31.12.91 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 370/17 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3907/91 of 19 December 1991 on action by the Community relating to nature conservation (ACNAT) 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 opinibn of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas it is important that the Community should be able to make a contribution towards the action of the Member States for the maintenance and re-establishment of seriously threatened biotopes of endangered species or towards the implementation of measures to maintain and re-establish endangered species, pursuant to Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (*), as last amended by Commission Directive 91/244/EEC (%); Whereas it is also important that the Community should be able to make a contribution towards the action of the Member States for the maintenance and re-establishment of seriously threatened habitats, corresponding to the types of habitats in danger of disappearance in the Community or supporting species in danger of extinction in the Community, or towards the implementation of measures to conserve and re-establish such species, other than birds, and supplementing the action taken for the same purpose in Community research programmes; Whereas the Community should grant financial support to measures to conserve nature protection zones of Community importance and endangered species; Whereas initially a two-year action should be planned, with the possibility of extension or review; Whereas funds of ECU 50 million for a period of two years are deemed necessary for the implementation of this action; Whereas, in the absence of applications from a Member State, the Commission should, in exceptional cases, and in (1) OJ No C 137, 6. 6. 1990, p. 6. (2) O] No C 19, 28. 1. 1991, p. 282. (3) OJ No C 31, 6. 2. 1991, p. 8. (*) O] No L 103, 25. 4. 1979, p. 1. (%) O] No L 115, 8. 5. 1991, p. 41. agreement with the Member State concerned, be able to take the initiative in proposing measures to counter threats of extinction or the direct risk of disappearance, to meet needs which transcend frontiers or to deal with particularly urgent problems in the context of the Berne (¢), Bonn (7) or Ramsar Conventions; Whereas the Commission should take the necessary verification, monitoring and inspection measures in order to ensure the success of the projects undertaken by the beneficiaries of financial support; Whereas a Committee should assist the Commission in implementing this Regulation and, in particular, in selecting the projects for which financial support may be granted, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: ) b Article 1 1. The Communitv may grant financial support for - projects contributing to: — pursuant to Directive 79/409/EEC, the maintenance or re-establishment of biotopes which are the habitat of endangered species or seriously threatened habitats of particular importance to the Community, or to the implementation of measures to conserve or re-establish endangered species, — the maintenance or re-establishment of types of natural habitats of Community interest and the animal and plant species of Community interest referred to in Annex I. 2. The Community financial resources estimated as necessary for the implementation of Acnat projects amount to ECU 50 million. The budgetary authority shall determine the appropriations available for each financial year, taking into account the principles of sound management referred to in Article 2 of the Financial Regulation applicable to the budget of the European Communities. 3.  The financial support may be: (1) normally, not more than 50% of the cost of projects; (¢) OJ No L 38, 10. 2. 1982, p. 1. () OJ No L 210, 15. 7. 1982, p. 10.