposal for a Council 
Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 
724/75 establishing a European Regional Development 
Fund. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE 
(!) See ESC opinion of 29 April 1981 on the revision of the 
ERDF Regulation (OJ No C 185, 27. 7. 1981).