ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)2026
Vol.1973/0359

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COMMISSIONOPTHEEUROPEAN - COM(73)2026final
Brussels 5Decerober1973CCSVjMUNITIES .,-J
THECREATION OPAEUROPEANFOUNDATION
FORTHEIMPROVEMENT OPLIVINGANDWORKINGCONDITIONS ;
Communication andProposalfromtheCommissiontotheCouncil
COMC73)2026final

1 2Initstwocommunications ontheenvironment .ofJuly1971and-March1972,
theCommission recommended the.establishment ofaEuropeanInstitutefor
theEnvironment whichwould,inparticular,expandthe"basicideasonthe
improvement oflivingconditionsinthesocietyofthefuture.
DuringtheParisSummitConferenceinOctober1972,thePresidentofthe
FrenchRepublicandthePriceMinisterexpressedthewishthataEuropean
Foundationtostudylivingandworkingconditionsshouldbesetup.This
ProposalhassincebeenbroughtupagainbytheFrenchGovernmentinthe
contextoftheCouncilofMinistersforSocialAffairsof21May1973*
IntheActionProgrammeontheEnvironment"^,theCommissionproposed
thatthetwoideasshouldbemergedinasingleproject:theEuropean
Foundationfortheimprovement oflivingandworkingconditions.
ThismergerwasaffirmedinthedraftSocialActionProgramme,whichwas
submittedtotheCouncilon15October1973*andwhichspecificallyrefers
totheservicessuchaFoundationcouldprovideinimprovingworking
conditionsandtheworkingenvironment^.
C
WhenadoptingtheActionProgrammeontheEnvironment^theCouncilnoted
thattheCommissionintendedtosubmitproposalstosetupaEuropean
Foundationfortheimprovement oflivingandworkingconditionstoit
before31December1973.
1„DocumentSEC(71)2616
»DocumentSEC(72)666
.DocumentCOM(73)530final
ITDocumentSEC(73)4081point4
CouncilofMinistersfortheEnvironment ,19July1973

TheCommissionhasdrawnuptheseproposals *adraftCouncilRegulation
settingupaEuropeanCommunities Foundationfortheimprovement of
livingandworkingconditionsisannexedt.othiscommunication .
ThefollowingarethemainfeaturesoftheproposedFoundation :
I.ItsTasks .
TheFoundationshouldcontributetothedesignandestablishment of
livingandworkingconditionswhicharemoreinaccordancewith
Man*saspirations byactivityintendedtodevelopanddisseminate
knowledgelikelytoassistthisdevelopment .
InthiscontexttheFoundationshouldcarryoutaprospective study
todefinethemediumandlong-termobjectives,theproblemslikely
toariseandthespecifictopicsforresearch.
TheFoundationwill:
–co-ordinate ,directandfinancestudiesmostofwhichwillbe
assignedtostudyandresearchinstitutesandspecializedbodies
intheCommunity;
–promoteand,wherenecessary,carryoutcertainpilotexperiments ;
–broadentheexchangeofideasbetweentheresearchworkers,the
administrators andpersonsfromeconomicandsociallife
concernedbythesestudiesandexperiments,bymeansofconferences ,
symposiaandseminars;
–assisttheactualputtingintouseandthedissemination
ofknowledge;

–co-operatewithspecializedinstitutesandtodiesinnon-Kember
countries. -•
Thestudieswouldanalyzeandinterpret .,thepresentandfuture
tangibleandintangibleneeds,whetherrealorfelt,ofpost-
industrialEuropeansociety,aswellasthequantitative and
qualitativefactorsrequiredtosatisfythoseneeds,therestraints
limitingtheirsatisfaction andthetypesofsocialandeconomic
organization likelytocontributetothesefactors.
BasicallytheFoundationwouldconcentrate onthestudyoflong--
termproblemstopreventanyoverlapping withthedeliberations and
studiescarriedoutbytheCommissionitself.
Forexample,thefollowingtopicscouldbedealtwith:
1«Improvement inlivingconditionsingeneral
–thelong–term"aspects'of'ecologicalproblems(naturalresources,
recyclingofproducts,CRproducts); v
–thedistribution ofhumanactivity(concentration ordispersal,
thefutureofthecity,energyproduction,thefutureofthe
car,leisureactivities,etc.);
–thefutureofthecityandthehabitat,urbanrenewalandthe
preservation ofEurope'saestheticandhistoricheritage;
–theeffectsoftherevolutioninthefieldofinformation
(reductionoftransportneeds,educationandworkathome);
–familyandhealthproblems

