31.12.85 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 372/5 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3828/85 of 20 December 1985 on a specific programme for the development of Portuguese agriculture THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ~ Having regard to the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, and in particular Articles 253, 258 (2) and 263 (2) thereof and Protocol No 24 annexed thereto, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas Protocol No 24 to the Act of Accession provides for the implementation, as from the date of accession and in accordance with the objectives of the common agricultural policy, of joint action in the form of a specific programme for the development of agri- cultural structures which meets the particular needs and special situation of Portuguese agriculture; Whereas the objective of the said joint action must be a substantial improvement both in production and marketing conditions and in the general structural situation of the agricultural sector; whereas the achievement of this objective will require special Community efforts in addition to the Community measures taken in the socio-structural field, over a period of 10 years; Whereas the establishment of an effective advisory service in agriculture and an improvement in the standard of training of farmers are absolutely essential to an improvement in the structural situation of Portuguese agriculture; whereas implementation of the relevant measures also requires an improvement in facilities for agricultural training and research; Whereas specific measures to improve the efficiency of agricultural structures complementary to those provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 797/85 of 12 March 1985 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures (*) and relating in particular to the im- provement of livestock, including certain animal health protection measures, the production of seed of a certified quality and the restructuring of olive growing can contribute to a better use of available agricultural resources; Whereas an improvement of land ownership structures constitutes a prerequisite for an improvement of agri- cultural structures; whereas measures to promote the consolidation of holdings which have been split up and the enlargement of those which are not currently viable and measures to improve the soil are therefore necessary; () OJ No L 93, 30. 3. 1985, p. 1. Whereas, in the same context, measures should be taken to correct the imbalance in the age pyramid of the agri- cultural population by encouraging elderly farmers to retire; Whereas the improvement of the water supply situation entailing collective irrigation operations, the establish- ment of small irrigation networks and drainage oper- ations is an important prerequisite for the improvement of agricultural structures; Whereas an improvement of infrastructures which are currently inadequate, particularly as regards public services such as electricity, drinking water, farm tracks and roads, is required; Whereas special efforts will have to be made to improve the marketing and processing of agricultural products; Whereas, owing to the existence of agricultural land affected by erosion, soil and water conservation measures are of particularly great importance and whereas afforestation, the improvement of deteriorated woodlands and measures to protect and ensure the existence of woodlands constitute appropriate methods of protecting agricultural land; Whereas the planned measures must be implemented in the framework of one or more programmes tailored to the specific requirements of the various areas of Portugal; Whereas, it is the duty of the Commission, after seeking the opinion of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Structure, to decide whether to approve these programmes and to determine the nature and scale of Community involvement therein; Whereas it follows from the foregoing that the measures referred to above constitute a common measure within the meaning of Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (*), as last amended by Regu- lation (EEC) No 870/85 (°), ’ (*) OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. () OJ No L 95, 2. 4. 1985, p. 1.