NoC304/10 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 10.11.93
3.5.Article20
AccordingtotheExplanatoryMemorandum thisisthe
methodtheCommissionwantstouseforrepealingRegulation (EEC)No3035/80.Thatmaybeamistake
forArticle21buteventhentheapplicationtoexports
isoneofthemanyobscuritiesintheproposalandthe
wholeprocedureforexportsneedsclarifying.
DoneatBrussels,22September1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheWorkingDocumentoftheCommissiononaStrategicProgrammeonthe
InternalMarket
(93/C304/06
On7June1993theCommissiondecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
WorkingDocumentoftheCommissiononaStrategicProgrammeontheInternalMarket
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon15September1993.The
RapporteurwasMrConnellanandtheCo-Rapporteur wasMrSchmitz.
Atits308thPlenarySession(meetingof22September1993),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyalargemajoritywith4abstentions .
1.Introduction cationincorporatestheCommission'sfurtherandmore
comprehensive responsetotheSutherlandReport,and
itsviewsofthebroaderStrategicDevelopmentofthe
InternalMarket.1.1.On27May1993,theEconomicandSocialCom­
mitteeadoptedaninitialOpinionontheSutherland
ReportandthesubsequentCommissionCommuni­
cationSEC(92)2277finalwhichconcentratedpar­
ticularlyontheESCroleintheimplementation and
furthershapingoftheInternalMarket.Atthetime,the
CommitteedecidedtoprepareanAdditionalOpinion
whichwouldfocusonthedetailedrecommendations
intheCommunication andintheSutherlandReport.
On2June1993theCommissionissueditsWorking
DocumentonaStrategicProgrammeontheInternal
MarketcontainedintheCommunication addressedto
theCouncilandtheParliament(*).ThisCommuni­ThepresentOpiniontakesaccountofthisWorking
Document,theCommunication fromtheCommission
totheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliamentonRein­
forcingEffectivenessoftheInternalMarket[doc.
COM(93)256final].Itdevelopstherecommendations
madeinthefirstOpinionwithregardtotheCom­
mittee'sroleandalsohighlightstheissueswhichthe
ESCconsidersareofgreatestimportance .TheCom­
mitteewillreturntomoredetailedissuesinthefuture. f1)Doc.COM(93)2.56final

10.11.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC304/11
1.2.TheWorkingDocumentonReinforcingthe
Effectiveness oftheInternalMarketstatesthatthe
objectiveoftheCommunityistheimprovementofthe
livingconditionsofitscitizensandthatthestrategyfor
themanagementanddevelopmentofthesinglemarket
shouldensurethatthelegislativeframeworkbecomes
anintegralpartoftheenvironmentforthecitizens,
theeconomicoperatorsandtheadministrations ;three
objectivesareidentified :1.5.TheCommitteeagreeswiththeCommission (*)
that:
'theInternalMarketispartofaglobalCommunity
policyandinthisrespectcannotbeappreciated
independently oftheotherCommunitypolicies
whichallowthecommunityspacetofunctionwith­
outinternalfrontiers :
—thefreemovementofpersonsiscloselylinked
tothedevelopmentoftheconceptofEuropean
citizenshipandtothecooperationoninternal
andjudicialaffairswhichisfoundattheheart
oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion,butalsoto
theputtingintoeffectthesocialcharter,a)torespondtotheexpectationsofthecitizensin
supportingjobcreationandeconomicgrowth,lead­
ingtoimprovedsocialprotectionandworkingcon­
ditions;
b)toensureacompetitiveenvironmentforenterprise
guaranteeingfreemovement,butlimitinglegislative
interventionstodomainsinwhichmutualrecog­
nitioncannotguaranteetheprotectionoftheessen­
tialrequirements ;
c)toensurethesinglemarket'sdynamiceconomicand
socialdevelopmentbringingaddedvaluetothe
legislativeacquisinactingonthefactorswhich
influencethedynamismofthemarket.—thefreemovementofgoods,servicesandcapital
isnotonlylinkedtothedevelopmentofecon­
omicandsocialcohesionandtotheputtinginto
effectofcompetitionpolicyinstrumentsbutalso
totheestablishmentofeconomicandmonetary
union,
—theinternaldimensionoftheInternalMarketis
itselfcloselylinkedtothestrengtheningofthe
externalpersonalityoftheCommunityandits
capacitiesfornegotiation.'