–theproblemsof.immigration andof.integratingthenon-
Europeanpopulation. j s
2.Improvement ofworkingconditions
«•upgradingofmanatwork(participation ,jointmanagement,
employer-labour relations,'jobenrichment,furtherédubation,
eto.):1
–organizationofwork(teamwork,adjusting ,machinesto.theworker,
workinghours,etc.);
–thespecificproblemsofcertainsectionsofthelabourforce
;.(youngworkers,women,handioappedworkers,immigrantworkers,
etc.)| :?:
–problemsoutsidetheundertaking (transporttotheplaceof
work',leisuretime,accommodation ,etc.) "
Structureandorganization oftheFoundation
TheFoundationshouldbeabody;forethoughtandstudyvdth
sufficient meansofitsown.InterestedbodiesintheMemberStates
willbecalledontoco-operatewithit.Theannexedfounding "
statutesexpresstheCommunity 1swishtoequipitselfwithabody
whichdoesnotrequirethesettingupofacomplexstructure.
TheCouncilwilldeterminetheseatoftheFoundation.

TheCommission proposos -that thoFoundation bodirected andrepresented by
aDeputy Director *Both will "beappointed "bytheCouncil onaProposal .
from thoCommission *Nevertheless ,analternative formula would bepossible .
Thebroad guidelines fortheFoundation will bedetermined byan
Administrative Board of •eleven members .Each oftheMember States will
appoint onemember andtheCommission will appoint theremaining two .
Themembers oftheBoard need notbeofficials ,asboth theMember States
andtheCommission mayalso appoint persons whoareparticularly qualified
for the task . .
Besides being responsible forthegeneral guidelines ,theAdministrative
Board will supervise theDirector' smanagement oftheFoundation by
approving theAnimal General Report ,drawn upbytheDirector ,onits
activities ,financial situation andprospects fortheFoundation .The
Administrative Board will also draw uptheFoundation 'sbudget ,which
will betransmitted tothe .Commission inorder that the latter can enter
anestimate ofexpenditure intheCommunity budget asasubsidy forthe
Foundation .
Forallofitsactivities ,both thedefinition andtheimplementation of
itsprogramme ,theFoundation should make sure oftheassistance of
bodies from social andeconomic life ,thescientific world andallother
parties concerned .Theestablishment ofapermanent Committee toensure
that these relations will beclose and fruitful has become desirable .A
Scientific andTechnical Committee offifteen members (five representing
labour ,five representing theemployers ar^dtheremainder representing the
scientific world andother interested parties )would carry this out.
TheScientific andTechnical Committee would notonly give opinions on
projects submitted toitbytheDirector ,butcould also take the
initiative byforvrarding proposals totheAdministrative Board andto

theDirector .Forthis reason ,theCommittee isbeing assigned arole
exceeding that ofapurely Consultative Committee .This isunderlined by
thefact that theCommittee elects itsChairman from among itsnumber and
draws upits ownrules ofprocedure .
Thefrequency ofthemeetings -atleast four peryear -also stresses the
importance theCommission places onclose contact between theDirectorate
oftheFoundation andalltheinterested parties .
Allthestudies carried outbytheFoundation should bepublished .
TheFoundation *sworking programme should take account oftheEuropean
Communities *Requirements in'thefield ofresearch into andstudies on
theimprovement ofliving andworking conditions .TheDirector ofthe •
Foundation should take account ofthefollowing opinions ,proposals and
suggestions when drawing uptheannual programme :
theAdministrative Board would draw upthegeneral guidelines having
received ,theopinion oftheScientific andTechnical Committee y­
- theScientific endTechnical Cocanitteo maymake proposals concerning
individual actions intheprogramme ;
– alloftheCommunity institutions mayputforward suggestions .
TheFoundation will befinanced byownresources (gifts ,legacies ,proceeds
from thesale ofpublications ,etc.)aswell asbyanannual subsidy
entered inthebudget oftheEuropean Communities .Thelatter would
constitute thegreater part ofitsrevenue .Anestimate ofexpenditure
forthefirst year ofactivity isannexed tothedraft Decision ofthe
Council .

Theseexpensesmay"bereduceddependingonpossiblecontributions bya
MemberStatewhentheFoundationisbeingsetup.
*Decisionrequested
TheCommissionrequeststheCounciltodecideonthecreationof
theFoundation,whichisrequiredfortheattainmentofthe
Community'sobjectives onimprovinglivingandworkingconditions ,
and,tothisend,toadopttheProposalforaRegulationcontaining
thostatutesoftheFoundation annexedhereto.Asthenecessary
,powersforsettinguptheFoundationhavenotbeenprovidedforby
theTreaties,theDecisionshouldbebasedonArticle235ofthe
EECTreaty.

PROPOSALFORACOUNCILREGULATION "
ONTHECREATION OPAEUROPEAN FOUNDATION
FORTHEIMPROVEMENT OFLIVINGANDWORKINGCONDITIONS
(Presented "bytheCommissiontotheCouncil)