21.4.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC98/1
II
(PreparatoryActs)
ECONOMIC ANDSOCIALCOMMITTEE
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionontheadoptionofanactionplanforthe
exchangeofnationalofficialsbetweenMemberStateadministrations whoareengagedin
theenforcementofCommunitylegislationrequiredtobuildtheSingleMarket(])
(92/C98/01)
On28November1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthematter,adopteditsOpinionon14February1992.
TheRapporteurwasMrR.Miiller.
Atits294thPlenarySession(meetingof27February1992)theCommitteeadoptedthe
followingOpinionbyamajorityvote,withoneabstention .
1.Introduction lawbytheMemberStatesconstitutesanimportantpart
oftheSingleMarketprogramme .
1.5.Measurestopromotetheexchangeofpublic
sectoremployeesengagedintheenforcementofCom­
munitylegislationwereoneoftheinitiativesannounced
bytheCommissionwithaviewtoachievinga'correct
andtimelyincorporation 'ofEClawintothelawof
theMemberStates.
1.6.TheCommission'sgoalinproposingtheaction
planiswelcomedinthelightoftheestablishment
oftheSingleMarket.ThedraftDecisionistherefore
endorsedinprinciple.TheCommitteewould,however,
drawattentiontothefollowingdifficultiesintheway
oftheimplementation oftheactionplan.1.1.ThesubjectofthedraftDecisionunderreview
isanactionprogrammefortheexchange,between
MemberStateadministrations ,ofnationalofficialswho
areengagedintheenforcementofCommunitylegis­
lationrequiredtobuildtheSingleMarket.
1.2.Itisessentialfortheimplementation ofthe
actionplanthatthenationalofficialsengagedinthe
enforcementofCommunitylegislationcarryouttheir
workinamannerwhichmaybeunderstoodbythe
maninthestreet,therebycreatingpublicawarenessof
theimportanceoftheSingleMarket.
2.Generalcomments1.3.TheactionplanisbasedontheCommission's
1985WhitePaperonthecompletionoftheinternal
market.Theapproximation ofMemberStates'legis­
lationandthemutualrecognitionofstandardsbyMem­
berStatesinparticularkeyareasarebasictotheobjec­
tivessetoutintheWhitePaper.
1.4.Thetransposition andimplementation ofEC2.1.Numberofparticipants
2.1.1.Itisexpectedthattheannualnumberofpar­
ticipantswilltotal500ifthemeasureisappliedthrough­
outtheSingleMarket.Thisisnotenoughtoachieve
theobjectiveof'...ensuringcorrectandtimelyincor­
poration(ofEClaw)intonationallaw...'.Thenumber
ofparticipantsshouldbesubstantiallyincreased. (')OJNoC299,20.11.1991,p.15.

NoC98/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 21.4.92
3.2.2.Applicantsforexchangeswillbeexpectedto
takepartinthedailyroutineworkofthehostadminis­
trationfromthebeginningoftheperiodofthe
exchange.
3.2.3.IntheCommittee'sviewtwomonthsistoo
shortaperiodtoenableexchangeofficialstoparticipate
effectivelyinthedailyroutineworkofthehostadminis­
tration;itthereforecallsforaperiodofaminimumof
threemonthstobestipulated.
3.3.Organizationoftheactionplan
3.3.1.Application system
3.3.1.1.TheCommitteerequeststheCommissionto
ensurethattheannualprioritiesfortheexchangestake
accountofboththerequirementsofthecitizenand
administrative requirements inrespectoftheSingle
Market.
3.3.2.AdvisoryCommittee toassistthe
Commission
3.3.2.1.Incarryingoutitstasks,theCommissionis
tobeassistedbyanadvisorycommitteecomposedof
representatives oftheMemberStatesandchairedby
therepresentative oftheCommission .Relevantsocial
interestgroups,suchasemployersandworkers,must
beinvolved.
3.3.3.Forwarding oftheCommission 's
reporttotheCommittee
3.3.3.1.Theannualreportontheimplementation of
theactionplantobesubmittedbytheCommissionof
theEuropeanParliamentandtheCouncilshouldalso
beforwardedtotheEconomicandSocialCommittee .2.2.Involvementoftradeunionsandprofessional
associations
2.2.1.IntheCommittee'sviewtradeunionsand
professionalassociationsrepresentingtheofficialscon­
cernedshouldbecloselyinvolvedintheelaboration
anddevelopmentoftheactionplanandintheselection
ofapplicants .SuchconsultationispartoftheEuropean
socialdialogue.
2.3.Languagecourses
2.3.1.EffectiveserviceinanotherMemberStatepre­
supposesanadequateknowledgeofitslanguage.Inso­
farastheydonotalreadypossessagoodknowledge
ofthelanguage,officialsselectedfortheprogramme
mustbesufficientlyinstructedintheCommunity
languageconcernedpriortotheirdeparturetoenable
themtoparticipateactivelyintheworkofthehost
department .
2.3.2.Priorprovisionofeffectivelanguagecourses
forparticipantsisanimportantpreconditionforthe
successoftheprogramme .
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Legalstatusoftheexchangeofficials
3.1.1.TheCommitteepresumesthatexchange
officialswillbeonsecondmentfromthedepartment
forwhichtheyworkintheirMemberStateandtheir
nationalrightsinrespectofsalaryandsocialsecurity
willbeunaffected .Throughoutthedurationoftheir
stayexchangeofficialsaretobeaccordedthesame
legalstatusasnationalofficials.Thisgivesrisetothe
questionastowhethersuchanarrangementwouldnot
beinconflictwiththelegalprovisionsapplyingin
individualMemberStates.Thepossibleexposureto
risksofliabilityisamatterofparticularimportance .
Inthecaseofactionsforrecoursethefactthatan
exchangeofficialhasbeengrantedequalstatustothat
ofnationalofficialscouldplacethelatterofficialina
lessfavourablepositionthanwouldbethecaseifhe
werecarryingouthisdutiesinhisowncountry.
3.2.Natureoftheactionplan
3.2.1.Itisexpectedthatexchangeswilllastfora
minimumof2months.4.Concludingobservation
4.1.IntheCommittee'sviewtheproposedaction
programmerepresentsawelcomefirststeptowardsthe
alignmentofthefurthervocationaltrainingofnational
officialswhoareengagedintheenforcementofCom­
munitylegislationrequiredtobuildtheSingleMarket.
DoneatBrussels,27February1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH