L 160/80 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.6.1999 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 36 and 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (4), Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (3), (1) Whereas a common rural development policy should accompany and complement the other instruments of the common agricultural policy and thus contribute to the achievement of the policy’s objectives as laid down in Article 33(1) of the Treaty; (2) Whereas, according to Article 33(2)(a) of the Treaty, in working out the common agricultural policy and the special methods for its application, account is to be taken of the particular nature of agricultural activity which results from the social structure of agriculture and from structural and natural disparities between the various agricultural regions; (3) Whereas, according to Article 159 of the Treaty, the implementation of the common policies is to take into account the objectives set out in Yy OJ C 170, 4.6.1998, p. 7. (?) Opinion delivered on 6 May 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (3) OJ C 407, 28.12.1998, p. 210. () O] C93,6.4.1999, p. 1. (%) O] C 401, 22.12.1998, p. 3. Articles 158 and 160 for the common policy of economic and social cohesion and contribute to their achievement; whereas rural development measures should, therefore, contribute to this policy in regions whose development is lagging behind (Objective 1) and regions facing structural difficulties (Objective 2) as defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (°); (4) Whereas measures designed to support the improvement of agricultural structures were introduced into the common agricultural policy as early as 1972; whereas for almost two decades, attempts have been made to integrate agricultural structural policy into the wider economic and social context of rural areas; whereas the 1992 policy reform stressed the environmental dimension of agriculture as the largest land user; (5) Whereas rural policy is currently carried out through a range of complex instruments; (6) Whereas over the coming years, agriculture will have to adapt to new realities and further changes in terms of market evolution, market policy and trade rules, consumer demand and preferences and the Community’s next enlargement; whereas these changes will affect not only agricultural markets but also local economies in rural areas in general; whereas a rural development policy should aim at restoring and enhancing the competitiveness of rural areas and, therefore, contribute to the maintenance and creation of employment in those areas; (7) Whereas these developments should be encouraged and supported by reorganisation and simplification of the existing rural development instruments; (8) Whereas such reorganisation should take into account the experience gained in applying existing instruments and thus be based on those instruments, which are those implemented under (6) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.