# C_2006324EN.01003601.xml

| 30.12.2006 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 324/36 |
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30.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 324/36

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision on a procedure for prior examination and consultation in respect of certain laws, regulations and administrative provisions concerning transport proposed in Member States

COM(2006) 284 final — 2006/0099 (COD)

(2006/C 324/16)

On 23 June 2006 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 157(3) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 4 July 2006, the Committee Bureau instructed the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

Given the urgent nature of the work, the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Tóth as rapporteur-general at its 430th plenary session, held on 26 October 2006 and adopted the following opinion by 110 votes with 5 abstentions.

1.   Introduction

| 1.1 | The proposed decision (1) aims to repeal the Council Decision of 21 March 1962 (2) instituting a procedure for prior examination and consultation in respect of certain laws, regulations and administrative provisions concerning transport proposed in Member States. |
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1.1

The proposed decision (1) aims to repeal the Council Decision of 21 March 1962 (2) instituting a procedure for prior examination and consultation in respect of certain laws, regulations and administrative provisions concerning transport proposed in Member States.

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| 1.2 | The purpose of the proposed decision is to codify the Council Decision of 21 March 1962, and hence it fully preserves the content of the acts being codified and does no more than bring them together with only such formal amendments as are required by the codification exercise itself. |
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1.2

The purpose of the proposed decision is to codify the Council Decision of 21 March 1962, and hence it fully preserves the content of the acts being codified and does no more than bring them together with only such formal amendments as are required by the codification exercise itself.

| 1.3 | The current codification proposal follows from the Commission's decision of 1 April 1987 (3) in which it instructs its staff to undertake the codification of all legislative acts after no more than ten amendments in order to ensure that the Community rules are clear and readily understandable. |
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1.3

The current codification proposal follows from the Commission's decision of 1 April 1987 (3) in which it instructs its staff to undertake the codification of all legislative acts after no more than ten amendments in order to ensure that the Community rules are clear and readily understandable.

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2.   General comments

| 2.1 | The Committee is particularly concerned about recent trends that alienate European citizens from the European idea and more importantly from the European legislative and decision making process. The Committee's mission is to help bridge the widening gap between Europe and organized civil society, that is to say its citizens. |
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2.1

The Committee is particularly concerned about recent trends that alienate European citizens from the European idea and more importantly from the European legislative and decision making process. The Committee's mission is to help bridge the widening gap between Europe and organized civil society, that is to say its citizens.

| 2.2 | Clearly, as long as several provisions that have been amended several times remain in fragmented form, so that they have to be sought partly in the original instrument and partly in the latter, amending one, the considerable research work will prevent ordinary citizens and numerous civil society organizations to find easily the legal information they need. |
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2.2

Clearly, as long as several provisions that have been amended several times remain in fragmented form, so that they have to be sought partly in the original instrument and partly in the latter, amending one, the considerable research work will prevent ordinary citizens and numerous civil society organizations to find easily the legal information they need.

| 2.3 | Therefore the Committee fully endorses the current proposal, in the particular hope that it will help all citizens and civil society interest groups to get better and more precise information concerning a given European legislative instrument. |
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2.3

Therefore the Committee fully endorses the current proposal, in the particular hope that it will help all citizens and civil society interest groups to get better and more precise information concerning a given European legislative instrument.

Brussels, 26 October 2006

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

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(1)  COM(2006) 284 final.

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(2)  OJ 23 of 3.4.1962, p. 720-721.

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(3)  COM(87) 868 PV.

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