24. 7. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 182/7 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 1590/93 of 19 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1442/88 on the granting, for the 1988/89 to 1995/96 wine years, of permanent abandonment premiums in respect of wine-growing areas THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, : Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (3, Whereas Atticle 17a of Regulation (EEC) No 1442/88 (%) provides for the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF to " finance premiums for the permanent abandonment of wine-growing areas in respect of any abandonment opera- tion carried out between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1992 ; whereas it is essential to retain this financing arrangement beyond that date and up to 31 December 1995 in order to pursue the aim of re- balancing the wine market and avoiding continued inter- vention on a massive scale; Whereas, furthermore, the experience of the last three wine years indicates that certain changes are requried in the interests of the proper operation of the scheme; Whereas the preferential distillation scheme provided for in Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 1442/88 whereby producers who so request are exempted totally or in part from compulsory distillation depending on the actual reduction in production potential has not helped to make the scheme for the abandonment of wine-growing areas more attractive while making the administrative arrange- ments more complicated and no longer fulfils the objec- tive of improving market conditions ; whereas it should be discontinued ; " Whereas the increases provided for in Article 2 (2) and the second subparagraph of Article 2 (5) payable if the areas concerned constitute the entire wine-growing area cultivated by the applicant should also be discontinued since they have not had the economic effect anticipating and may lend themselves to abuse; () OJ No C 105, 16. 4. 1993, p. 17. (%) Opinion delivered on 16 July 1993 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (*) OJ No L 132, 28. 5. 1988, p. 3. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1869/92 (O] No L 189, 9. 7. 1992, p. 6). Whereas provisions should be laid down to limit frag- mentation (the breaking up of wine-growing areas as a result of grubbing-up within those areas), in particular in areas that are being restructed, and to facilitate the intro- duction of the multiannual zonal programmes provided for in Article 3 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 of 30 June 1992 on agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the countryside (¥), or programmes provided for in Article 4 of Council Regu- lation (EEC) No 2080/92 of 30 June 1992 instituting a Community aid scheme for forestry measures in agricul- ture (%) ; whereas there should also be compatible with the Community aid scheme for early retirement laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2079/92(%); whereas, in such circumstances, granting an additional premium to promote the exchange of parcels should help achieve these objectives ; Whereas greater technical clarification is required of what grubbing-up must involve, taking into consideration, in particular, plant health requirements and also with regard to calculation of the yields determining the premium amount ; : Whereas application of the scheme for the abandonment of wine-growing areas is likely to lead to major structural change in certain Community production regions; whereas a through evaluation study should be catried out to measure the impact of the scheme and prepare any necessary adjustments, also taking into account observa- tions by Community monitoring officials; Whereas in Portugal, there is currently no provision for a premium for the abandonment of areas cultivated as root-stock nurseries ; whereas such a premium should be introduced in order to align the Portuguese arrangements with the general scheme of abandonment premiums; Whereas the high rate of abandonment of wine-growing areas given over to the production of grapes for drying in Greece causes serious socio-economic problems in the regions concerned and could cause a serious imbalance () OJ No L 215, 30. 7. 1992, p. 8. % OJ No L 215, 30. 7. 1992, p. 96. () OJ No L 215, 30. 7. 1992, p. 91.