11994N142

Article 142

1. The Commission shall authorize Norway, Finland and Sweden to grant long-term national aids with a view to ensuring that agricultural activity is maintained in specific regions. These regions should cover the agricultural areas situated to the north of the 62nd Parallel and some adjacent areas south of that parallel affected by comparable climatic conditions rendering agricultural activity particularly difficult.

2. The regions referred to in paragraph 1 shall be determined by the Commission, taking into consideration in particular:

- the low population density;

- the portion of agricultural land in the overall surface area;

- the portion of agricultural land devoted to arable crops intended for human consumption, in the agricultural surface area used.

3. The aids provided for in paragraph 1 may be related to physical factors of production, such as hectares of agricultural land or heads of animal taking account of the relevant limits laid down in the common organizations of the market, as well as the historical production patterns of each farm, but must not:

- be linked to future production;

- or lead to an increase in production or in the level of overall support recorded during a pre-accession reference period to be determined by the Commission.

The aids may be differentiated by region.

These aids must be granted in particular in order to:

- maintain traditional primary production and processing naturally suited to the climatic conditions of the regions concerned;

- improve the structures for the production, marketing and processing of agricultural products;

- facilitate the disposal of the said products;

- ensure that the environment is protected and the countryside preserved.