COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of a common classification of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS)

2001/0046 (COD)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of a common classification of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS)

1. BACKGROUND

Date of transmission of the proposal to the EP and the Council (document COM(2001)83 final - 2001/0046COD): // 14.2.2001

Date of the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee

Date of the opinion of the Committee of the Regions // 11.7.2001

15.11.2001

Date of the opinion of the European Parliament, first reading // 24.10.2001

Date of adoption of the common position // 9.12.2002

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL

Regional statistics are a cornerstone of the European Statistical System. They are used by a wide range of users for a wide range of purposes. The regional data of the EU Member States are inter alia used for allocating structural funds in a rational and consistent way. Hence, regional statistics are the objective statistical basis for important political decisions.

All regional statistics have to be based on a geographical division of the territory studied. Eurostat, in collaboration with other Commission departments, set up the Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units (NUTS) at the beginning of the 1970s as a single, coherent system for dividing up the European Union's territory in order to produce regional statistics for the Community.

This NUTS classification has gained increasing importance in recent years as the basis for harmonised, and thus comparable, regional data. NUTS is used as a reference for the collection, development, harmonisation and dissemination of Community regional statistics.

Thus the Commission considers it appropriate to provide a more solid legal basis for the classification which forms the basis of the regional statistical indicators.

3. COMMENTS ON THE COMMON POSITION

3.1 General Remarks on the Common Position

The vast majority of the changes introduced in the Common position are in the nature of technical clarifications and improvements to the specificity of the text. These do not thus pose any particular problem for the Commission.

3.2 Action taken on the European Parliament's first reading

All 11 amendments proposed by the European Parliament were acceptable to the Commission and were thus introduced into the common position text by the Council.

3.3 New provisions introduced by the Council and the Commission's position

As indicated above, the additional amendments introduced by Council were largely in the nature of technical clarifications. Of particular note for the Commission were:

(a) The shifting of certain technical implementation decisions to a Commitology procedure.

(b) The inclusion of a report concerning the possible implementation of more detailed levels of classification (proposed by Parliament)

(c) A slight widening of the conditions under which Member States could request a modification of the NUTS classification.

4. STATEMENT BY THE COMMISSION

There was, however, much concern in the Council at the possible effects on the National regional structures resulting from the exercise of the Commission's statutory right of initiative. To reassure the Council of the Commission's intentions in this respect the following declaration was included in the Council minutes:

" Statement by the Commission re Art. 5

In respect of the amendments of the NUTS classification referred to in Article 5, the Commission undertakes to pay particular attention to the views expressed by the Member State directly concerned."

5. CONCLUSION

The Commission can accept the Common Position adopted unanimously.