L 54/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.2.2000 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 22 December 1999 approving a Finnish national aid programme implementing in particular Article 141 of the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (notified under document number C(1999) 5200) (Only the Finnish and Swedish texts are authentic) (2000/167 [EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(2) thereof, Having regard to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 141 thereof, Whereas: 1) On 25 October 1999, Finland notified the Commission, pursuant in particular to Article 143 of the Act of Accession and Article 88 of the EC Treaty, a national aid programme implementing in particular Article 141 and comprising other related measures for regions A and B and the Archipelago of regions A and B. On 6 December 1999, Finland submitted an amended version of the programme. On 30 July 1996, following an earlier Finnish noti- fication, the Commission adopted Decision 97/428| EC (') approving a Finnish aid programme implementing in particular Article 141 of the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden and other related measures, Under the amended version of the notification submitted by Finland, certain aid measures previously authorised by the Commission in Decision 97/428/EC are discon- tinued, other authorised aids are maintained, the dura- () O] L 184, 12.7.1997, p. 50. tion of certain aids is extended to the end of 2003 and certain new aids are introduced to apply from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2003. In Article 1(a) of Decision 97/428EC, the Commission, acting pursuant to Article 141 of the Act of Accession, approved from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001 a national aid for farmers with a development plan for investments in primary production (on-farm agriculture and horticultural activities) that do not entail an increase of the total production capacity of the sector existing on the date of adoption of that Decision (30 July 1996), amounting at most to 50 % of the total cost of invest- ments in the pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs sectors and to 75 % of that same cost in other sectors, subject to compliance with the individual maximum limits laid down by Commission Decision C(96) 733 of 19 April 1996. Article 1 (b) of Decision 97/428/EC also author- ises aid to be granted for up to five years as an income support where there is a change of production. Finland has requested the Commission to extend the authorisation of this aid for investments in primary production to 31 December 2003. The data sent by Finland pursuant to Article 3 of Decision 97[428[EC indicates that this aid for invest- ments in primary production helps, through structural improvements, to maintain and improve existing production patterns; the request to extend the duration of this aid should be accepted for this reason.