1.6.Thefullimplementation oftheInternalMarket
willbeakeyfactorinbringingeconomicgrowthand
jobs.Butthedramaticallyhighlevelofunemployment
willnotbesignificantlyreducedwithoutadditional
economicandstructuralpolicymeasures.TheCom­
mitteethereforeplacesgreathopesintheWhitePaper
onCompetitiveness andEmploymenttobeconsidered
bytheEuropeanCouncilattheendoftheyear.
1.7.Workersinparticulararegreatlydisappointed
attheshortcomings inlabourandwelfarepoliciesat
Communitylevel.Withoutamoreactivesocialpolicy
distrustontheirpartintheInternalMarketprocess
willincreasesomuchthatnotalltheadvantagesofthe
InternalMarketwillbeenjoyedbecauseofincreasing
socialconflict.TheCommitteesupportstheseobjectivesproposedby
theCommission ,sincethesuccessoftheInternalMar­
ketultimatelydependsonhowmuchitcontributesto
increasingemploymentandprosperitythroughoutthe
Community .
1.3.TheCommitteeconsidersitextremely
importantthattheInternalMarketshouldoperate
properly,asthiscandomuchtoensurethattheInternal
Market'ssocio-economic objectivesareachievedina
balancedway.InitsCommunication onReinforcing
Effectiveness oftheInternalMarkettheCommission
providesaclearandconciseanalysisoftheobjectives
oftheCommunityandtheInternalMarketandofthe
problemsinvolvedincompletingtheInternalMarket.
1.8.Intimesofeconomiccrisisthereisanurgent
needforMemberStatesandtherepresentatives ofthe
socialgroupstofindanappropriatebalancebetween
thevariousinterestsinvolvedintheimplementation of
thedifferentCommunitypolicies.
1.9.ThisOpinioncommentsonthepreparationof
thedraftingoftheInternalMarketlegislation,itstrans­
positionintonationallawanditssubsequentappli­
cationbytheMemberStates.Inparticular,theCom­1.4.TheCommitteesubscribestotheviewthatthe
Community'smaintaskisimprovingthelivingcon­
ditionsofitscitizens.TheoperationoftheInternal
Marketshouldindeedbejudgedfromthatpointof
view.Itwasaboveallconcernedaboutstubbornlyhigh
unemployment whichinthe1980sprovidedtheimpetus
foreffortstoimprovethecompetitiveness ofEuropean
industrybyestablishingarealInternalMarket.
TheInternalMarketisnotyetcompleteand,partlyas
aresultofthis,optimisticexpectationswithregardto
itsimpactongrowth,jobsandtechnologicalinnovation
havebeenonlypartlyfulfilled.(*)SeeCommunication onReinforcingtheEffectivenessofthe
InternalMarket:doc.CGM(93)256final,point6'Collec­
tivelydefiningastrategicprogramme'.

NoC304/12 10.11.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
mitteeundertakesananalysisofthetwoCommission
Communications andtheSutherlandReport'srec­
ommendations on:
confidenceofconsumers,workersandentre­
preneursintheCommunitylegislativeprocess,2.3.TheCommitteenotesthebroaderperspective
ofthesecondCommission Communication which
includesissuesnotaddressedintheSutherlandReport
suchasthefreemovementofpersons,thefurther
developmentoftheinternalmarketandtheestablish­
mentofTrans-European Networks.Itregretsthatthe
Commissiondoesnotgivesufficientattentiontothe
generalpolitical,economicandsocialclimate.Thefor­
mulationofa'strategicprogrammeontheinternal
market'isnotprimarilyatechnocraticproblem.The
needistodevelopapoliticalstrategybasedoncontem­
poraryeconomicandsocialchallenges .Tothisextent
theworkingprogrammedoesnotfulfiltherequire­
ments.InthisrespecttheWhitePaperonaMedium­
TermStrategyforGrowth,Competitiveness and
Employmentisparticularlyimportant.thetransparencyandconsistencyoftheCommunity
legislativesystem,
administrative andlegalcooperationbetweenthe
CommunityandtheMemberStates,and
subsidiarity .
