20.3.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 78/41 REGULATION (EU) No 229/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 13 March 2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first paragraph of Article 42 and Article 43(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1) Specific measures in the agricultural sector to remedy the difficulties caused by the particular geographical situation of the smaller Aegean islands have been established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 (}). Those measures have been implemented by means of a support programme, which constitutes an essential tool for supplying those islands with agricultural products and for supporting local agricultural production. In view of the need to update the current measures, including as a result of the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, it is necessary to repeal Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 and replace it with a new regulation. (2)  The fundamental objectives which the scheme promoting the smaller Aegean islands will help to achieve need to be specified. (3) It is also necessary to specify the content of the support programme for the smaller Aegean islands (‘support programme’), which, in accordance with the principle (") OJ C 132, 3.5.2011, p. 82. (%) Position of the European Parliament of 5 February 2013 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 25 February 2013. () OJ L 265, 26.9.2006, p. 1. of subsidiarity, should be established by Greece at the most appropriate geographical level and submitted by Greece to the Commission for approval. In order to more effectively achieve the objectives of the scheme promoting the smaller Aegean islands, the support programme should include measures which ensure the supply of agricultural products and the pres- ervation and development of local agricultural production. The level of programming needs to be harmonised and the policy of partnership between the Commission and Greece needs to become systematic. The Commission should adopt procedures and indicators to ensure the smooth implementation and adequate monitoring of the programme. In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity and in order to ensure flexibility, the two principles which form the basis of the programming approach adopted for the scheme promoting the smaller Aegean islands, the auth- orities appointed by Greece may propose amendments to the programme to bring it into line with the reality of the situation on those islands. To that end, more significant involvement on the part of the competent local and regional authorities and other stakeholders should be encouraged. Also in keeping with this approach, the procedure for amending the programme should be adapted to reflect the level of relevance of each type of amendment. The particular geographical situation of some of the smaller Aegean islands imposes additional transport costs in supplying products which are essential for human consumption, for processing or as agricultural inputs. In addition, other objective factors arising as a result of insularity and distance from markets impose further constraints on economic operators and producers in those Aegean islands that severely handicap their activities. In certain cases, operators and producers suffer from ‘double insularity’, consisting of the fact that supplies are brought by way of other islands. Those handicaps can be alleviated by lowering the price of those essential products. It is therefore appropriate to introduce specific supply arrangements to guarantee supply to the smaller Aegean islands and compensate for the additional costs arising from their insularity, small size and distance from markets. The problems experienced by the smaller Aegean islands are accentuated by the islands’ small size. In order to guarantee the effectiveness of the measures envisaged, such measures should apply to all Aegean islands except Crete and Evia.