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 (COM(2000) 774 final — 2000/0307(CNS)) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2001-03-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: French overseas department and region, Structural Funds, agro-industry, aid to agriculture, development aid, island region

C 96 E/274

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

27.3.2001

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

(2001/C 96 E/20)

(Text with EEA relevance)

COM(2000) 774 final (cid:151) 2000/0307(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 1 December 2000)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Article 1

Regulation (EEC) No 3763/91 is hereby amended as follows:

The following Article 21 is added to Title VI:

Having regard to the opinion of
Committee,

the Economic and Social

(cid:145)Article 21

7 of Regulation

Notwithstanding Article

1.
(EC)
No 1257/1999, the total value of the aid, expressed as a
percentage of the volume of eligible investments, shall not
exceed 75 % for
to
encourage diversification, restructuring or a shift towards
sustainable agriculture on agricultural holdings of very
small economic size to be defined in the programme
complement referred to in Article 19(4) of Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 1260/1999 (1).

investments intended in particular

2.
Notwithstanding Article 28(2) of Regulation (EC)
No 1257/1999, the total value of the aid, expressed as a
percentage of the volume of eligible investments, shall not
exceed 65 % for investments in small and medium-sized
enterprises engaged in processing and marketing agri-
cultural products consisting mainly of
local produce in
to be defined in the programme complement
sectors
(EC)
referred
No 1260/1999.

of Regulation

in Article

19(4)

to

3.
The restriction laid down in Article 29(3) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1257/1999 shall not apply to forests or
wooded areas located in the French overseas departments.

The measures covered by this Article shall be summed
4.
up in the single programming documents
those
departments provided for in Article 19 of Regulation (EC)
No 1260/1999.

for

___________
(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.(cid:146)

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh 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 opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on
support for rural development from the European Agri-
cultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (1)
lays
down rural development measures that may be granted
Community support and sets out
for
obtaining such support. Recital 53 of
that Regulation
acknowledges that adjustments and derogations may be
needed to meet the specific needs of these regions.

the conditions

(2) Article 299(2) of

the
constraints affecting the outermost regions, which include
the French overseas departments.

the Treaty recognises, moreover,

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 3763/91 (2) seeks to remedy
the handicaps due to the remote and insular nature of
these departments and to improve the conditions under
which their
are produced and
marketed.

agricultural products

(4) The structures of certain agricultural holdings or processing
and marketing enterprises located in the French overseas
departments show serious shortcomings and are beset with
specific difficulties. Provision should accordingly be made
for derogations for certain types of investments from the
limiting or preventing the grant of
some
provisions
structural
(EC)
Regulation
for
aid
No 1257/1999.

provided

in

forestry support

(5) Article 29(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 restricts the
to forests and wooded areas
grant of
and
belonging to private owners and municipalities
associations thereof. The great majority of
forests and
wooded areas located in these departments belong to
public authorities other than municipalities. Under the
circumstances, the conditions laid down in Article 29 of
that Regulation should be made more flexible,

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(2) OJ L 356, 24.12.1991, p. 1. Last amended by Regulation (EC)

No 1257/1999 (OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80).