9. 6. 95 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 126/35 COMMISSION DECISION of 4 May 1995 on the long-term national aid scheme for agriculture in the northern regions of Finland (Only the Finnish text is authentic) (95/196/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 142 thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 827/68 of 28 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in certain products listed in Annex II to the Treaty ('), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular the last paragraph of Article 5 thereof, Whereas Article 142 of the Act of Accession states that the Commission is to authorize Finland and Sweden to grant long-term national aids with a view to ensuring that agricultural activity is maintained in the northern regions ; whereas, in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Article, the Commission is to determine those regions ; Whereas, in order to facilitate the administration of the scheme provided for, when determining those regions, the municipality (Runta) should be chosen as the relevant administrative unit for such determination in line with practice followed in the application of Council Directive 75/268/EEC of 28 April 1975 on mountain and hill farming and farming in certain less-favoured areas (3, as amended by Directive 80/666/EC (*) and Regulation EEC No 797/85 (*), whereas, however, the rural district (maata- louspiiri) of Mikkeli, South Karelia and area 3 as defined in the Finnish system of aid to agriculture based on holding size, in force before accession and within the limits laid down at 31 December 1993, may also be included among the relevant administrative units; Whereas Article 142 (1) of the Act of Accession stipulates that the regions to be determined should cover agricul- tural areas situated to the north of the 62nd parallel and some adjacent areas south of that parallel affected by () OJ No L 151, 30. 6. 1968, p. 16. ) O] No L 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 1. () OJ No L 180, 14. 7. 1980, p. 34. () OJ No L 93, 30. 3. 1985, p. . comparable climatic conditions rendering agricultural activity particularly difficult ; whereas, when determining those regions, the Commission is to take account in parti- cular of the low population density, the portion of agri- cultural land in the overall surface area, and the portion of utilized agricultural area given over to arable crops intended for human consumption ; Whereas, where Finland is concerned, the abovemen- tioned factors result in the list of administrative units in subregions C1, C2, C2 North, C3 and C4 laid down in this Decision, which are north of the 62nd parallel or adjacent to the latter, are affected by comparable climatic conditions rendering agricultural activity particularly diffi- cult and have a population density lower than or equal to 10 inhabitants per square kilometer, a utilized agricultural areas (UAA) of less than 10 % of the total area of the municipality and a portion of the UAA devoted to arable crops intended for human consumption less than or equal to 20 % ; whereas municipalities surounded by others within such areas should be entered on the list, even where they do not satisfy the same requirements; Whereas the northern region thus determined represents 1 417 000 hectares (ha) accounting for 55,5 % of the total UAA of Finland; Whereas, in accordance with Article 142 (3) of the Act of Accession, it is for the Commission to define the reference period in relation to which the development of agricultural production and the level of overall support should be considered ; whereas, using the national statis- tics available as a basis, that reference period should cover 1991, 1992 and 1993 as regards agricultural production, with the exception of cow’s milk and beef and veal, for which 1992 provides the best basis for fixing the milk quota and the reference herd for Finland, and horticul- ture, for which 1993 is the year covered by the most reli- able statistics ; whereas however, 1993 (when prices had not yet been affected by accession) should be used for assessing the level of overall support, where the difference in the price level of support existing between Finland and the Community must be taken into account; Whereas production figures and support per product in the abovementioned years should be stated ;