Council Directive 91/465/EEC of 22 July 1991 amending Directive 86/466/EEC concerning the Community list of less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of Directive 75/268/EEC (Spain)

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 22 July 1991 amending Directive 86/466/EEC concerning the Community list of less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of Directive 75/268/EEC (Spain) (91/465/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 75/268/EEC of 28 April 1975 on mountain and hill-farming and farming in certain less-favoured areas(1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 797/85(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 86/466/EEC(5), as amended by Decision 89/566/EEC(6), sets out the areas of Spain which are included in the Community list of less-favoured
farming areas within the meaning of Article 3 (3), (4) and (5) of Directive 75/268/EEC;
Whereas the Government of the Kingdom of Spain has requested, pursuant to Article 2 (2) of Directive 75/268/EEC, that the Community list of farming areas listed in the Annex to Directive 86/466/EEC be amended in accordance with the Annexes to this  Directive;
Whereas the new areas to be included in the list are in line with the criteria and figures used in Directive 86/466/EEC for determining the areas within the meaning of Article 3 (3), (4) and (5) of Directive 75/268/EEC;
Whereas the protection of the environment constitutes an important criterion in Directive 86/466/EEC for the demarcation of less-favoured areas affected by specific handicaps within the meaning of Article 3 (5) of Directive 75/268/EEC and whereas severe  damage could be inflicted on the natural environment as a result of the existence of mining and quarrying activities; whereas, moreover, the total extent of these areas does not exceed 4 % of the area of the Member State concerned (3,86 %);
Whereas all the amendments requested by the Spanish Government pursuant to Article 2 (2) of Directive 75/268/EEC have the effect of increasing the utilized agricultural area of all the less-favoured areas by not more than 4,5 % of the total utilized  agricultural area of Spain,