2.4.Littleaccountistakenofpointsofcontactwith
theInternalMarket'simmediateenvironment ,e.g.as
regards:1.10.Furthermore ,theOpiniondealswithother
issuesintheSutherlandReport,andtheWorkingDocu­
mentwhichcomprises :
—administration oftheCommunityarea,including
achievementofthesinglemarket,managingCom­
munityrules,supervisingtheoperationofthesingle
market,organizationofpartnershipwiththeMem­
berStates,andtransparencyofCommunity
measures,
—developingthesinglemarketincludingabarrier-free
environment ,anactivepolicyonstandardization ,a
policyintheareaofquality,measurestoassistsmall
andmedium-sizedenterprises (SMEs),andexternal
policy,
—Trans-European Networks .theestablishmentoftheEuropeanEconomicArea,
throughwhichnon-ECMemberStateswillbe
involvedinthemanagementanddevelopmentof
theInternalMarket,
theEuropeanMonetarySystem(EMS)andthe
EconomicandMonetaryUnion(EMU):theInternal
Marketwillonlybetrulycompletewhenthereisa
singlecurrency,
competitionpolicy,whichaboveallrequiresstricter
supervisionofnationalaidstoindustry,
2.Generalremarksshapingsociallegislation,
regionalpolicy.
2.1.TheCommunication on'ReinforcingEffective­
nessoftheInternalMarket'providesaclearandconcise
analysisoftheobjectivesoftheCommunityandthe
InternalMarketandoftheproblemsinvolvedincom­
pletingtheInternalMarket.Inaddition,itsetsout
clearlythevariousinitiativesneededfortheInternal
Markettofunctionproperly.2.5.InaResolutiononthe1992InternalMarket
programme,theEuropeanParliamentsuggestedtothe
CouncilthattheESCshouldconstituteaforumfor
futuredevelopmentofaCommunityactionplanand
periodicallyanalyzeandstudyitsprogressandimpli­
cationsforthevariouscategoriesofeconomicand
socialactivityrepresentedintheESC.2.2.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheeffective
involvementofthecitizensoftheCommunityfrom
thevariouscategoriesofeconomicandsocialactivity
throughtheirrepresentative organizations isessential
totheachievementoftheobjectivesoutlinedinpara­
graph1.2above.Itdrawsattentiontotheviewsof
theCommitteeexpressedinpreviousOpinions(J).In
particular,theCommitteewishestoemphasizetheneed
foreffectivemonitoring,fortheorganizationofacoop­
erativepartnershipbetweentheCommissionandthe
economicandsocialinterestgroups,andthemeansto
ensuretransparency intheapplicationofCommunity
legislation .InitsWorkingDocumenttheCommissiondevelops
thisresolution.Itstatesthatinrelationtosupervising
theoperationofthesinglemarketandevaluatingthe
effectivenessofCommunityrules'asregardcontacts
withtheeconomicandsocialgroupsconcerned,the
CommissionispreparedtoworkthroughtheEconomic
andSocialCommittee,whichconsistsofrepresentatives
ofallofthesegroupsandthuscombinestechnical
knowledgewiththepoliticalsensitivityforanassess­
mentofthiskind'.
2.6.TheCommitteewelcomesthiscommitmentby
theCommissionandintendstocontributetoaveryfull
extenttothetaskofevaluatingtheeffectivenessof
Communityrules.Indoingso,itisessentialthatthe(')ConsumerProtectionandtheCompletionoftheInternal
market,OJNoC339,31.12.1991,p.16;TheConsumer
andtheInternalMarket,OJNoC19,25.1.1993,p.9.

10.11.93 OfficialfournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC304/13
Committeehasaccesstoadequatemeansandresources
tofulfilthefunction.
TheactiveinvolvementoftheESCinthetotalprocess
ofevaluatingtheeffectivenessofCommunityrulesfrom
preparationtonationalimplementation isnecessary.
2.7.AnomissionintheCommission 'sCommuni­
cationandWorkingDocumentisasignificantstate­
mentabouttheroleofgovernmentsinopeningupthe
Communitytoitscitizens.Nothingwoulddomoreto
maketheCommunityintelligibletoitscitizensthan
thepositivepromotionofitsideals,achievementsand
opportunitiesbythegovernmentsofitsMemberStates.discussionpaperswillbeessentialinmakingthispro­
cesseffective.Thisshouldbemorepossibleinfuture,
asfollowingtheplethoraoflegislativemeasuresnecess­
arytomeetthe1992deadlinethenumberoflegal
measuresarelikelytobefewerbutmoresubstantive .
