WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT OF REGIONS WHOSE DEVELOPMENT IS LAGGING BEHIND AND IN THE CONVERSION OF DECLINING INDUSTRIAL REGIONS ;
WHEREAS IT SEEMS NECESSARY THAT USE OF THE ERDF'S RESOURCES AS A WHOLE SHOULD FALL WITHIN CERTAIN RANGES , CONSISTING OF UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS FOR EACH MEMBER STATE ;
WHEREAS TO IMPROVE THE IMPACT OF ERDF ASSISTANCE IT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE , ON A TRIAL BASIS , THAT PART OF THE FUND'S RESOURCES ARE USED IN THE FORM OF PROGRAMMES , INCLUDING COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES ;
WHEREAS IT IS DESIRABLE THAT THE ERDF SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO GREATER EXPLOITATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR INTERNALLY GENERATED DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS ;
WHEREAS , WITH A VIEW TO ENSURING THAT ITS ASSISTANCE HAS A GREATER IMPACT , THE PRESENT RATES OF ERDF PARTICIPATION MUST BE RAISED AND SIMPLIFIED ;
WHEREAS AN ACCELERATED PROCEDURE FOR PAYMENTS BY THE ERDF MAY FACILITATE THE SUCCESSFUL CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS ASSISTED BY THE ERDF ; WHEREAS TO THIS END IT IS APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVANCE PAYMENTS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS ;
WHEREAS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO ENCOURAGE INTEGRATED APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT , FOR EXAMPLE IN THE FORM OF INTEGRATED OPERATIONS OR PROGRAMMES ;
WHEREAS THE TREATY HAS NOT PROVIDED THE NECESSARY SPECIFIC POWERS ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
TITLE I
ON COORDINATION OF REGIONAL POLICIES
ARTICLE 1
1 . IN ORDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A HIGHER DEGREE OF CONVERGENCE OF THE ECONOMIES OF MEMBER STATES AND TO ENSURE A MORE BALANCED DISTRIBUTION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF THE COMMUNITY , COORDINATION , IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE LAID DOWN IN ARTICLE 2 , SHALL BE INSTITUTED BETWEEN :
- COMMUNITY POLICIES WITH EACH OTHER , TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY AFFECT REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE AIMS OF EACH OF THOSE POLICIES ,
- COMMUNITY REGIONAL POLICY GUIDELINES AND PRIORITIES WITH NATIONAL REGIONAL POLICIES .
2 . THE OBJECT OF THE COORDINATION SHALL BE TO AVOID INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN THE POLICIES REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 1 .
THIS COORDINATION MUST ALSO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE REGIONAL IMPACT OF COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SECTORAL POLICIES . THE COMMISSION SHALL ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCES OF THE ERDF AND THE COMMUNITY'S OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS , TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY AFFECT REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , ARE USED CONSISTENTLY .
3 . IN THE CASE OF REGIONS LOCATED NEAR INTERNAL COMMUNITY FRONTIERS , THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNED SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO PURSUE , WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THEIR BILATERAL RELATIONS , TRANSFRONTIER COORDINATION OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY THE MEANS AND AT THE LEVELS WHICH THEY JOINTLY CONSIDER APPROPRIATE , AND IN THIS CONTEXT TO SUPPORT COOPERATION BETWEEN THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL BODIES INVOLVED .
ARTICLE 2
1 . THE PERIODIC REPORT , REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES , ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL IMPACT AND THE ERDF SHALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CARRYING OUT OF THE TASKS PROVIDED FOR IN THIS REGULATION .
FURTHERMORE , COORDINATION BY THE