P5_TA(2004)0360
Democracy,ruleoflaw,humanrightsandfundamentalfreedomsinthirdcoun-
tries***I
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheproposalforaEuropeanParliamentandCouncil
regulationamendingRegulation(EC)No975/1999layingdowntherequirementsfortheimple-mentationofdevelopmentcooperationoperationswhichcontributetothegeneralobjectiveofdevelopingandconsolidatingdemocracyandtheruleoflawandtothatofrespectinghuman
rightsandfundamentalfreedoms(COM(2003)639/dashC5-0507/2003/dash2003/0250(COD))
(Codecisionprocedure:firstreading)
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council
(COM(2003)639)(
1),
/dash havingregardtoArticles251(2),179(1)and181a(2)oftheECTreaty,pursuanttowhichtheCom-
missionsubmittedtheproposaltoParliament(C5-0507/2003),
/dash havingregardtoRule67ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonDevelopmentandCooperationandtheopinionof
theCommitteeonBudgets(A5-0279/2004),
1. ApprovestheCommissionproposalasamended;
2. ConsidersthatthefinancialstatementoftheCommissionproposaliscompatiblewiththeceilingof
heading4oftheFinancialPerspectivewithoutrestrictingotherpolicies;
3. CallsontheCommissiontoreferthemattertoParliamentagainifitintendstoamendtheproposal
substantiallyorreplaceitwithanothertext;
4. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwarditspositiontotheCouncilandCommission.
(1) NotyetpublishedintheOJ.
P5_TC1-COD(2003)0250
PositionoftheEuropeanParliamentadoptedatfirstreadingon22April2004withaviewtothe
adoptionofRegulation(EC)No…/2004oftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilamendingCouncilRegulation(EC)No975/1999layingdowntherequirementsfortheimplementationofdevelopmentcooperationoperationswhichcontributetothegeneralobjectiveofdevelopingandconsolidatingdemocracyandtheruleoflawandtothatofrespectinghumanrightsandfunda-
mentalfreedomsandCouncilRegulation(EC)No976/1999layingdowntherequirementsforthe
implementationofCommunityoperations,otherthanthoseofdevelopmentcooperation,which,withintheframeworkofCommunitycooperationpolicy,contributetothegeneralobjectiveofdevelopingandconsolidatingdemocracyandtheruleoflawandtothatofrespectinghuman
rightsandfundamentalfreedomsinthirdcountries
THEEUROPEANPARLIAMENTANDTHECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANUNION,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanCommunity,andinparticularArticles179(1)and
181a(2)thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission(
1),
ActinginaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle251oftheTreaty(2),
(1) OJC[…],[…],p.[…].
(2)PositionoftheEuropeanParliamentof22April2004.30.4.2004EN C104E/953 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
Whereas:
(1) CommunityactiontopromotehumanrightsanddemocraticprinciplesassetoutintheCommuni-
cationof8May2001fromtheCommissiontotheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliamenton‘TheEuropeanUnion’sRoleinPromotingHumanRightsandDemocratisationinThirdCountries’(
1)shall
continuebeyond2004.CouncilRegulation(EC)No975/1999of29April 1999(2)andCouncilRegu-
lation(EC)No976/1999of29April 1999haveprovedtobeadequatelegalinstrumentsforthe
implementationoftheCommunity’stechnicalandfinancialsupportforhumanrightsanddemocrati-sationactivitiesindevelopingandotherthirdcountriesinpursuitoftheoverallobjectivesinthisfield.TheperiodofvalidityofthoseRegulations,however,expireson31December2004.Itis,therefore,necessarytoextendthatperiod.
(2) OnthebasisoftheratioofthefinancialreferenceamountsincludedinRegulation(EC)No975/1999
andRegulation(EC) No976/1999,andtheindicativehumanrightsanddemocratisationappropri-
ationsuntil2006,anextendedfinancialframeworkwithinthemeaningofpoints33and34oftheInterinstitutionalAgreementof6May1999betweentheEuropeanParliament,theCouncilandtheCommission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(
3) should be
includedintheRegulationsfortheextendeddurationoftheprogramme.
