28. 6. 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 159/1 (Acts whose publiéation is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1467/94 of 20 June 1994 . ’ on the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 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, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas, with a view to the preservation of biological and genetic diversity in agriculture in the Community, which constitutes an irreplaceable fund of biological and genetic resources, genetic resources should be preserved ; whereas all necessary measures should be taken to conserve, characterize, collect and utilize those resources to promote the aims of the common agricultural policy and safeguard biological diversity in line with the Convention on Bio- logical Diversity ratified by the Community in 1993; whereas all forward-looking solutions which might prove necessary should be applied ; Whereas in this Regulation ‘agriculture’ should be taken in the broad sense of the term and genetic resources in agriculture should therefore include genetic resources in forestry ; Whereas genetic resources in agriculture include both plant and animal genetic resources within the meaning of this Regulation ; Whereas the aim of effective development and coordina- tion of the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture must be to () OJ No C 266, 1. 10. 1993, p. 2. () OJ No C 128, 9. 5. 1994. () OJ No C 52, 19. 2. 1994, p. 20. organize, for the general good, work undertaken in the Member States, to utilize the results of that work effecti- vely, to direct that work towards ends compatible with the needs of the common agricultural policy and in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to pool the resources necessary for implementing actions responding to the needs of the Community taking into account, where it is appropriate, those actions undertaken in the same area by international organizations recognized as competent and by European countries outside the Union ; Whereas, in order to attain that objective, the permanent exchange of information and, in particular, reciprocal consultation on programmes in the Member States, exist- ing and planned, for the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agricul- ture should be established ; Whereas the coordination, at Community level, of work already under way at national level for the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture must enable that work to be made more effective ; Whereas current work appears inadequate, either because of the nature of the work itself or because the means avai- lable to the Member States do not enable them to increase their efforts in the field of the conservation, characteriza- tion, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture ; whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the European Community should be able to support and supplement the efforts made in the Member States in such cases, thus helping to meet the obligations which weigh on the Community to protect the environ- ment and maintain the countryside, and to develop and implement plans for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity ; whereas the problem of conserva- tion of genetic resources in agriculture has a transnational dimension and concerns all Member States, but to date there has been no specific programme of action in this