Council Regulation (EEC) No 768/89 of 21 March 1989 establishing a system of transitional aids to agricultural income

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 768/89
of 21 March 1989
establishing a system of transitional aids to agricultural income
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euopean Economic Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3),
Whereas the Community's policy on agricultural structures has been supplemented by certain measures designed, in particular, to make it easier for farmers to adapt to the new circumstances obtaining on agricultural markets in the context of the current reform of the common agricultural policy and in particular of the adjustment of the market organizations; whereas, however, such measures may not provide sufficient assistance for certain categories of family holdings;
Whereas, this being the case, and in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council which met in February 1988 in Brussels, Member States should have the option of granting transitional aids to agricultural income to provide support for the efforts of weak agricultural holdings, which would otherwise not be able to adapt successfully owing to their economic and structural situation, to adjust; whereas such aids also contribute towards maintaining a fair standard of living for the agricultural community in accordance with the objective laid down in Article 39 (1) (b) of the Treaty and therefore towards safeguarding the balances necessary to the vitality of rural society, given the requirements relating to the protection of the landscape and of the environment;
Whereas, in order to ensure the necessary transparency of such temporary aids and compliance with Community conditions laid down to prevent any jeopardizing of the Community's objectives as regards market reform in particular, the aids to income under consideration should be granted subject to prior approval by the Commission of programmes of agricultural income aids drawn up by the Member States planning to introduce such measures; whereas, in order to avoid distortion of competition between agricultural producers, such programmes must in particular establish and comply with the link existing between the aid provided for and the injury resulting from the adjustment of conditions on the markets;
Whereas account should also be taken of the fact that the holdings of the type concerned are unevenly distributed in the Community and are relatively concentrated in the Member States where budget funds and, consequently, the possibilities for granting transitional aids are much more restricted than in other Member States; whereas the cohesion sought by the Single European Act therefore requires, in the latter cases in particular, a Community contribution towards the income aids granted to persons practising farming as their main occupation; whereas the level of the community contribution must be varied according to the requirements and the financial resources available in the various regions of the Community;
Whereas the Community contribution is to be financed from appropriations entered in a special chapter of the general budget of the Community; whereas, in order to facilitate the management and financial execution of the system, the financing rules should be those applying to the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guarantee Section under Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (4), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2048/88 (5),