ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES DE LA COMMISSION COLLECTION RELIEE DES DOCUMENTS "COM" COM (76) 279 Vol. 1976/0088 Disclaimer Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 (JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit règlement. In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation. In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1. Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983, S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003 (ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 der genannten Verordnung freigegeben. COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES COM(76)279 final Brussels . 2 June 1976 COMUNITYHELP FOR FRIULI SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIRING INFRASTRUCTURAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FRIULI EARTHQUAKE OF MY 1976 ( Submitted "by the Commission to the Council ) COK(76)279 final EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM The Friuli region was hit very hard indeed by an earthquake on 6 May 1976 . The casualty list was enormous ; over 900 dead and over 2*f00 injured have been counted to date , with over 100,000 homeless . The earthquake came as a severe blow to the still struggling economy of a region which had begun to undergo real development in the last few years . Industrial and agricultural means of production in the stricken area are in ruins , and infrastructures and communications cut . Preliminary estimates put the damage at over Lit . 1 , 700,000 million , including : 590,000 million in damage to public and private property ? 660,000 million in agricultural losses ; *♦• 10,000 million in damage to industry , small businesses and commerce ; very costly damage to infrastructural installations ( roads , water and electricity mains , aqueducts , bridges &c .). As a result of the disruption of economic activities some 6000 workers have lost their jobs in industry and 9000 in the small business and commercial sector . The administrative districts worst affected are : Udine Province Artegna ; Bina *, Cavazzo Carnico ; Colloredo di Montalbano ; Feletto Umberto ; Forgariaj Gsmona;Lu£ evera ; Magniano in Riviera ; Majano ; Moggio Udinese Montenars ; Osoppo ; Pradielis ; Nimis ; Ragogna ; Resia ; S. Daniele del Friuli ; Sedegliano ; Tarcento ; Tavagnacco ; Trasaghis ; Venzone , Pordenone Province Castelnuovo del Friuli ; Farina ; Pinzano al Tadiamento ; Sequals ; Travesio ; Vito d'Asio . Reconstruction or reconditioning of the infrastructures ( roads , bridges , electricity supply networks , water mains &c .) would appear to be a first essential to enable economic and social activities in Friuli to be resumed without delay . The Community might avail itself , inter alia , of the procedures and experience of the Regional Development Fund to institute arrangements for aiding the reconstruction of certain infrastructures . The Council could , upon a proposal from the Commission , adopt an ad hoc Regulation confining the Fund 's scope to infrastructures only , but extending the concept to cover all infrastructures vital to the reconstruction of the region . A sura of 15 million u.a . could be set aside for the reconstruction and development of certain economic and social infrastructures in the disaster area . Community participation could be 30% of the public authorities * expenditure in the case of investments below 10 million u.a , and 10-30# in that of investments above that figure . It could also take the form of a interest subsidy on loans raised by the public authorities for effecting the infrastructure operations concerned . < . - 3 - Projects would "be submitted to the Commission for assessment on their merits . Applications would have 'in particular to indicate how the investment dovetails into the general corpus of measures "by the public authorities under the reconstruction programme for the area. To allow of prompt and really effective aid from the Fund the Commission would follow a simplified procedure to expedite and facilitate Community participation. To this end provision is made for waiving the consultation of the Regional Policy Committee and the Committee of the Fund : although the Commission will endeavour to consult them as usual "before deciding, in urgent cases it may take its decisions without waiting for their opinions , though it must then inform them of its decisions as speedily as possible . • • •/• • * COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) Ho on the Community contribution towards repairing the infrastructural damage caused' "by the earthquake of Kay 1976 in the region of Friuli/Venezia Giulia TEE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COL0OTITIES , - Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community , and in particular Articles 209 and 235 thereof , Having regard to the proposal from the Commission , Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament , Whereas the region of Friuli/Venezia Giulia was devastated "by an earthquake in Kay 1976 ; Whereas the harm suffered "by the inhabitants is more serious than they and the Member State concerned can make good unaided , and whereas Community assistance for these areas is therefore required ; Whereas the means available should be concentrated on economic and social infrastructures ; Whereas it is desirable to specify the particular arrangements with respect to the carrying over of the appropriations for these operations , HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 Within the limit of the Budget appropriations for this purpose , the Community shall , as provided in Article 2 and in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 3 and 4 » participate in the reconstruction and improvement of economic and social infrastructures rendered necessary in the region of Friuli/Venezia Giulia by the destruction wrought by the earthquake of May 197 6 . Article 2 The amount of the Community 1 s participation shall be 30$ of the expenditure by the public authorities where the investment is less than ten million units of account , and 10-30$ in the case of investments of ten million units of account or more . The Community * s assistance may be wholly or partly in the form of a subsidy of four points on loans contracted by the public authorities for carrying out the project concerned . Article 3 Assistance shall be decided by the Commission having regard to the priority nature of the investment and its contribution towards expediting the economic recovery of the region . Article k 1 . The operations to which this Regulation relates shall be covered , by analogy , by Articles 5(2 ), 7i 8 , 9 » 12 , 13 and of Council Regulation ( EEC ) no 724/75 of 18 March 1975 setting up a European Regional Development Fund and Article 6(5 ) of Council Reguliation ( ECSC/EEC/ Euratom ) No 73/91 of 25 April 1973 on the General Budget of the European Communities . 2 . By derogation from Article 7(2 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) 72^/75t applications for assistance may be submitted to the Commission on an ongoing basis , but not later than 31 December 1976 . 3 . By derogation from Articles 5(2 ) and 12 of Regulation ( EEC ) 72^/75 the Commission may , where is considers expedited procedure to be called for , decide to grant Community assistance without consulting the Regional Policy Committee and the Committee of the Fund ; in that case it shall inform the said Committees as soon as possible of the decisions taken . Article 5 This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities . This Regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States . Done at Brussels , For the Council , The President.