Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Information and Observation Network"

(1999/C 374/03)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the list of Commission proposals pending at 1 May 1999 for which the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam implies a change in the legal base and/or a change in procedure (SEC (1999) 581 final);

having regard to Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Information and Observation Network [COM(1997) 489 final - 97/0256 (COD)](1);

having regard to the decision taken by the Council on 14 July 1999, under the first paragraph of Article 265 and the first paragraph of Article 175 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions on the matter;

having regard to the Decision of its President of 2 August 1999 to appoint Mr Jean Asselborn (L), PES, as Rapporteur General to draw up an opinion on this subject, in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee of the Regions;

having regard to the Committee of the Regions Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European environment information and observation network (COM(97) 282 final) (CdR 300/97 fin)(2) (Rapporteur: Jean Asselborn (L), PES), adopted 12 March 1998,

adopted unanimously the following opinion at its 30th plenary session on 15 and 16 September 1999 (meeting of 15 September).

The Committee of the Regions issued an Opinion on the Commission's proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European environment information and observation network, which was adopted 12 March in 1998.

In its previous opinion the Committee of the Regions emphasised that:

- the Environment Agency has carried out a good work to date, but that it is too early to assign it new tasks;

- the Environment Agency should be open to third countries;

- the regions should be integrated into the network as the base unit for assessing the state of the environment in Europe;

- the Committee of the Regions would like to be involved in the work of the Agency and be represented on its management board;

- the regional and local authorities should have priority access to the Agency's information network and the EIONET network to be open to local and regional authorities.

The Committee of the Regions urges the Commission to take these comments into consideration for any future amendments of the Regulation.

The Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency, amends only two paragraphs of the previous regulation. The paragraphs regard financial control and the power of discharge, which are subjects that the Committee of the Regions did not comment on in its previous opinion.

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the proposal that discharge should be granted by the European Parliament on the recommendation of the Management Board of the European Environment Agency, in accordance with Article 276 of the Treaty of Amsterdam.

The Committee of the Regions also supports the proposal that the financial control of the European Environment Agency should be exercised by the Commission's Financial Controller, to secure an independent and uniform system.

Brussels, 15 September 1999.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

(1) OJ C 335, 6.11.1997, p. 16.

(2) OJ C 255, 20.8.1997, p. 9; OJ C 180, 11.6.1998, p. 32.