Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:the Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds,the Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3763/91 introducing specific measures in respect of certain agricultural products for the benefit of the French overseas departments as regards the structural measures,the Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 concerning specific measures for the Azores and Madeira relating to certain agricultural products as regards the structural measures,the Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92 concerning specific measures for the Canary Islands with regard to certain agricultural products as regards the structural measures, andthe Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector
Date: 2001-02-28
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: Azores, Canary Islands, French overseas department and region, Madeira, Structural Funds, regional aid

11.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 139/29

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down

general provisions on the Structural Funds’,

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3763/91 introducing
specific measures in respect of certain agricultural products for the benefit of the French
overseas departments as regards the structural measures’,

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 concerning
specific measures for the Azores and Madeira relating to certain agricultural products as
regards the structural measures’,

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92 concerning
specific measures for the Canary Islands with regard to certain agricultural products as
regards the structural measures’, and

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 laying down
the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the
fisheries sector’

(2001/C 139/08)

On 18 December 2000 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposals.

The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion, which was
responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 February 2001.
The rapporteur was Mr Mengozzi.

At its 379th plenary session (meeting of 28 February 2001) the Economic and Social Committee adopted
the following opinion with 112 votes in favour, no dissenting votes and one abstention.

1.

The Committee approves the Commission proposals.

1.1.
The Committee considers that the proposals should be
viewed as an initial response to the need to take due account
of the special nature of the EU’s seven outermost regions, as
recognised by Article 299(2) of the Amsterdam Treaty and
reiterated by the Cologne and Feira European Councils.

1.2.
The proposed measures are limited in scope, as they
simply increase the maximum rates of Community aid for
investment in SMEs, agriculture, forestry and the fisheries
sector, and the initial processing and marketing of agricultural
products.

The Committee is pleased to see that the measures are
1.3.
in keeping with opinions it has expressed on a number of
occasions, highlighting the special problems faced by all the
EU’s outermost regions and calling for specially modulated
measures to bring the socio-economic development of these
regions into line with that of the rest of the Union.

Lastly,

2.
the Committee appreciates the Commission’s
commitment to issue a codified version of the proposed
amendments to the agricultural strand of the POSEI regu-
lations (1). This measure, too, meets the Committee’s repeatedly
voiced call for Community regulations to be simplified and
made more accessible to the public.

(1) Programme of specific options for remote island regions.

Brussels, 28 February 2001.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Göke FRERICHS