Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE amending Directive 75/275/EEC concerning the Community list of less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of Directive 75/268/EEC (Netherlands)
Date: 1992-09-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: less-favoured agricultural area, regions of the Netherlands

COMMISSION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

C0M(92) 384 final 

Brussels,  11 September  1992 

î 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 

amending Directive 75/275/EEC concerning the community list 
of leas-favoured farming areas 
within the meaning of Directive 75/268/EEC  (Netherlands) 

(presented by the Commission) 

- 2 -

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Pursuant to Council Directive 88/403/EEC,1 48 217 ha, or 1.4% of the area 
of the Netherlands, is classified under Article 3(5) of Council Directive 
75/268/EEC2 as less-favoured agricultural areas affected by specific 
handicaps. 

This application concerns a further 62 698 ha, which will increase the 
classified area to 110 915 ha, or 3.3% of the national territory. 

Introduction of a compensatory  allowance in the new areas will increase 
expenditure from the EAGGF Guidance Section by ECU 1.24 million per year 
(see details in annexed financial statement). 

Most of the 6 877 holdings in these areas produce milk so that 
classification can be expected to reduce revenue from the co-responsibility 
levy by ECU 760 000 only for the milkyear 1992. 

1  OJ No L 19 5, 23.7.19 88, p. 72. 
2  OJ No L 128, 19.5.1975, p. 1. 

- 3 -

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 

Of 

1992 

amending Directive 75/275/EEC concerning the Community  list of 
less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of 
Directive 75/268/EEC  (Netherlands) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic  Community, 

Having regard to Council Decision 75/268/EEC of 28 April  1975 on mountain 
and hill farming and farming in certain less-favoured  areas(*), as last 
amended by Regulation  (EEC) No 2328/91,<2) and in particular Article 2(2) 
thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission^3), 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(4), 

Whereas Directive 75/275/EEc(5), as last amended by commission Decision 
88/403/EEC,(6) specifies the areas in the Netherlands which appear in the 
Community  list of less-favoured areaB within the meaning of Article 3(5) of 
Directive 75/268/EEC; 

Whereas the Netherlands Government has requested, pursuant to Article 2(1) 
of Directive 75/268/EEC, an amendment to the list annexed to 
Directive 75/275/EEC  in accordance with the annex to this Directive; 

(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
(4) 
(5) 
(6) 

OJ 
OJ 
OJ 
OJ 
OJ 
OJ 

No 
NO 

L 
L 

128, 19.5.1975, p.l. 
218, 6.8.1991, p.l. 

No 
No 

L 
L 

273, 24.9.1986, p.04. 
195, 23.7.1988, p.72. 

-  4 -

Whereas the new areas to appear in the list comply with the criteria and 
the figures applied pursuant to Directive 75/275/EEC for the purposes of 
determining the areas concerned within the meaning of Article 3(5) of 
Directive 75/268/EEC; 

Whereas, for the definition of the areas affected by specific handicaps 
referred to in Article 3(5) of Directive 75/268/EEC, the criteria for 
island areas were the existence of unfavourable natural conditions  (high 
winds, excessive local salinity, low potential and poor drainage) and 
constraints arising from the need to preserve landscapes and maintain the 
rural environment and the tourist nature of the area in question; 

whereas the aggregate total area concerned does not exceed 4% of the entire 
area of the Netherlands, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

Article 1 

The Annex to Directive 75/275/EEC is hereby replaced by the Annex attached 
hereto. 

Article 2 

This Directive is addressed to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

- 5 -

ANNEX 

Less-favoured  areas within the meaning of Article 3(5) of Directive 
75/268/EEC  (Netherlands) 

Province 

No of areas 

Area  (UAA) 

Groningen 
Friesland 
Drenthe 
Overijssel 
Gelderland 
Flevoland 
Utrecht 
Noord-Holland 
Zuid-Holland 
Zeeland 
Noord-Brabant 
Limburg 

TOTAL 

13 
39 
21 
30 
32 

23 
24 
20 
16 
23 
11 

252 

3 883 
18 901 
6 810 
11 534 
25 353 

5 983 
9 253 
9 154 
2 484 
9 367 
8.193 

110 915 

- 6 -

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 
concerning 

Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 75/275/EEC concerning 
the Community list of less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of 
Directive 75/268/EEC  (Netherlands) 

1. 

Budget heading  (1992 nomenclature) 

B2-1012: Objective 5(a) (differentiated appropriations). 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Legal basis;  Article 43 of the Treaty. 

Description of the measure; 

Increase in less-favoured areas by applying appropriate current 
criteria. 
The population concerned by this increase is the rural population 
of these areas. 

Classification of expenditure;  Non-compulsory 

Nature of expenditure;  Part-financing of eligible expenditure at 
the rate of 25% on the basis of current rules. 

6. 

Financial impact on appropriations for assistance 

6.1 

Method of calculation of total cost 

The increase in the areas will increase the number of LU•s 
receiving a premium and hence expenditure under the compensatory 
allowance calculated as follows: 62 000 LU x ECU 80/LU x 25% * ECU 
1.24 million per year. 

6.2 

indicative schedule of commitment and payment appropriations 

Year 

1992 
1993 
1994 
1995 
1996 
1997 

Total 1993-97 

Commitment and payment 
appropriations  (ECU million) 

1.24 
1.24 
1.24 
1.24 
1.24 
6.20 

7 -

COST/EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS 

Objectives and purpose of the measure 

The areas which it is intended to classify as less-favoured and mountain 
and hill areas have been selected on the basis of the criteria currently in 
force under Directive 75/275/EEC. 

The request by the Netherlands does not alter these criteria but proposes 
classification of the areas concerned. 

The Commission  is required to consider this request in the light of the 
criteria and forward it to the Council.  There is no alternative course of 
action and it is not strictly speaking a new measure. 

Consistency with financial programming 

In 1993 the measure can be financed from appropriations in the 1993 
preliminary draft budget. 

In future years the expenditure will have to be taken into consideration in 
the new framework to be adopted for 1994-97. 

Monitoring and assessment of the measure 

Since the measure involves structural assistance, Articles 25 and 26 of 
Regulation  (EEC) No 4235/88 apply. 

-  2-

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM (92) 384 final 

DOCUMENTS 

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03 

Catalogue number : CB-CO-92-404-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-47528-5 

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