RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE adopted in Brussels on 13 October 1994

THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE,

I Trans-European networks

With regard to Trans-European networks in the field of telecommunications A. supports the aims of the report on Europe and the global information society, presented by the High-Level Group on information society (Bangemann Group), and the action plan on Europe's way to the information society, but at the same time;

B. stresses the need for critical discussion of them from a cultural, societal, human, European, regional and national economic point of view;

C. supports the plans to review the European standardization process;

D. calls for careful and critical discussion on the establishment at the European level of a European authority in telecommunications, information and audiovisual services;

E. requests a closer study of the proposals and the suggested 10 applications in the Bangemann report with reference to finacing, the importance of the target and whether there are alternative projects focusing more clearly on the private sector;

F. welcomes the horizontal approach to the information society covering the different aspects of telecommunications, audiovisual and information sector, privacy and property rights;

G. urges the EEA parties to establish a common and agreed regulatory framework for the protection of intellectual property rights, privacy and security of information;

H. suggests the creation of regional investment funds for the audiovisual sector, keeping in mind that public sector involvement is essential in small or medium-sized countries and/or small-language communities;

I. underlines the importance of integrating the Central and Eastern European countries into the debate and the development of the information society.

With regard to the Trans-European networks in the field of Transport J. recommends the continuation and enforcement of the cooperation between EFTA and EU in planning a trans-European transport network structure incorporating the whole EEA and countries of Central and Eastern Europe;

K. asks the Member States of the European Union and the EFTA States to continue to develop the joint activity of the EFTA and EU Finance Ministers on infrastructure development;

L. underlines the importance of creating interconnected EFTA/EU trans-European networks for all modes of transport.

II Competition Policy/State Aid

With regard to Competition Policy/State Aid - took note of the working document on these subjects (PE 209.663),

- asks the EEA Council and the European Commission to inform the members of the committee on developments with regard to competition policy and state aids.

III Social Policy

With regard to Social Policy the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee makes the following recommendations A. as a general remark and in order to promote the social dimension, important social issues must be put on the EEA agenda. The possibilities of the EEA Agreement must be used in full. The EEA JPC therefore recommends that the EEA Joint Committee start exploring the modalities for EFTA participation in and association with EU activities in the fields of employment, equal treatment for women and men, social exclusion and public health;

B. as regards employment, modalities should be found for EFTA participation in the Standing Committee on Employment. The EFTA side should also be associated with the activities carried out in networks and, in general, the flow of cross-border exchanges of information within the European Employment System (EURES). The annual report on 'Employment in Europe` should also include the EFTA countries;

C. as to equal treatment for women and men, modalities should be found for EFTA participation in the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. The EFTA side should also be associated with the EU network activities and, in general, cross-border exchanges of experience; notably, cooperation should be enhanced in the context of equality in professional training and in low-wage and atypical professions, access to labour market, specific hindrances affecting specifically one or the other sex, as well as women's access to political life;

D. in the field of poverty and social exclusion, the EEA Joint Committee should look into modalities for EFTA participation in the new programme, pending the adoption of that programme by the EU Council of Ministers;

E. the EEA Joint Committee should closely examine in what way the EFTA side could be involved in EU activities in the field of public health, given the comprehensive nature of the matter and the multiannual programmes for the prevention of cancer, the fight against drug abuse, AIDS and other transmittable diseases and the programmes for education and information with regard to health protection. A starting point could be EFTA participation, where relevant in the EU advisory machinery in this area;

F. on a more horizontal level, the EEA JPC wishes to see a strong involvement on the EFTA side in the follow-up to the White Paper on Social Policy.