29.4.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 127/29 COMMISSION DECISION of 8 April 1998 amending the boundaries of the mountain areas in France within the meaning of Council Regulation (EC) No 950/97 (Only the French text is authentic) (98/280/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 950/97 of 20 May 1997 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures ('), and in particular Article 21(3) thereof, Whereas Council Directive 75/271/EEC (%), as last amended by Commission Decision 97/158/EC (%), concerning the Community list of less-favoured farming areas within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 950/97 (France), lists the areas in France defined as mountain areas within the meaning of Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97 and the specific criteria which resulted in their being so defined; Whereas the French Government notified the Commis- sion, in accordance with Article 21(3) of Regulation (EC) No 950/97, of new areas likely to be included on the Community list of mountain areas and provided informa- tion on their characteristics; whereas, furthermore, the special aid scheme existing in the mountain areas will be extended to the new areas; Whereas, as the above notification indicates, some areas meet criteria and indices in Council Directive 76/ 401/EEC (%) used to identify the areas covered by Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97; whereas the areas in question must therefore be included in the Community () OJ L 142, 2. 6. 1997, p. 1. () OJ L 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 33. () OJ L 60, 1. 3. 1997, p. 64. () OJ L 108, 26. 4. 1976, p. 22. list of mountain areas within the meaning of Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97; Whereas these amendments do not increase the utilised agricultural area of the less-favoured areas in France by more than 1,5 % because the areas are already classed as less-favoured pursuant to Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The Community list of mountain areas in France in the Annex to Directive 75/271/EEC is supplemented by the list in the Annex to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the French Republic. Done at Brussels, 8 April 1998. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission