Council Regulation (EEC) No 328/88 of 2 February 1988 instituting a Community programme to assist the conversion of steel areas (Resider programme)

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 328/88
of 2 February 1988
instituting a Community programme to assist the conversion of steel areas
(RESIDER programme)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1787/84 of 19 June 1984 on the European Regional Development Fund (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3461/85 (2), and in particular Article 7 (4) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (3),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (4),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (5),
Whereas Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 1787/84, hereinafter referred to as the 'Fund Regulation', provides for participation by the Fund in Community programmes, the purpose of which is to help in solving serious problems affecting the socio-economic situation in one or more regions and which are designed to provide a better link between the Community's objectives for the structural development or conversion of regions and the objectives of other Community policies;
Whereas the Commission has determined, pursuant to Article 46 of the Treaty establishing the ECSC, the general objectives for steel in the Community for 1990; whereas, despite the considerable effort that has been made in recent years and that has led to sizeable reductions in production capacity, the steel industry in the Community is still faced with problems of overcapacity;
Whereas a number of areas in the Community which are highly dependent on steelmaking and which have already suffered major job losses as a result of the decline in the steel industry are likely to see a worsening of these adverse consequences;
Whereas the Community should support the effort which must be made to replace jobs lost as a result of restructuring through, the development of new sources of appropriate employment in other sectors in the regions affected;
Whereas, on 7 October 1980, the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) No 2616/80 (6), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 216/84 (7), which instituted a specific Community regional development measure contributing to overcoming constraints on the development of new economic activities in certain zones adversely affected by restructuring of the steel industry; whereas the areas in the new Member States adversely affected by steel restructuring should be allowed to benefit, in the form of a Community programme, from measures analogous to those introduced by the said Regulation;
Whereas, on account of the worsening difficulties in the steel industry, it will also be necessary to introduce in other areas of the Community, in the form of a Community programme, measures analogous to those already taken in certain areas of the Community under Regulation (EEC) No 2616/80 and, where appropriate, to reinforce as part of the same programme the existing measures in those areas, in view of the considerable job losses which have occurred in the steel industry since 31 December 1985, the date of expiry of Decision No 2320/81/ECSC (8), as amended by Decision No 1018/85/ECSC (9);
Whereas the Member States concerned have provided the Commission with the necessary information and whereas, pursuant to Decision No 1566/86/ECSC (1), steel undertakings must supply the Commission with iron and steel statistics at regular intervais;
Whereas, by assisting with the conversion of the declining industrial regions affected by restructuring of the steel industry, the Community programme contributes to the furtherance of both regional development objectives and the Community's objectives with regard to steel; whereas the level of Community particpation must therefore be the maximum permissible under the Fund Regulation and whereas, at the same time, the programme is given priority in the management of Fund resources;
Whereas it is necessary to avoid combining aid granted under the specific Community measures instituted pursuant to Regulations (EEC) No 724/75 (2) or (EEC) No 3634/85 (3) with aid granted under this Community programme;
Whereas Community assistance must be provided in the form of multiannual programmes drawn up by the competent authorities in the Member States concerned; whereas, to ensure sound financial management of the Fund, Member States must transmit those aid programmes to the Commission within a certain period after the areas to be covered by the Community programme have been determined; whereas it is for the Commission, in adopting those programmes, to ensure that the operations proposed therein are in keeping with this Regulation;
Whereas, in view of the coming reform of the Structural Funds under Article 130D of the Treaty, the choice of regions in the present Community programme and the criteria on which this choice is based should be consistent with the approach to be followed in the abovementioned reform,