01/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Outermost regions. Experts of EU member states meeting within the Special Agriculture Committee (SAC) on Monday 27 February approved the draft compromise with the European Parliament on the proposal for a regulation on specific measures in agriculture in favour of the Union's outermost regions (OR). The proposal allows measures for agriculture in those regions to be aligned with the Lisbon Treaty, as well as updating several such measures. Most delegations raised the question of the budget increase foreseen by the EP, while the Council believes that funding of such measures must be “neutral” from the budgetary point of view. Some countries hailed the specific provisions for the banana sector, which is seriously affected by the impact of several agreements like that between the EU and South America. (LC/transl.jl).