It requests the other Community institutions to consider, together with the Court of Auditors, all appropriate ways of enhancing the effectiveness of its work. DECLARATION ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE The Conference agrees that the Economic and Social Committee will enjoy the same independence with regard to its budget and staff management as the Court Auditors has enjoyed hitherto. DECLARATION ON COOPERATION WITH CHARITABLE ASSOCIATIONS The Conference stresses the importance, in pursuing the objectives of Article 117 on the Treaty establishing the European Community, of co- operation between the latter and charitable associations and foundations as institutions responsible for social welfare establishments and services. DECLARATION ON THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS The Conference calls upon the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, as well as the Member States, when drafting and implementing Community legislation on the common agricultural policy, transport, the internal market and research, to pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals. DECLARATION ON THE REPRESENTATION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE OVERSEAS COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 227(3) AND (5)(a) AND (b) OF THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY The Conference, noting that in exceptional circumstances divergences may arise between the interests of the Union and those of the overseas countries and territories referred to in Article 227(3) and (5)(a) and (b), agrees that the Council will seek to reach a solution which accords with the position of the Union. However, in the event that this proves impossible, the Conference agrees that the Member State concerned may act separately in the interests of the said overseas countries and territories, without this affecting the Community's interests. The Member State concerned will give notice to the Council and the Commission where such a divergence of interests is likely to occur and, when separate action proves unavoidable, make it clear that it is acting in the interests of overseas territory mentioned above. This declaration also applies to Macao and East Timor. DECLARATION ON THE OUTERMOST REGIONS OF THE COMMUNITY The Conference acknowledges that the outermost regions of the Community (the French overseas departments, Azores and Madeira and Canary Islands) suffer from major structural backwardness compounded by several phenomena (remoteness, island status, small size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on a few products), the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their economic and social development. It considers that, while the provisions of the Treaty establishing the European Community and secondary legislation apply automatically to outermost regions, it is nonetheless possible to adopt specific measures to assist them inasmuch and as long as there is an objective need to take such measures with a view to the economic and