No L 305/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 10. 86 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3301/86 of 27 October 1986 instituting a Community programme for the development of certain less- favoured regions of the Community by exploiting endogenous energy potential (Valoren programme) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1787/84 of 19 June 1984 on the European Regional Development Fund ("), and in particular Article 7 (4) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (?), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (3, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 1787/84, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Fund Regulation’, provides for participation by the Fund in Community programmes designed to help in solving serious problems affecting the socio-economic situation in one or more regions and to provide a better link between the Community’s objectives for the structural development or conversion of regions and the objectives of other Community policies ; Whereas Ireland, the Mezzogiorno and some regions in Greece, Spain and Portugal have to contend with particu- larly serious economic problems; whereas these regions are, at the same time, confronted with serious energy problems affecting their socio-economic situation, such as heavy dependence on imports, especially oil, for their energy needs, a large proportion of hydrocarbons in the generation of electricity and a decline in the energy content of gross domestic product that is less pronounced than the Community average ; Whereas similar economic and energy problems are encountered in Corsica, in the French overseas depart- ments and in Northern Ireland ; Whereas the exploitation of local energy resources and the efficient use of energy are suitable ways of fostering the economic development of the regions concerned, while respecting the objectives of Community environ- ment policy, in that they raise the level of production of () OJ No L 169, 28. 6. 1984, p. 1. (» OJ No C 358, 31. 12. 1985, p. 11; OJ No C 147, 14. 6. 1986, p. 4 and O] No C 194, I. 8. 1986, p. 7. () OJ No C 176, 14. 7. 1986, p. 182. (9-OJ No C 207, 18. 8. 1986, p. 28. the regions, permit job creation and promote the dissemi- nation of new technologies ; Whereas, because of their structural economic problems, the aforementioned Member States and regions are finding it difficult to meet the energy objectives laid down for 1995 by the Community in the Council resolu- tion of 16 September 1986 (%) ; whereas for the Commu- nity as a whole those objectives include improving the efficiency of final energy demand, restricting oil consumption, in the Community, increasing the part played by solid fuels in energy consumption, reducing as far as possible the proportion of hydrocarbons in electri- city production and substantially increasing the contribu- tion of new and renewable energy sources ; whereas in its resolution of 15 September 1986 (5 the Council also encouraged improved energy efficiency in industrial firms in the Member States ; Whereas a Community programme to exploit endogenous energy potential also contributes towards the attainment of the Community’s energy objectives ; whereas, therefore, it provides a better link between the Community’s regional development objectives and its energy policy objectives ; Whereas the information received from the Member States concerned reveals that they possess exploitable endogenous energy resources and energy saving potential ; Whereas Community assistance makes it possible to exploit the technical and economic experience gained by the Community in implementing Regulation (EEC) No 3640/85 (") on the promotion, by financial support, of demonstration projects relating to the exploitation of alternative energy sources, to energy saving and to the substitution of hydrocarbons, and of industrial pilot projects and demonstration projects relating to the lique- faction and gasification of solid fuels; whereas Commu- nity assistance can thus help, by means of wide dissemi- nation of information, to make new techniques economi- cally viable ; Whereas application of new energy techniques on a larger scale under satisfactory economic conditions calls for preparation at regional level involving appropriate tech- nical studies and market surveys, a coordinated and () OJ No C 241, 25. 9. 1986, p. 1. 9 O] No C 240, 24. 9. 1986, p. 1. () OJ No L 350, 27. 12. 1985, p. 29.