No L 370/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 31.12.91 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3908/91 of 19 December 1991 on Community action to protect the environment in the coastal areas and coastal waters of the Irish Sea, North Sea, English Channel, Baltic Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean (Norspa) 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 (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), ' ' Whereas, pursuant to Article 130r of the Treaty, one of the objectives of Community action relating to the environment is to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment and whereas, in formulating that action, it will take account of, inter alia, environmental conditions in the various regions of the Community; Whereas the Resolution of 19 October 1987 of the Council of the European Communities and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the continuation and implementation of a European Community policy and action programme on the environment (1987 to 1992)(*) states that combating fresh-water and marine pollution by means of the general improvement of the aquatic environment, in particular in the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, is among the areas of particular importance for Community action; Whereas the ministerial declaration of the participants in the Third International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, held in The Hague on 7 and 8 March 1990, stressed the need to protect the environment of the North Sea and adopted a package of specific measures accompanied by a precise timetable; Whereas protection of the environment of the Irish Sea, North Sea, English Channel, Baltic Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean north of the Tagus, as well as the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Istands requires a combined international effort by all the coastal States; whereas certain measures in this field can be carried out more effectively at Community level than by the individual Member States; . ' / Whereas the Community should contribute towards carrying out operations for the benefit of the environment of the northern maritime regions of the Community, by granting financial support for certain specific measures; (1) OJ No C 21, 29. 1. 1991, p. 13. (2) O No C 240, 16. 9. 1991, p. 54. (3 OJ No C 151, 22. 7. 1991, p. 5. (*) O] No C 328, 7. 12. 1987, p. 1. Whereas an amount of ECU 16,5 million is considered necessary for implementing this action up until 31 December 1992; ' Whereas a -committee should be set up to assist the Commission in implementing this Regulaton and whereas, to this end, recourse should be had to the Committee set up by 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) (), HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Community action to protect the environment in the northern maritime region of the Community, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Norspa action’, is hereby instituted. The Norspa action shall cover the coastal areas, including estuaries, and coastal waters of the Irish Sea, North Sea, English Chanrel, Baltic Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean north of the Tagus, as well as the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, all hereinafter referred to as ‘the region concerned’. Article 2 The objectives of the Norspa action shall be to: ~— intensify efforts to protect and improve the quality of the environment and increase the effectiveness of Community environment policy and measures in the region concerned, ‘ — help to make the environmental dimension a more ‘integral part of action taken by the Community pursuant to other Community policies, — increase cooperation and coordination on protection of the environment in the region concerned by integrating Community action and the operations carried out at regional, national and international level, — promote the introduction and use of clean or low-pollution technologies, the transfer of such technologies and the exchange of experience relevant to the environment of the areas concerned. (°) OJ No L 63, 9. 3. 1991, p. 1.