3.1.4.TheCommitteerepeatstheviewsexpressedin
itsinitialOpinion(CES602/93,point5.2.2)that:
—whereimportantissuesareconcernedtherelevant
interestgroupsshouldbeinformedandinvitedto
attendpublichearings,wellinadvanceofaCom­
missiondecision,
—asfaraspossibletheCouncilworkinggroupsshould
onlystartexaminingtheproposedlegislationafter
publicationoftheESCOpinion,
—specificadvisorycommitteesshouldonlybecon­
sultediftheESCisnotsuitable,owingtothespecial
technicalnatureofthesubject.
3.1.5.OnebigshortcominginthepreparationofEC
legislationisthatthemostimportantlegislator,the
Council,generallymeetsinsecret.Thisisunacceptable
fordemocraticreasonsandmakesitharderforcon­
sumers,workersandentrepreneurstounderstandthe
legislativeprocess.TheESCthereforecallsuponthe
Counciltomeetinpublicwhenitadoptslegislation.3.Specificcomments
3.1.PreparationofEClegislativeinstruments
3.1.1.TheESCacknowledges theCommission's
responsetotheSutherlandReport'srecommendations
onthereasonsandcriteriaforintervention—inparticu­
lar,ontheneedforaction,effectiveness ,pro­
portionality ,consistencyandcommunication in
relationtotheactiontobetaken.Itcallsuponthe
Commissiontoworkoutamethodfordeveloping
legislativeproposalsonthebasisofthesecriteria.Itdid
notgiveanadequateanswerinitsWorkingDocument.3.2.ApplicationofCommunityLaw
3.2.1.InitsfirstOpinion,theCommitteestressed
thatwhiletheCouncilhadadopted95%ofthelegis­
lationsetoutintheInternalMarketWhitePaper,it
wasnotcleartowhatextentthislegislationhadbeen
transposedintonationallawandactuallyappliedinall
MemberStates.
Todayonly49%Counciladoptionswhichrequire
nationalimplementing measureshavebeenim­
plementedinall12MemberStates.SomeMember
Stateshavetransposedahigherproportionthan
others.Howevertheoverallpictureremainsmostunsat­
isfactoryincertainsensitiveareas,especiallypublic
procurement .
3.2.2.Havingregardtothestatisticsconcerningthe
transpositionofCommunitytonationallaw,theCom­
mitteeconsidersthattherelationshipbetweentheCom­
missionandtheMemberStateinthisrespectneedsto3.1.2.TheCommitteeawaitsthepublicationofthe
Commission'sproposalsforcoordinationofthelegis­
lativeworkinordertoensuremoreconsistencyand
avoidfragmentation .TheCommunitymustalsofulfil
itsobjectiveofsimplificationandavoidtheimposition
ofanyundueadministrative burdensonbusiness,in
particularonSMEs.Thisisalsointheinterestsof
consumersandemployees .
3.1.3.TheCommitteenotestheCommission 'sinten­
tiontoundertakewiderconsultationthaninthepast.
InitsfirstOpinion,theCommitteehasurgedthatitbe
moreinvolvedinthepreparatorystagesofproposals
beforeaCommissionproposalisadopted.TheCom­
mission'sintentionregardingalegislativeproposal
shouldbenotifiedtotheCommitteeandreferredfor
consultationandopinionwithrespecttothesubject
matterofappropriateitemsofenvisagedlegislation
analyzedundereachofthefivecriteriaofneed,effec­
tiveness,proportionality ,consistencyandcommuni­
cationrecommended intheSutherlandReport.Such
referralandconsultationshouldprecedethedetailed
preparationbytheCommissionofaproposalforlegis­
lation.Thepublicationofbackgroundanalyses,and(!)B:89%;DK:94%;D:79%;EL:75%;E:81%;F:84%;
IRL:80%;I:89%;L:83%;NL:82%;P:84%;UK:90%
(ECCommissiondata).

NoC304/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 10.11.93
beimproved.Itwelcomestheincreaseduseofregular
exchangesofinformationandexperiencebetweenthe
Commission andtheMemberState.areporttotheCouncilandParliamentonthe
positionwithregardtocooperationbetweenautho­
rities,accompaniedbysupplementary proposalsas
required.