(3) TheprovisionsofRegulation(EC) No975/1999andRegulation (EC)No976/1999onproceduresfor
theimplementationofaidshouldbealignedwiththelegalrequirementsofCouncilRegulation(EC,Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the generalbudgetoftheEuropeanCommunities(
4)intheimplementationofEUElectionObservationMissions.
(4) TheprotectionoftheCommunity’sfinancialinterestsandthefightagainstfraudandirregularities
formanintegralpartofRegulation(EC)No975/1999andRegulation(EC) No976/1999.Inparticu-
lar,agreementsandcontractsconcludedpursuanttotheRegulationsshouldauthorisetheCommission
tocarryoutthemeasuresprovidedforinCouncilRegulation (Euratom,EC)No2185/96of11Nov-
ember1996concerningon-the-spotchecksandinspectionscarriedoutbytheCommissioninordertoprotecttheEuropeanCommunities’financialinterestsagainstfraudandirregularities(
5).
(5) ThemeasuresnecessaryfortheimplementationofRegulation(EC)No975/1999andRegulation(EC)
No976/1999shouldbeadoptedinaccordancewithCouncilDecision1999/468/ECof28June1999layingdowntheproceduresfortheexerciseofimplementingpowersconferredonthe Commission(
6).
(6) Regulation(EC) No 975/1999 and Regulation (EC) No 976/1999 should, therefore, be amended
accordingly,
HAVEADOPTEDTHISREGULATION:
Article1
Regulation(EC)No975/1999isamendedasfollows:
1) ThefollowingpointisaddedinArticle2(2):
‘(h) supporting efforts to foster the establishment ofgroupings ofdemocraticcountries within
UnitedNationsbodies,specialisedagenciesandregionalorganisations. ’
2)Thefollowingsentenceisaddedattheendof Article4(1):
‘InthecaseofEUElectionObservationMissionsand‘amicuscuriae’proceedings, naturalpersons
areeligibleforfinancingunderthisRegulation.’
(1) COM(2001)252final.
(2) OJL120,8.5.1999,p.1. RegulationasamendedbyRegulation(EC)No1882/2003oftheEuropeanParliamentandof
theCouncil(OJL284,31.10.2003,p.1).
(3) OJC172,18.6.1999,p.1. AgreementaslastamendedbyDecision2003/429/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandofthe
Council(OJL147,14.6.2003,p.25).
(4) OJL248,16.9.2002,p.1.
(5) OJL292,15.11.1996,p.2.
(6) OJL184,17.7.1999,p.23.C104E/954 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
3)ThefirstsentenceofArticle5isreplacedbythefollowing:
‘TobeeligibleforCommunityaid,thepartnersreferredtoinArticle4(1)firstsentencemusthavetheir
main headquarters in a third country eligible for Community aid under this Regulation or in aMemberStateoftheCommunity.’
4) Article7(3)isreplacedbythefollowing:
‘3. CommunityfinancingunderthisRegulationshalltaketheformofgrantsorcontracts.Within
theframeworkofoperationsunderArticle 2,membersofEUElectionObservationMissionspaidfrom
thehumanrightsanddemocratisationappropriationsshallberecruitedinaccordancewiththepro-cedureslaiddownbytheCommission.’
5)ThefirstparagraphofArticle10isreplacedbythefollowing:
‘ThefinancialframeworkfortheimplementationofthisRegulationduringtheperiod2005to2006
shallbeEUR134million.’
6)Articles11and12arereplacedbythefollowing:
‘Article11
1. TheCommissionshalladopttheframeworkfortheprogrammingandidentificationofCom-
munityactivities.
Theframeworkshallconsist,inparticular,of
(a) multiannualindicativeprogrammesandannualupdatesoftheseprogrammes,(b) annualworkprogrammes.
In particular situations, specific measures not covered by an annual work programme may be
approved.
2. TheCommissionshallproduceanannualreportsettingoutprogrammingforthecomingyear
byregionandbysector,andshallreportbackontheimplementationtotheEuropeanParliament.
