B4-1464, 1469, 1471, 1477, 1479, 1480 and 1484/95

Resolution on the implementation of the legislative programme and other activities in 1995, and on the Commission's work programme for 1996

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Rule 49 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report on implementation of the Commission's work programme in 1995 (COM(95)0513 of 13 October 1995),

- having regard to the Commission's work programme for 1996 (COM(95)0512 of 10 November 1995),

- having regard to the statement of 12 December 1995 by the President of the Commission and the debate on this subject,

A. whereas the annual legislative programme is an essential interinstitutional tool for planning the Union's activities in an open, efficient way, in keeping with the principle of subsidiarity,

I. Evaluation of the 1995 programme

1. Welcomes the fact that, in respect of 1995, the Commission has, for the first time, submitted a report on the implementation of its work programme; recalls, however, that it should also take into account the priorities set in the joint declaration by Parliament and the Commission and in the statement by the Council;

2. Notes that the programme for 1995 has been only partly carried out, and regrets that the Commission did not use its right of initiative to propose to the Council and Parliament a way out of the deadlock;

II. The 1996 work programme

3. Approves the work programme and considers that the principle of 'doing less but doing it better' implies that the Commission should be fundamentally improving its supervision of the application of Community law;

4. Setting its political priorities, calls for the following measures to be added to the legislative programme:

A) employment, strengthening cohesion and growth

- global action programme on the implementation of Chapter 10 of the White Paper and the priorities established in Essen;

- proposal for a legal basis for the budget heading for employment and growth;

- amendment of Directive 76/207/EC on equal treatment of men and women as regards access to employment;

- a study on the effects of reduced VAT rates on employment;

- specific proposals following up the agreement between Parliament's Committee on Social Affairs and Employment and the Commission's DG V on the substance of the 1995-1997 medium term social programme;

- recourse to the social protocol for proposals which have no chance of becoming law under the ordinary legislative procedure;

- presentation of a plan of action, to follow up the Essen Council, on education and training policy;

- proposals to integrate SMEs and rural areas into the information society;

- an integrated rural development policy and a balanced policy for the conservation of fish stocks (conversion measures);

- practical proposals with a view to adoption of a well-organized definitive VAT scheme;

- proposal with a view to setting up a special capital market for small and medium-sized businesses;

- proposals by the Commission in accordance with Articles 103(5), 104c(14) and 109 of the EC Treaty and in accordance with Article 6 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria;

- annual report on industrial policy in conjunction with the annual reports on the economic situation, the single market and competition policy;

B) Citizens' Europe

- preparation of accession of the Communities to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;

- proposal for a Directive on the access of consumers to justice in order to facilitate the settlement of cross-border disputes;

- proposal for a Directive on the settlement of claims arising from road accidents occurring outside the victim's country of origin (Article 138b of the EC Treaty): resolution of 26 October 1995 ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 3.));

- proposal for a Council Directive to coordinate the provisions laid down by law, regulation, or administrative action on reorganization and liquidation (bankruptcy) arrangements for companies operating in several Member States;

- White Paper on defending and promoting the public service;

- implementation of the Communication on improving legislative procedures, particularly as regards the simplification and codification of Community law;

- Commission initiatives on citizens' right of information and public access to documents of EU institutions; creation of a public register showing all persons who have been consulted by the Commission or who have given their opinion on legislative proposals;

- Commission decision on the application of Article 171 of the Treaty, concerning enforcement of judgments of the Court of Justice;

- proposals to permit the Commission to suspend unilaterally payments required in any area of Community policy when Member States, contrary to Article 209a of the Treaty, fail to defend the financial interests of the Union;

- Commission communication on action to combat fraud in the Community transit system;

- amendment of regulations for the financial management of programmes such as Phare, Tacis and Meda in order to bring about improved monitoring and evaluation, particularly by ensuring the transparency of invitations to tender and contracts;

- plan for Community action on combating racism, xenophobia and anti- Semitism and on revisionism or public denial of the Holocaust;

- proposals with a view to implementing Article K.9 of the Treaty on European Union, especially where asylum and immigration are concerned;

C) Environment, research, energy and transport

- revision of the fifth action programme on the environment in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 130s(3) of the EC Treaty;

- proposal for a Directive on soil protection laying down strict provisions on protection against pollution and sustainable management of the soil (land use, erosion, compaction);

- global strategy as regards climate change to honour the commitments entered into at the Rio and Berlin Conferences by devising, firstly, measures at Union level and, secondly, steps to launch the 'joint action pilot phase' in cooperation with the developing countries;

- proposal for a Directive concerning rules on damage to the environment (Article 138b of the EC Treaty): resolution of 20 April 1994 ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 165.));

- White Paper on the monitoring and application of Community legislation on the environment, including the imposition of penalties;

- proposal to introduce an 'eco-label' to promote and enhance the quality of agricultural produce and foodstuffs;

- communication on coordination between research, industry, competitiveness and employment;

- measures to involve the European Parliament in the programmes of research/industry task forces, including their funding;

- measures aimed at promoting the development of modes of transport and transport technologies which have a reduced impact on the environment and are energy-efficient;

- completion of the transport policy, particularly in its social and safety aspects including: working time, EUROS register of the Community fleet, air traffic control and study on the economic and social consequences of liberalization and deregulation policies;

- second action plan for tourism;

D) Enhancing the EU's presence in the world

- specific action to support the Middle East peace process;

- measures aimed at preparing the EU for enlargement to include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: analysis of implications, and cooperation programmes in the agricultural, economic, environmental, energy (in particular nuclear safety), cultural and political spheres;

- measures to prepare the EU for enlargement to include Cyprus and Malta;

- measures to enhance the Union's role: establishment of the EU crisis prevention centre;

- measures to promote the Union's development policy taking account of the fundamental economic and social needs of peoples and the promotion of human rights;

- measures taking account of the ILO criteria in international agreements and measures to prevent social and environmental dumping;

- White Paper on the European foreign policy and security policy;

- White Paper aimed at ensuring compliance with human rights in the EU's relations with third countries;

- involvement of the European Parliament in the definition and implementation of the Transatlantic Agenda;

III. Procedure

5. Calls on the Commission to honour its undertaking to submit in October its draft programme of work for the following year and to supplement it with the legal bases and probable date of submission of the various proposals, with a view to facilitating programming work in Parliament's committees;

6. Stresses that the legislative programme should include European Parliament initiatives adopted pursuant to Article 138b of the EC Treaty;

7. Hopes that the Commission will make more systematic use of the right of initiative, and that regular information will be suppled to Parliament, pursuant to Articles K.3(2) and J.9 of the Treaty on European Union;

8. Condemns the Commission's fragmented approach to legislative initiatives in fields where an overall approach would be preferable (e.g. the information society);

9. Calls on the Commission to apply Article 90(3) of the EC Treaty only in exceptional cases and after obtaining Parliament's opinion and to stop using it for all matters involving the drawing up of directives;

10. Calls on the European Council and the Council to forward their priorities for the following year before the end of the current year and to begin a closer dialogue with Parliament;

11. Proposes that the submission of various reports and communications on the progress of the Union's work (in particular Articles D, J.7, and K.6 of the EU Treaty and Article 156 of the EC Treaty) be coordinated to enable Community institutions to set the main lines of general policy in an annual joint debate;

12. Instructs its President to reach an agreement on this basis as soon as possible with the President of the Commission, with the involvement of the Council Presidency, on the annual legislative programme for 1996;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the European Council, the Council, the parliaments of the Member States, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.