9.3.9 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 63/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 563/91 of 4 March 1991 on action by the Community for the protection of the environment in the Mediterranean region (Medspa) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 130s thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (°), Whereas, pursuant to Article 130r of the Treaty, one of the objectives of action by the Community relating to the environment is to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment; whereas, in preparing this action, the Community is required to take account, fnter alia, of environmental conditions in the various regions of the Community and of the economic and social devel- opment of the Community as a whole and the balanced development of its regions; Whereas, pursuant to Article 2 of the Treaty, the Commu- nity has as its task, inter alia, to promote throughout the Community a harmonious development of economic acti- vities, a continuous and balanced expansion and an increase in stability ; Whereas certain action for the protection of the environ- ment in the Mediterranean region can be carried out more successfully by the Community than by individual Member States ; Whereas the Council resolution of 7 February 1983 on the continuation and implementation of a European Community policy and action programme on the envi- ronment (1982 to 1986)(Y) includes protection of the Mediterranean region among the areas in which it is (") OJ Neo C 80, 30. 3. 1990, p. 9, and OJ No C 25, 1. 2. 1991, p. 2. (» OJ No C 19, 28. 1. 1991. () OJ No C 332, 31. 12. 1990, p. 116. () OJ No C 46, 17. 2. 1983, p. 1. particularly important for Community action to be carried out ; wheres this area was again included in the resolution of 19 October 1987 () on the continuation and imple- mentation of the abovementioned policy and action programme from 1987 to 1992, which listed overall and integrated environmental protection of the Mediterranean region as one of the priority areas; Whereas in its communication on the protection of the environment in the Mediterranean basin (%) submitted to the Council on 24 April 1984, the Commission under- took to formulate a strategy and plan of action for the protection of the environment in this region ; whereas the latter were defined in the communication to the Euro- pean Parliament, the Council, and the Economic and Social Committee on the protection of the environment in the Mediterranean region, adopted by the Commission on 14 November 1988 ; Whereas, in view of the ecological sensitivity of the Medi- terranean environment and the pressures to which it is exposed, the environmental operations carried out at regional, national, Community and international level must be intensified and made more effective ; Whereas, since the region forms an ecological entity, protection of the Mediterranean would be inconceivable without a combined effort by all the coastal States; Whereas, by virtue of geomorphological and socio- economic similarities, the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula, south of the river Tagus, is an ecological entity linked with the Mediterranean region ; Whereas the Community should contribute to implemen- tation of the environmental operations by providing financial support for certain specific measures ; Whereas a management committee should be set up to assist the Commission in implementing this Regulation, () OJ No C 328, 7. 12. 1987, p. 1. () OJ No C 133, 21. 5. 1984, p. 12.