Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 of 30 June 1992 on agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the countryside

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2078/92 of 30 June 1992 on agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the countryside
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 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 requirements of environmental protection are an integral part of the common agricultural policy;
Whereas measures to reduce agricultural production in the Community must have a beneficial impact on the environment;
Whereas many factors affect the environment; whereas it is subject to very diverse pressures within the Community;
Whereas an appropriate aid scheme would encourage farmers to serve society as a whole by introducing or continuing to use farming practices compatible with the increasing demands of protection of the environment and natural resources and upkeep of the  landscape and the countryside;
Whereas the introduction of an aid scheme to encourage substantial reductions in the use of fertilizers and plant-protection products or the use of organic farming methods can help not only to reduce agricultural pollution but also to adapt a number of  sectors to market requirements by encouraging less intensive production methods;
Whereas a reduction in farm livestock or in animal proportion per hectare can help to avert environmental damage due to pressure from excessive numbers of sheep and cattle; whereas, therefore, the extensification scheme for various products provided for  in Article 3 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2328/91 of 15 July 1991 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures (4) should be incorporated in the scheme introduced under this Regulation;
Whereas the production of products for non-food uses under a Community set-aside scheme must comply with the requirements of environmental protection; whereas, therefore, this scheme must not apply to such products;
Whereas a scheme to encourage the introduction or maintenance of particular farming practices may help to solve specific problems related to protection of the environment or the countryside and thus contribute to environmental policy goals;
Whereas many agricultural and rural areas in the Community are increasingly threatened by depopulation, soil erosion, flooding and forest fires; whereas the institution of special measures to encourage the upkeep of land can reduce such risks;
Whereas because of the scale of the problems such schemes should be applicable to all farmers in the Community who undertake to use farming methods which will protect, maintain or improve the environment and the countryside and to refrain from further  intensification of agricultural production;
Whereas the current set-aside scheme for arable land provided for in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 2328/91 has been replaced by provisions in the regulations covering the common organization of the markets; whereas it appears nonetheless appropriate  to introduce a scheme for long-term set-aside of agricultural land for environmental reasons and for the protection of natural resources;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation must encourage farmers to make undertakings regarding farming methods compatible with the requirements of environmental protection and maintenance of the countryside, and thereby to contribute to  balancing the market; whereas the measures must compensate farmers for any income losses caused by reductions in output and/or increases in costs and for the part they play in improving the environment;
Whereas the introduction by the Member States of codes of good agricultural practice can also help to make farming practices more compatible with the requirements of environmental protection;
Whereas the diversity of the environment, natural conditions and the structure of agriculture in the various parts of the Community call for the measures provided for to be adapted; whereas they should therefore be implemented within the framework of  zonal programmes for the management of agricultural or abandoned land and possibly as part of national regulations;
Whereas both the Community and the Member States must increase their effort to educate farmers in, and inform them of, the introduction of agricultural and forestry production methods compatible with the environment, and in particular regarding the  application of a code of good farming practice and organic farming;
Whereas, in order to guarantee the maximum effectiveness of such programmes, it is vital to ensure that the results are disseminated and monitored regularly;
Whereas such measures must contribute towards certain specific environmental goals set out in Community legislation;
Whereas, given that the Community is to contribute to the financing of the scheme, it must be able to ascertain that the implementing arrangements adopted by the Member States contribute towards the attainment of its objectives; whereas the structure of  cooperation between the Member States and the Commission introduced by Article 29 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 of 19 December 1988, laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the  different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (5), should be used for this purpose;
Whereas the resources available for implementing the measures provided for in this Regulation must be additional to those available for the implementation of measures under the rules governing the Structural Funds, and in particular for measures  applicable in regions covered by Objectives 1 and 5 (b) as defined in Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 (6),