Council Directive 73/440/EEC of 11 December 1973 on the general provisions for the regional differentiation of certain measures provided for in the Directives of 17 April 1972 on the reform of agriculture

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE  of 11 December 1973  on the general provisions for the regional differentiation of certain measures provided for in the Directives of 17 April 1972 on the reform of agriculture  (73/440/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof;
Having regard to Council Directive 72/159/EEC (1) of 17 April 1972 on the modernization of farms, and in particular Article 1 (2) thereof;
Having regard to Council Directive 72/160/EEC (2) of 17 April 1972 on measures to encourage the cessation of farming and the reallocation of utilized agricultural areas for the purposes of structural improvement, and in particular Article 1 (2) thereof;
Having regard to Council Directive 72/161/EEC (3) of 17 April 1972 on the provision of socio-economic guidance for and the acquisition of occupational skills by persons engaged in agriculture, and in particular Articles 1 (2) and 5 (2) thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament;
Whereas when Member States exercise the option of not applying, in certain regions, all or some of the measures provided for in Directive 72/159/EEC and Directive 72/160/EEC, they should do so only in those regions in which a major part of the agriculture has already attained the objective of comparable income or in which the areas hitherto exploited for agricultural purposes are intended for other uses;
Whereas the option of not applying all or some of the measures provided for by Directive 72/161/EEC must, on account of the close relationship of the latter with Directives 72/159/EEC and 72/160/EEC, be restricted to those regions in which Member States apply neither of these two Directives;
Whereas when Member States vary according to region the amount of the financial incentives provided for in Directive 72/159/EEC, it is essential that they take account of the amount of effort to modernize to be made by agriculture in the various regions and to this end, that they take into particular consideration the financial difficulties of the farms in regions where the average agricultural income is low and those difficulties arising from the disparity between the current agricultural income of these farms and the target income to be reached;
Whereas when Member States vary according to region the amount of the financial incentives provided for in Directive 72/160/EEC, it is essential that they take account of both the need to liberate lands in each region resulting from the amount of effort to modernize to be made by agriculture in the various regions and the necessity to re-establish an adequate balance between the different age categories of farmers;
Whereas when Member States vary according to region the meausres provided for in Directive 72/161/EEC on the provision of socio-economic guidance for and the acquisition of occupational skills by persons engaged in agriculture, it is essential that they take account of the amount of effort to be made by the various regions in order to attain the objectives of agricultural reform,