TheCommitteeawaitsthepublicationoftheCom­
mission'sguidelinesonadministrativecooperationlater
thisyearandlooksforwardtocommentingontheir
adequacyandeffectivenessparticularlyfromthepoint
ofviewofconsumers,employersandemployees .3.2.3.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheCom­
missionhasarole,incooperationwiththeMember
States,inpromotingthetransparencyofCommunity
legislation .Forexample,Directivesallowsomescope
forvariationsinnationallegislation .TheCommission
hasaroleinpromotingtheawarenessineachMember
Stateofthetransposition legislationadoptedinthe
otherMemberStates.WhiletheInfo.92DataBase
providesgeneralinformationonthe2000piecesof
legislationresultingfromthetranspositionofCom­
munityDirectivesintonationallaw,theprovisionsof
detailedinformationisamorecomplexprocessand
requirescooperationbetweentheCommissionand
MemberStates,andtheincreasedinvolvementofthe
Council.3.2.6.FirsttheCommitteeunderlinestheneedto
checktheeffectivenessofnationalsystemsformonitor­
ingtheobservanceofCommunitylegislation,especially
inthefieldsofpublicprocurement ,socialprovisions
andenvironmental ,consumerandworkerprotection.
Thepurposeofthisistoensureuniformapplication,
therebyhelpinginteraliatoputcompetitiononan
equalfooting.ThestrengtheningofCommunityskills­
trainingandexchangeprogrammeswouldalsobeuse­
fulinthiscontext.Systematicactionisnecessarytopromoteawareness
oftranspositionlegislationamongconsumers,workers
andbusiness;andingivingpublicitytoinspection,
monitoringandcertificationmeasures.Thepublication
ofthepracticalguidetothe'newapproach'forelimin­
atingtechnicalbarrierstotradeinthenearfuturewhich
willbefollowedbyregularupdatesisastepinthe
rightdirection,andshouldconcentrateonachieving
simplicityinpresentation .3.2.7.Asregardstheadequacyoftheadministrative
cooperationarrangements ,theCommitteeisprepared
toconductperiodicinvestigationsintoperceptionsand
experiencesoftheorganizationsrepresentingeconomic
andsocialactivity,includingconsumers.
3.2.8.Inaddition,theCommitteeinsiststhatasthe
representative ofthevariouseconomicandsocialcat­
egoriesintheCommunity ,especiallyofconsumers,
employersandemployees,itshouldbeinvolvedinthe
applicationofCommunitylaw.3.2.4.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
indicationthatitwillstrengthenthepartnership
arrangementswithMemberStatesbyimprovedadmin­
istrativearrangementsparticularlythroughtheestab­
lishmentofapermanentnetworkofcontactpoints
whichwillhandleinfringements ofCommunitylaw;
laydownoperationalguidelines;dealwithurgentprob­
lems;andwillbejointlyfundedbyMemberStatesand
theCommission .
3.2.9.Asafirststepintheprocess,itintends,at
appropriateintervals,toholdESChearingstowhicha
numberofECrepresentative organizations willbe
invitedtopresenttheirexperiencesoftheoperationof
InternalMarketlegislationtodate.3.2.5.TheCommission hasindicatedthatitwill
adoptanapproachcomprising :
notificationbyMemberStatesofimplementing
measuresinrespectofCommunityActsincluding
theadministrative implementing rules,
definitionofobjectivesandproceduresforadminis­
trativecooperationattheimplementation stagefor
eachareaofCommunitylegislation,
drawingupguidelinesforadministrative cooper­
ation,
thepreparationbytheCommissionofasupport
programmeforadministrative cooperation ,Itwillalsorequestsubmissionsbyappropriatemeans,
fromrecognizedinterestgroupsrepresentingcon­
sumers,employees,employersandothercategoriesof
economicandsocialactivitythroughouttheCom­
munityregardingtheircomplaintsandsuggestionsin
respectofCommunitylegislativeprocess.Suchsub­
missionscouldbemadethroughtherelevantnational
organizationsrepresentedontheESC.Submissionsmay
alsobemadedirectly.Thesesuggestionscouldthenbe
takenintoaccountbytheESCinitsOpinionswhenit
isdealingwiththeCommission'sregularprogress
reportsonimplementation oflegislation,andinspecial
discussionsontopicslinkedtotheoperationofthe
InternalMarket.

