Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3907/91 of 19 December 1991 on action by the Community relating to nature conservation ( ACNAT )

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) N° 3907/91
of 19 December  1991
on action by the Community relating to nature conservation (ACNAT)
THE COUNCIL  OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article  130s 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 it is important that the Community should be able to make a contribution towards the action  of the Member States for the maintenance and re-establishment of seriously threatened biotopes of  endangered species or towards the implementation of measures to maintain and re-establish  endangered species, pursuant to Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of  wild birds (4), as last amended by Commission Directive 91/244/EEC (5);
Whereas it is also important that the Community should be able to make a contribution towards the  action of the Member States for the maintenance and re-establishment of seriously threatened  habitats, corresponding to the types of habitats in danger of disappearance in the Community or  supporting species in danger of extinction in the Community, or towards the implementation of  measures to conserve and re-establish such species, other than birds, and supplementing the action  taken for the same purpose in Community research programmes;
Whereas the Community should grant financial support to measures to conserve nature protection  zones of Community importance and endangered species;
Whereas initially a two-year action should be planned, with the possibility of extension or  review;
Whereas funds of ECU 50 million for a period of two years are deemed necessary for the  implementation of this action;
Whereas, in the absence of applications from a Member State, the Commission should, in exceptional  cases, and in agreement with the Member State concerned, be able to take the initiative in  proposing measures to counter threats of extinction or the direct risk of disappearance, to meet  needs which transcend frontiers or to deal with particularly urgent problems in the context of the  Berne (6), Bonn (7) or Ramsar Conventions;
Whereas the Commission should take the necessary verification, monitoring and inspection measures  in order to ensure the success of the projects undertaken by the beneficiaries of financial  support;
Whereas a Committee should assist the Commission in implementing this Regulation and, in  particular, in selecting the projects for which financial support may be granted,