L 329/50 Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 11. 97 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 24 November 1997 amending at mid-term, Decision 91/482/EEC on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Economic Community (97/803/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Cqmmunity, Having regard to Council Decision 91/482/EEC of 25 July 1991 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Economic Com- munity ('), and in particular Article 240 (3) thereof, Having regard to the internal Agreement on the financing and administration of Community aid in the framework of the second financial Protocol to the fourth Lomé Convention, signed in Brussels on 20 December 1955, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (3, Whereas Article 240 of Decision 91/482/EEC stipulates that before the end of the first five years the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, shall establish the Community’s financial assistance for the second five-year period opened by the said Decision and any amendments to its provisions; Whereas the Council, in adopting Decision 96/109/EC of 29 January 1996 on transitional measures to be applied from 1 March 1995 in the context of the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community (*), took the necessary steps to ensure the continuity of financial assistance; () OJ L 263, 19. 9. 1951, p. 1. () OJ C 139, 10. 5. 1996, p. 1. () OF L 26, 2. 2. 1996, p. 27. Whereas the financial assistance for the second period of application of Decision 91/482/EEC, which amounts to ECU 165 million under the eighth European Develop- ment Fund, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Fund’, and ECU 35 million in loans from the own resources of the Euro- pean Investment Bank, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Bank’, may be maintained at unchanged levels in respect of non-programmable aid and increased accordingly in respect of financing for development projets and programmes  implemented under the indicative programmes of the OCTs; Whereas, in accordance with Article 240 (3) of Decision 91/482/EEC, the competent OCT authorities informed the Commission of the amendements or additions they desired through written memoranda and at meetings held in the context of Commission/Member State/OCT part- nership; whereas the Commission then sent the Council a communication on the mid-term review of the association of the OCTs with the EC in which it recommended various amendments to the association; whereas these amendments take account, as far as possible, of the desires indicated above, the experience gained by the Commis- sion in the first five years of implementing Decision 91/482/EEC, the new steps taken towards building the European Union since 1991 and the mid-term review negotiations on the fourth ACP-EC Convention; Whereas by Decision 91/482/EEC the Council intro- duced the possibility of consultations with the local OCT authorities through creating the Commission/Member State/OCT partnership arrangement; whereas the memo-