10.11.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC304/15
3.3.3.TheCommitteesupportstheproposalto
ensuregreaterconformityintheinterpretationofCom­
munitylaw,similaraccesstojustice,andgreaterjudicial
cooperation .Additionaltrainingshouldbemadeavail­
ableonavoluntarybasisforjudgesandlawyerson
thetransnationalapplicationofCommunitylegislation,
wherepossiblewithinexistingtrainingstructures.The
CommitteewelcomestheCommission'swillingnessto
supportsuchprogrammes .InmanyMemberStates
traininginEuropeanlawforlegalandtaxprofessionals
iselectiveratherthanobligatory .Itisessentialthatall
professionals ,includingofficials,likelytobeinvolved
inthemonitoringandapplicationofInternalMarket
legislationaretrainedaccordingly .3.2.10.Differencesintheoperationofsinglemarket
legislationarepossiblebecauseofthescopefor
interpretation providedforinDirectives.Suchvari­
ationsaremoreeasilyperceivedinborderregionswhere
consumersandparticipantsinsocialandeconomic
activityaremostaware.Itisalsonoteworthythat77%
ofthe1545complaintsregardingtheapplicationof
Communitylawin1992weremadebyprivateindivid­
ualsorfirms.TheCommittee ,therefore,recommends
thattheCommissionshouldundertakeaseriesofpilot
projectsoneachsideofbordersbetweenselectedMem­
berStatesinordertoidentifydifferencesinapplication
oflegislation (forexampletheEuregioRhein-Maasand
Saar-Lor-Lux ),andtheirpossibleeffectsoneconomic
andsocialdevelopments .
3.2.11.TheCommitteeispleasedthattheTreatyon
EuropeanUnionwillcreateanOmbudsmantoreceive
complaintsfromanycitizenoftheUnionconcerning
maladministration ofCommunityInstitutionsor
bodies,includingtheapplicationoftheInternalMarket.
TheESCtruststhattheOmbudsman willbeallocated
thestaffandorganizational facilitiesintheMember
Statestofulfilthefunctionproperly(1).3.4.Improvements inQualityofExistingLegislative
Instruments
3.4.1.TheCommissiondefinesitslegislativeroleas
ensuringtheimplementation ofprovisionsrelatingto
freemovementandthefunctioningoftheInternalMar­
ket.However,itstatesthatlegislativeinterventions
mustbelimitedtothosedomainsinwhichmutual
recognitioncannotguaranteetheprotectionofessential
requirements .
3.4.2.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
proposalsforlegislativeconsolidationcontainedinthe
programmeinFebruary1993,andnotesalsotheneed
forequivalentandtransparentconsolidationatnational
level.3.3.AccesstoJusticeandJudicialCooperation
3.3.1.TheCommissionagreesthattheprovisionof
informationonwaysofseekinglegalredressisamatter
primarilyforMemberStates,inaccordancewiththe
principleofsubsidiarity ,anditthereforeconcentrates
itseffortsonkeepingfirms,consumersandindividuals
informedthroughitspublications .
However,theCommitteenotesthattheTitleVIofthe
TreatyonEuropeanUniongivestheCommission a
rightofinitiativeindealingwithjudicialcooperation
betweenMemberStates.Itrecognizesthatthisisan
issueofsomesensitivity .
3.3.2.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
initiativestoconsiderproposalsonhowtoimprove
accesstojustice,andjudicialcooperation .TheEuro­
peanCourthasreinforceditscaselawbyallowinga
plaintiffcompensation fordamageresultingfromthe
nontranspositionofaCommunitydirective.
TheCommitteelooksforwardtocommentingonthe
GreenPapertobepublishedlaterthisyearonthe
subjectofimprovingaccesstojustice.3.4.3.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthereisneed
forsubstantialprogressinimprovingcertificationand
testingsystemssoastoensurethatallproductsmar­
ketedthroughouttheCommunitymeetacceptable
safetystandards.SomeMemberStatesarealongway
behindincatchingupwithsafety,testingandcertifi­
cationprocedures .
3.4.4.TheCommitteeisbroadlysupportiveofthe
recommendation containedintheSutherlandReport
thattheapproachtoCommunitylegislationshould
compriseinthefirstinstance:
'theuseofDirectivesasameansofharmonizing
nationallaws,takingaccountoftheirparticular
characteristics ;andsubsequently ,whereprogress
overseveralyearshasenabledasatisfactorydegree
ofapproximation tobeachieved,toconvertthese
Directivesintodirectlyapplicableregulationsthere­
bygivingconsumers,businessesandenforcement
authoritiesasinglepointofreferenceforCom­
munitylegislation.'
