Decision 1991/315 - 91/315/EEC: Council Decision of 26 June 1991 setting up a programme of options specific to the remote and insular nature of Madeira and the Azores (Poseima) - Main contents

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91/315/EEC: Council Decision of 26 June 1991 setting up a programme of options specific to the remote and insular nature of Madeira and the Azores (Poseima)

Official Journal L 171 , 29/06/1991 P. 0010 - 0016

COUNCIL DECISION of 26 June 1991 setting up a programme of options specific to the remote and insular nature of Madeira and the Azores (Poseima) (91/315/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43, 113 and 235 thereof,

Having regard to the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, and in particular Article 234 (3) 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 autonomous Portuguese regions of the Azores and Madeira belong politically and economically to the Community by virtue of the Act of Accession, which did, however, recognize some of their specific characteristics by allowing various isolated exceptions in the application of the common policies;

Whereas the Member States, in a joint declaration annexed to the Act of Accession, called on the Community institutions to devote special attention to the development policies of the two archipelagos, 'the object of which is to overcome the handicaps of these regions, which arise from their geographical situation, far away from the mainland of Europe, their physical geographical features, the serious deficiency of infrastructures and their economic backwardness`;

Whereas the European Parliament, in its resolution of 14 April 1989 on Community programmes to help the Portuguese autonomous island regions (1), considered that in view of their island status and highly peripheral situation the Azores and Madeira deserve special treatment from the Community;

Whereas the Azores and Madeira suffer from a serious structural lack of development aggravated by a number of constraints (remoteness, isolation, small size, difficult terrain and climate) whose unchanging nature and combined impact have serious effects on their economic and social development and place these two archipelagos among the least-favoured regions of the Community; whereas these special constraints make it necessary to step up Community support in order to ensure that the Azores and Madeira are fully involved in the dynamic of the internal market; whereas this Community support takes the form of operations under the reformed Structural Funds (enjoying the priority given to the Objective 1 regions), but must also ensure that the special constraints affecting the Azores and Madeira are taken into account in the application of common policies, in accordance with the Community approach to the remoter regions, of which the adoption and implementation of the Poseidom programme for the French overseas departments is the first practical example;

Whereas an overall, multi-sector approach is necessary to allow for the special constraints on the Azores and Madeira in the application of common policies; whereas a coherent line must be taken as part of an overall action programme involving legislative measures and financial commitments;

Whereas, for the purposes of implementing this programme, the necessary legal acts will be adopted either by the Council or by the Commission, as appropriate, before 31 December 1992; whereas the application of certain measures in this programme could extend beyond the process of completing the internal market, given the permanent constraints which are a particular feature of the Azores and Madeira;

Whereas this programme must be based on the twofold principle that the Azores and Madeira form an integral part of the Community and that the regional reality deriving from their particular geographical situation must be recognized;

Whereas the measures contained in the...

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