15. 10. 80 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 271/9 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2616/80 of 7 October 1980 instituting a spccific Community regional development measure contributing to overcomlng constraints on the development of new economic activities in certain zones ‘adversely affected by restructuring of the steel industry THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 724/75 of 18 March 1975 establishing a European Regional Development Fund (*), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 214/79 (’), and in particular Article 13 (3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Com- mission (%), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (*), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (°), Whereas Article 13 of Regulation (EEC) No 724/75 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Fund Regulation’) provides, independently of the national allocations of resources fixed by Article 2 (3) (a) of that Regulation, for participation by the Fund in financing specific Community regional development measures, which are in particular linked with Community policies and with measures adopted by the Community, in order to take better account of their regional dimension or to reduce their regional consequences; Whereas the Member States concerned have provided the Commission with information on regional problems likely to be the subject of a specific Community measure; Whereas the Fund’s resources are allocated having due regard to the relative severity of regional im- balances within the Community; (') OJ No L 73, 21. 3. 1975, p. 1. (*) OJ No L 35, 9. 2. 1979, p. . (") OJ No C 285, 15. 11. 1979, p. 3. (*) OJ No C 85, 8. 4. 1980, p. 24. (*) O] No C 83, 2. 4. 1980, p. 4. Whereas the Commission has, in the context of Article 46 of the ECSC Treaty, prescribed general policy objectives in respect of the steel industry; Whereas the Council decided on 18 and 19 December 1978 that mastery of the social, regional, economic and financial consequences of rationalizing the iron and steel industry requires within the Community framework a special appropriate concerted action both by Community and Member States including the creation of alternative employment in the steel- producing areas affected by restructuring measures; Whereas a number of zones in the Community which are highly dependent on steel and which have already suffered considerable job losses as a result of the decline in the steel industry, are likely to see a worsening of these adverse consequences; Whereas certain of these zones in Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom are in regions which already have high levels of unemployment; Whereas it is necessary for the Community to reinforce by means of a specific Community regional development measure existing local, national and - Community measures aimed at stimulating the creation of new employment in such zones in order to replace job losses and thus to contribute to reducing regional imbalances; Whereas other assistance from Community funds, capable of being usefully combined, should be given in these zones; ~ Whereas the existence of an unfavourable physical and social environment due to the dereliction of certain industrial and urban sites and inadequate housing conditions for workers acts as an impediment on the attraction of new employment-providing activities to such zones; Whereas encouragement of the development of small and medium-sized undertakings (hereinafter referred to as ‘SMUs’) which already occupy an important place in the economies of these zones, requires that