3.4.4.1.Howeverflexibilityisessentialdependingon
thenatureofthelegislation.Theuseinparticular
circumstances ofregulationsratherthanDirectivesis(!)SeeMoredemocracyforEuropeanditsinstitutions;better
informationforcitizensandsocio-economic operators;role
oftheEuropeanParliament'sOmbudsman (CES534/93,
8.6.1993.

NoC304/16 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 10.11.93
3.5.2.TheCommitteewillcommentontheAnnual
ReporttobepreparedbytheCommission asrec­
ommendedbytheSutherlandCommitteeandwillmake
specificrecommendations onhowthecommunication
strategymightbeimproved.moreappropriatetostrictlytechnicalprovisionsrather
thaninthosecaseswhereforculturalandotherreasons
therearewidevariationsinlegislationbetweenMember
States.
3.4.4.2.Thewideruseofregulationshasadvantages
inensuringgreatertransparency .Ofteninterestedpar­
tiesdonotknowwhethertheirlegalrightscanbe
enforcedonthebasisofEuropeanornationallaw,
especiallyincaseswheretranspositionmaynotinvolve
nationalParliaments .Itisvitallyimportantthatthe
introductionofregulationsissubjecttodemocratic
accountability .Theextendedareasoflegislativecom­
petencefortheEuropeanParliamentincorporatedin
theTreatyonEuropeanUnionwillbeofconsiderable
assistanceinthisregard.
3.4.5.ItisunderstoodthattheCommission isplan­
ningtointroduceasystemofnotificationbyMember
Stateswhererecognitionfortheirproductshasbeen
refusedonthebasisoftechnicalrequirementsandwill
publishitsfirstreportontheoutcomeofthesenotifi­
cationslaterthisyear.
TheCommitteewillalsoincorporateanassessmentof
difficultiesencounteredregardingmutualrecognition
inthesubmissionandhearingprocessreferredtointhe
aboveparagraph.
3.4.6.TheCommittee alsointendstocomment
periodicallyontheoveralloperationoftheInternal
Markettoensurethattheobjectivesofstrengthening
theinternationalcompetitiveness ofEuropeanbusiness,
theimprovementoflivingstandardsandofeconomic
andsocialcohesionarebeingachieved.Itproposesto
carryoutaninitialexaminationin1994througha
processofhearingsandtoupdatetheanalysisannually.
Initiallythesehearingswillconcentrateonexamining
themannerinwhichCommunitylegislationisapplied.
TheCommitteenotestheCouncilResolutionwhich
recognizedthattheimpactoftheInternalMarketlegis­
lationcannotbeassessedaccuratelyforsomeyearsand
hasaskedforaninitialeconomicassessmenttobe
postponeduntil1996.4.SectionsBandC
4.1.ForSectionBoftheCommissionWorking
Document,theCommitteeisinbroadagreementwith
theCommission'sviewsandrefersformoredetailed
informationtoitspreviousOpinionontheseveral
subjectsconcerned.Butitregretsthatnotenoughhas
beensaidabouttheinteractionwithotherCommunity
policies,withtheresultthatthemeasuressuggested
concerningthefullimplementation oftheInternalMar­
ketappearinsufficient (seeparagraph1.3).
4.1.1.TheInternalMarketalsohasasocialdimen­
sionwhichshouldbeshapedpartlybytheCommunity
andpartlybygovernmentsandthesocialpartners.The
Committeefindsnoreferencetothesocialdimension
inthestrategicprogramme .Afullydevelopedsocial
dimensionwill,however,contributetotheInternal
Market.AvigorousCommunitylabourmarketpolicy
isimportanthere.InitsstrategicprogrammetheCom­
missionoughttospelloutitsviewsonthelinkbetween
theproposalscontainedintheActionProgrammefor
theimplementation oftheCommunityCharterofbasic
socialrightsofworkersontheonehandandtheeffec­
tiveoperationoftheInternalMarketontheother.
4.2.TheCommittee isconcernedabouttheinad­
equacyoftheapproachtoTrans-EuropeanNetworks
outlinedintheCommission'sWorkingDocument.
