COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC-Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a European Parliament and Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) N° 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community

2001/0127(COD)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC-Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a European Parliament and Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) N° 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community

1. Background

Proposal submitted to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2001)319, COD 2001/127) 13 June 2001

Economic and Social Committee opinion 28 November 2001

European Parliament's Opinion (first reading): 11 December 2001

Adoption of Council common position: 15 April 2002

2. Purpose of Commission proposal

Regulation n° 577/98 introduced the continuous labour force survey. Due to the difficulty to implement the continuous labour force survey at the same moment in all Member States, this Council Regulation allowed the Member States "...to carry out an annual survey, to take place in Spring" when they were not in a position to implement a continuous survey.

Because of the considerable limitation in the usefulness of the labour force survey when individual Member States do not carry out a continuous survey, the proposed Regulation specifies that the transition period allowing Member States "...to carry out an annual survey, to take place in Spring" shall not extend beyond 2002.

The Economic and Social Committee was in favour of the Commission's proposition and considered itself that the derogation allowing Member states to simply carry out an annual survey must be limited in time. The Committee accepted the proposed limit in time.

3. Comments on the common position

3.1 General

At its first reading the EP adopted the Commission's proposal without any amendment and asked to be consulted again when the Commission would change or replace its proposal.

3.2 Decisions on the European Parliament's amendments following the first reading.

3.2.1 Accepted by the Commission and incorporated into the common position

None

3.2.2 Accepted by the Commission but not incorporated into the common position (the Commission's position)

None

3.3 New provisions introduced by the Council and the Commission's position.

The Council asked for an extension of the transition period until 2003 for Italy and until 2004 for Germany.

The Commission has accepted the request of the Council that "by way of derogation,

- the transition period is extended until 2003 for Italy

- the transition period is extended until 2004 for Germany under the condition that Germany provides quarterly substitute estimates for the main labour force sample survey aggregates as well as annual average estimates for some specified labour force sample survey aggregates."

The Commission has accepted this request because during the transition period, Italy is able to provide quarterly estimates with reference to a single week each quarter on the basis of the labour force survey and Germany has confirmed the list of quarterly substitute estimates and annual average estimates to be provided.

3.4 Problems of comitology encountered during the adoption of the common position (and the position adopted by the Commission).

None

4. Conclusion

In conclusion therefore the Commission agrees completely with the Council's common position.