TheCommissionshallberesponsibleformanagingandadapting,inconformitywiththisRegu-
lationandaccordingtotherequirements offlexibility,theannualworkprogrammesthatweredefinedintheoverallframeworkofthemultiannualsetting.ThedecisionsmadeshallreflecttheprioritiesandmainconcernsoftheEuropeanUnionfortheconsolidationofdemocracy,theruleoflaw and respect for human rights, and shall be determined by the unique nature of the pro-grammes.TheCommissionshallkeeptheEuropeanParliamentfullyinformedoftheproceedings.
3.TheCommissionshallimplementCommunityoperationsunderthisRegulationinaccordance
withthebudgetaryandotherproceduresinforce,inparticularthoselaiddownin CouncilRegulation
(EC,Euratom)No1605/2002 of25June2002ontheFinancialRegulationapplicabletothegeneralbudget
oftheEuropeanCommunities(
*).
Article12
1. TheinstrumentsreferredtoinArticle11(1)shallbeadoptedinaccordancewiththeprocedure
referredtoinArticle13(2).
IncaseswhereamendmentstoannualworkprogrammesreferredtoinArticle11(1)(b)donotexceed
20%oftheglobalamountallocatedtothemordonotsubstantiallychangethenatureoftheprojectsorprogrammescontainedtherein,thoseamendmentsshallbeadoptedbytheCommission.ItshallinformthecommitteereferredtoinArticle13(1).
2. WithoutprejudicetoArticle14,financingdecisionsonprojectsandprogrammesnotcoveredby
annualworkprogrammesandexceeding EUR1millionshallbeadoptedinaccordancewiththeprocedurereferredtoinArticle13(2).
_____
(*) OJL248,16.9.2002,p.1.’30.4.2004EN C104E/955 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
7)Article13(2)isreplacedbythefollowing:
‘2. Wherereferenceismadetothisparagraph,Articles4and7ofCouncilDecision1999/468/EC
of28June1999layingdowntheproceduresfortheexerciseofimplementingpowersconferredontheCommis-sion(
*)shallapply,havingregardtotheprovisionsofArticle8thereof.
TheperiodprovidedforinArticle4(3)ofDecision1999/468/ECshall be30days.
_____
(*)OJL184,17.7.1999,p.23. ’
8) ThesecondsentenceofArticle15isdeleted.
9)Article17isreplacedbythefollowing:
‘Article17
Anyagreement orcontractconcludedpursuanttothisRegulation shallexpressly provide forthe
CommissionandtheCourtofAuditorstoexercisetheirpowersofcontrol,ondocumentsandon
thepremises,overallcontractorsandsubcontractorswhohavereceivedCommunityfunds.CouncilRegulation(Euratom,EC)No2185/96 of11November1996concerningon-the-spotchecksandinspections
carriedoutbytheCommissioninordertoprotecttheEuropeanCommunities’financialinterestsagainstfraudandirregularities(
*)shallapply.
_____
(*)OJL292,15.11.1996,p.2. ’
10)In the secondparagraphof Article20, the date ‘31December 2004’ is replaced by the date
‘31December2006’.
Article2
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforce on1January2005.
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMemberStates.
Doneat…,on…
FortheEuropeanParliament
ThePresidentFortheCouncil
ThePresident
P5_TA(2004)0361
EuropeanCapitalofCulture2005-2019***I
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheproposalforaEuropeanParliamentandCouncil
decision amending Decision 1419/1999/ECestablishing a Community action for the ‘EuropeanCapitalofCulture’eventfortheyears2005to2019(COM(2003)700/dashC5-0548/2003/dash2003/
0274(COD))
(Codecisionprocedure:firstreading)
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council
(COM(2003)700)(
1),
/dash havingregardtoArticles251(2)and151(5)oftheECTreaty,pursuanttowhichtheCommission
submittedtheproposaltoParliament(C5-0548/2003),
(1) NotyetpublishedintheOJ.C104E/956 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004