Thereisinsufficientemphasisontheadoptionofan
integratedapproachasconsiderationofinteroperability
hasbeenrestrictedtointerconnection ;thedecision
makingprocessisfragmentedbysectorandbyregion
anddoesnottakesufficientlyintoaccounttherequire­
mentsofglobalCommunitypolicyasrecommended
previouslybytheCommittee (2).Furthermore ,the
financerequireddoesnottakeaccountofMember
States'contributionalthoughtheWorkingDocument
statesthat'initial...estimates,putinvestmentcostsat
ECU20billionayear'.
3.5.InformationandCommunication
3.5.1.TheCommitteestronglysupportstheviewof
theSutherlandCommitteethattheCommission needs
todevelopacommunication strategytoensurethat
theconsumers,workersandbusinessesareproperly
informedaboutthelegalrightsandduties,andnotes
therecentCommunication whichtheCommission has
addressedtotheCouncil,theParliament,andtheESC
ontransparencywithintheCommunity (1).5.Workingprocedures
5.1.InaccordancewithitsOpinionof27May1993
(5.26),theCommitteerecommendsthattheCom­
missionandtheCouncilshouldconcludeanagreement
withtheCommitteeontheworkingprocedures .The
agreementshould:
—settletechnicalaspectsofdocumentsubmission
arrangements ,andthetimingandcoordinationof
theconsultationprocedurewithParliamentandthe
Council,
(')Doc.COM<93)2.58,2.6.1993 (2)OJNoC14,20.1.1992.

10.11.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC304/17
provideforpossibleconsultationbeforetheCom­
missionfinalizesitsdecision,and-laydowncriteriaforconsideration oftheCom­
mittee'sproposalsbytheCommissionandthe
Council.
DoneatBrussels,22September1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheCommissionGreenPaperonpluralismandmediaconcentration inthe
internalmarket-anassessmentoftheneedforCommunityaction
93/C304/07)
On15February1993,theCommissiondecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
CommissionGreenPaperonpluralismandmediaconcentration intheinternalmarket-
anassessmentoftheneedforCommunityaction.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon7July1993.TheRapporteur
wasMrFlum.
Atits308thPlenarySession(meetingof22September1993)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajoritywithsevenvotesagainstand
15abstentions .
TheCommitteewelcomesthepublicationoftheGreen
Paper,andparticularlyappreciatesthecomprehensive
pictureitprovidesoftheexistinglegalsituationinthe
MemberStates.
TheCommitteealsowelcomestheformtakenbythe
GreenPaperwhich,insteadofmakingprecipitatestate­
ments,pavesthewayforextensivedialoguebetween
thevariousgroupsinsociety.visionwithoutfrontiersDirective).Itmadeadirect
contributiontothedraftingofthatDirectivebypropos­
ingimportantelements.
1.2.InviewofthediscussionintheGreenPaper,it
seemsnecessarytorestatethebasicprinciplesofESC
mediapolicytodate.Thus,initsOpinionof25Sep­
tember1985(2)ontheGreenPaperontheestablishment
ofthecommonmarketforbroadcasting ,especiallyby
satelliteandcable(3),theCommitteestatedthatitwas
notthetaskoftheCommunitytointerferewiththe
mediastructureofindividualMemberStates.The
licensingoftelevisionandradioorganizationsshould
remainthesoleresponsibility oftheMemberState
concerned,althoughcarehadtobetakentoensure
therewasnothreattothepluralismofinformationand
opinionsintheCommunity .InthesameOpinion,the
CommitteecalledontheCommission toexamineto
whatextentnewproposalswereneededtoalign
nationalprovisionsonprogrammecontentinorderto
ensureuniformtermsofcompetition ;inthisconnec­
tion,itmadeparticularreferencetothefollowingareas:1.Introduction
1.1.TheESChasplayedaconstructivepartinthe
formulationofCommunityoptionsfortheelectronic :
mediaduringandsincethepreparationoftheCouncil
Directiveof3October19891})onthecoordinationof
certainprovisionslaiddownbylaw,regulationor
administrative actioninMemberStatesconcerningthe
pursuitoftelevisionbroadcastingactivities(thetele­
(2)OJNoC303,25.11.1985,p.13.
HOJNoL298,10.1989. (3)Doc.COM(84)300final.