Mr President, in June last year, we debated the First Reading of a Commission proposal on the regulation on structural business statistics, in order to add to it two sectoral annexes, one of which relates to credit institutions and the other to pension funds and, at the same time, to extend the scope of the regulation to other financial institutions, pension funds and credit and insurance auxiliaries. Finally, two new items relating to the environment are included in the statistics on industrial firms. Structural business statistics on credit institutions, pension funds and other businesses in the financial services sector are necessary in order to evaluate the single financial market, back up macroeconomic statistics and keep the stability of the EU's financial system under observation. Data on industry's expenditure on the protection of the environment are an important tool for policymakers in assessing the cost of adherence to environmental law, including its effect on businesses' competitiveness, and checking whether the polluter-pays principle is being adhered to. Following the first reading, I, as rapporteur, made contact in July 2001 with the then new presidency of the Council in the hope of an early Common Position from the Council, but this turned out to be over-ambitious. The Belgians appeared to have forgotten us, and the Common Position eventually turned up towards the end of the Spanish Presidency. I am glad that, despite what we term the summer recess, Parliament has allowed me to present my report for Second Reading just three months later. I can sympathise with those Member States who have problems with submitting definite data on pension funds, but the Council has accepted four amendments by us, and I propose that this House should vote in favour of it. (The President declared the common position approved) *** Recommendation for second reading (A5-0280/2002) by Emmanouil Bakopoulos, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on the common positions adopted by the Council with a view to adopting: 1. a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing a Committee on Safe Seas and the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (COSS) and amending the regulations on maritime safety and the prevention of pollution from ships (7100/1/2002 – C5-0229/2002 – 2000/0236(COD)) 2. a European Parliament and Council directive amending the directives on maritime safety and the prevention of pollution from ships (7473/1/2002 – C5-0228/2002 – 2000/0237(COD)) (The President declared the common positions approved) *** Recommendation for second reading (A5-0281/2002) by Konstantinos Hatzidakis, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on the Council common position for adopting a European Parliament and Council directive amending Council Directive 92/6/EEC on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain categories of motor vehicles in the Community (8625/1/2002 – C5-0310/2002 – 2001/0135(COD)) (The President declared the common position approved) *** Report (A5-0272/2002) by Astrid Lulling, on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 with respect to the time limits for transmission of the main aggregates of national accounts, to the derogations concerning the transmission of the main aggregates of national accounts and to the transmission of employment data in hours worked (COM(2002)234 – C5-0206/2002 – 2002/0109(COD)) Before the vote:

Political group: PPE-DE