No L 271/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 10. 80 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2619/80 of 7 October 1980 instituting a specific Community regional development measure contributing to the improvement of the economic and social situation of the border areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland THE COUNCIIL 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 Commission (*), 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’) provided, 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 problems in border areas 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 in the Community; Whereas the Council has stated its willingness to examine, under Article 13 of the Fund Regulation, on (') OJ No L 73, 21. 3. 1975, p. 1. (*) OJ No L 35,9.2.1979, p. 1. (*) OJ No C 285, 15. 11. 1979, p. 3. (*) OJ No C 85, 8. 4. 1980, p. 24. (*) OJ No C 83, 2. 4. 1980, p. 4. a proposal from the Commission, any requests for aid relating to border problems in the most deserving regions of the Community submitted jointly by two or more Member States concerned; Whereas the border areas in Ireland and Northern Ireland are situated in regions which are among the least developed in the Community, involving as they do a high dependence on less productive agriculture, high levels of unemployment and low incomes per head and as such a widening of the base for economic development of these areas'is necessary in order to reduce the handicaps suffered by the regions concerned; Whereas communications difficulties and other problems related to border areas have hindered the fuller development of economic and social policies in border areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland; Whereas the difficult situation of these border areas justifies .a specific Community regional development measure; Whereas the Economic and Social Committee, in its opinion of 12 July 1978 (*) on the cross-border communications study for the Londonderry/Donegal area carried out at the request of the Governments of Ireland and of the United Kingdom, and also of the Commission, recommended that the cross-border area be made the subject of a specific Community regional development measure; Whereas measures have already been taken in the field of common agricultural policy, and other assistance from Community funds, capable of being usefully combined, should be given in these areas; Whereas the considerable tourist potential existing in the border areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland offers significant prospects of generation of non-agri- cultural economic development; Whereas development of craft industries and of small and medium-sized undertakings can make a significant contribution towards strengthening the economic fabric in these areas; () OJ No C 114, 7. 5. 1979, p. 5.