23.12.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 348/9 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing special measures of Community interest in 
the field of employment 
COM(83) 696 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 2 December 1983) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN HAD ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 235 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Whereas conditions incompatible with the proper 
functioning of the Community could arise when a 
Member State's economy, whilst in a special situation, 
is forced to bear a disproportionate burden in the 
financing of the Community budget; 
Whereas the European Council has declared that high 
priority should be given to employment policy, in 
particular concerning young people; 
Whereas it is necessary to establish special measures 
of Community interest relating to the field of 
employment and involving financial contributions 
from the Community to employment measures in the 
United Kingdom; 
Whereas it is necessary to pursue an employment 
policy of which a major feature should be the 
improvement of the employment prospects of those 
most severely affected by high levels of 
unemployment; 
Whereas the schemes specified in the Regulation are 
designed to promote additional job opportunities for 
the unemployed; 
Whereas the schemes must be specified and supported 
by the information required in order to retain only 
those which are of Community interest in the field to 
which they relate; 
Whereas the Commission should be in a position to 
check the implementation of the schemes provided for 
in the Regulation; 
Whereas the Treaty has not provided for the specific 
powers of action required for this purpose, Article 1 
Special measures of Community interest relating to 
the field of employment are hereby established in 
1984 in the United Kingdom. 
Article 2 
1. The special measures of Community interest 
shall be implemented by means of financial assistance 
for the implementation of schemes which, in pursuit 
of employment policy objectives reflecting 
Community priorities as agreed by the Council, par­
ticularly in respect of those most affected by the 
exceptionally high level of unemployment, create 
additional job opportunities for the currently 
unemployed. These schemes shall include, in 
particular, those which encourage early retirement for 
older workers and lead to the creation of job oppor­
tunities for the persons most seriously affected by 
high levels of unemployment. 
2. The schemes shall be submitted to the 
Commission together with all the information 
necessary in order to assess: 
— their conformity with the terms of paragraph 1, 
— their conformity with the eligibility criteria laid 
down in Article 3, 
— their Community interest taking account of 
employment strategy and the field under 
consideration, 
— the possibilities of verifying the execution of each 
scheme and of auditing expenditure. 
3. The Commission may request any additional 
information necessary for the examination of the said 
schemes. 
Article 3 
1. The schemes shall be eligible for a financial 
contribution by the Community provided they are 
NoC348/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 23.12.83 
financed by public authorities and fulfil the following 
criteria: 
(a) they must serve to bring about the objectives of 
the Community's employment policy; 
(b) they must not be incompatible with other 
Community policies; 
(c) they must not give rise to distortions of 
competition. 
Article 4 
1. The Commission shall examine the schemes 
submitted to it under this Regulation and shall refer 
them for information to the Committee referred to in 
Article 7. 
2. In accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 8, the Commission shall decide on: 
(a) the schemes meriting Community assistance, in 
the light of the terms of Article 2 (1) and the 
criteria laid down in Article 3; 
(b) the amount of the Community's financial contri­
bution, within the limits of the appropriations 
available. 
3. The Community's overall financial contribution 
may not exceed for each scheme 70 % of the annual 
public expenditure provided for its execution. 
4. No financial contribution shall be made in 
respect of expenditure implemented more than 12 
months before the entry into force of this Regulation. 
5. The Commission's decisions referred to in 
paragraph 2 shall be published in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities. 
Article 5 
1. Appropriations relating to the special measures 
referred to by this Regulation shall be entered in the 
budget of the European Communities. 
2. As soon as a decision has been taken pursuant 
to Article 4 (2), the Commission shall make a 
payment of 90 % of the amount of the Community 
contribution provided for. 
3. Payment of the 10 % balance shall be effected 
immediately after the sum referred to in paragraph 2 
has been used up, as certified by the Government of 
the United Kingdom, provided that implementation 
of the scheme proceeds as planned and that on-the-
spot checks have been carried out in accordance with 
the procedure provided for in Article 6. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission shall ensure that each scheme 
is implemented in accordance with this Regulation, 
with the provisions adopted for its application and with the Regulations adopted pursuant to Article 209 
of the Treaty. 
To this end, the United Kingdom shall supply the 
Commission with all information requested by it and 
shall take all steps with regard to Community-assisted 
schemes to facilitate such supervision as the 
Commission may consider appropriate, including on-
the-spot checks made at its request with the approval 
of the United Kingdom by its competent authorities, 
in which Commission officials may participate. 
The United Kingdom shall make available to the 
Commission, for a period of three years from the 
transfer of the balance referred to in Article 5 (3), all 
supporting documents or certified copies thereof 
relating to expenditure. 
2. Where a scheme is not implemented in 
conformity with this Regulation or departs sub­
stantially from decisions taken for its application, the 
Commission may suspend payments still due. In this 
case, it may also decide that sums already paid or still 
due are to be allocated, in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 8, to other schemes 
submitted under this Regulation. If, in the opinion of 
the Commission, no other scheme is available, it shall 
recover the payments made. 
Article 7 
1. A Management Committee (hereinafter called 
'the Committee') is hereby established, composed of 
representatives of the Member States and chaired by a 
representative of the Commission. 
2. Within the Committee, the votes of the Member 
States shall be weighted in accordance with Article 
148 (2) of the Treaty. The chairman shall not vote. 
Article 8 
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is 
to be followed, the chairman shall refer the matter to 
the Committee either on his own initiative or at the 
request of the representative of a Member State. 
2. The representative of the Commission shall 
submit drafts of decisions to be taken. The 
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the drafts 
within a time limit which the chairman may fix 
according to the urgency of the questions under 
consideration. An opinion shall be adopted by 
qualified majority in accordance with Article 148 (2) 
of the Treaty. 
3. The Commission shall adopt decisions which 
shall apply immediately. However, if these decisions 
are not in accordance with the opinion of the 
Committee, they shall be communicated to the 
Council as soon as possible and at the latest within 
one month. In that event, the Commission shall defer 
23.12. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 348/11 
application of the decisions it has adopted for not 
more than two months from the date of such 
communication. The Council, acting by a qualified 
majority, may take a different decision within two 
months. 
Article 9 
The United Kingdom shall, in agreement with the 
Commission, take the necessary steps to ensure that 
suitable publicity is given to the assistance granted 
under this Regulation. 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Articles 99 and 100 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas, under Council Directive 72/464/EEC (*), 
as last amended by Directive 82/877/EEC (2), the 
transition from one stage of harmonization to the 
next shall be decided on by the Council on a proposal 
from the Commission; 
Whereas the second stage of harmonization, 
introduced by Council Directive 77/805/EEC (3), 
expires on 31 December 1983; Article 10 
The Commission shall report to the Council and to 
the European Parliament on the application of this 
Regulation. 
Article 11 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of 
its publication in the Official Journal of the European 
Communities. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. 
Whereas the special criteria applicable during the 
third stage are dealt with in a proposal for a Directive 
presented by the Commission (4); the Council has not 
yet acted on this proposal; 
Whereas, in thesel circumstances, an additional 
extension of the second stage is necessary; whereas a 
period of one year would seem sufficient to allow the 
Council to decide on further harmonization, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
In Article 10a (1) of Directive 72/464/EEC, l31 
December 1983' is hereby replaced by '31 December 
1984'. 
Article 2 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 72/464/EEC on taxes other than 
turnover taxes which affect the consumption of manufactured tobacco: fifth extension of 
the second stage of harmonization 
COM(83) 734 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 7 December 1983) 
(l) OJ No L 303, 31. 12. 1972, p. 1. 
O OJ No L 369, 29. 12. 1983, p. 36. 
O OJ No L 338, 20. 12. 1977, p. 22. (4) OJ No C 264, 11. i0. 1980, p. 6.