24. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 268/9 
II 
(Preparatory acts) 
COMMISSION 
Amendment to the proposal for a Council Directive on the transit of natural gas through the 
major systems (') 
COM(90) 425 final — SYN 206 
(Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty on 21 September 
1990) 
(90/C 268/09) 
(') OJ No C 247, 28. 9. 1989, p. 6 (COM(89) 334 final — SYN 206). 
AMENDMENTS ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
INITIAL PROPOSAL ACCEPTED BY THE COMMISSION 
Amendment No 1 
New recital la 
Whereas development of the internal market in energy 
will require the development and adoption of an inte­
grated approach to Community energy policy that will 
eliminate structural differences and be equal to the major 
challenges of: 
— environmental protection 
— risk minimization, and 
— security of supply; 
Amendment No 2 
New recital lb 
Whereas the completion of the internal market for gas 
requires the formulation and adoption by the 
Community of a global strategy for energy centred on 
risk reduction; 
Amendment No 3 
New recital 2a 
Whereas a major objective of the Community is to 
strengthen its reliance on natural gas, both absolutely 
and by comparison with other sources of energy, which 
is also important from an environmental standpoint; 
No C 268/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 10. 90 
INITIAL PROPOSAL AMENDMENTS ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
ACCEPTED BY THE COMMISSION 
Amendment No 4 
Third recital 
Whereas the objective of the single natural gas market is 
to ensure greater profitability and security of supply by 
freer trade but avoid unacceptable restrictions on compe­
tition; whereas the special nature of the natural gas 
sector must be taken into account in the pursuit of this 
objective; Whereas the objective of the single natural gas market is 
to ensure greater profitability, environmental accept­
ability, and security of supply by freer trade but avoid 
unacceptable restrictions on competition; whereas the 
special nature of the natural gas sector must be taken 
into account in the pursuit of this objective; 
Amendment No 5 
New recital 3a 
Whereas in achieving the internal market in natural gas 
consideration should be given not only to comparable 
features in the Member States but also to sometimes 
significant differences, including: 
the co-existence of gas supply undertakings having 
the legal status of private entrepreneurially-oriented 
companies alongside counterpart undertakings that 
are nationalized and consequently are less exposed to 
the risks of the market, 
vertical integration of transmission and distribution 
under extensive monopolies on the one hand, and a 
multiplicity of independent undertakings at all levels 
on the other, 
State price regulation with a political orientation, or 
competitive prices, 
wide variation in the distribution of natural gas as 
between the Member States; 
Amendment No 6 
New recital 5a 
Whereas this increase in interconnections and greater use 
of the network will make it advisable to harmonize 
standards of security and environmental protection 
throughout the Community at the highest level; where 
there are projects for new routes or for the upgrading of 
existing lines and pipelines, there should be a prior 
assessment of their environmental impact and of possible 
risks for the population affected by transit through urban 
regions or close to inhabited areas; 
24. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 268/11 
INITIAL PROPOSAL AMENDMENTS ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
ACCEPTED BY THE COMMISSION 
Amendment No 7 
Sixth recital 
Whereas in the future interconnections between several 
Member States will need to be made to allow adequate 
supply and compliance with the natural gas transit obli­
gation and will have the effect of reducing non-technical 
obstacles; whereas compliance with this obligation 
constitutes a first stage in the development of the internal 
market for natural gas; Whereas in the future additional interconnections 
between several Member States will need to be made to 
allow adequate supplies of natural gas to consumers; 
whereas it will be essential to eliminate restrictions on 
pipeline construction and to create a climate favourable 
to the major investment that will be required; 
Amendmend No 15 
Article 3 (2), first indent 
any request for transit shall, within eight (8) days, be 
communicated by the requesting entity or entities to 
the Commission and the national competent auth­
orities; any request for transit shall, within one month, be 
communicated by the requesting entity or entities to 
the Commission and the national competent auth­
orities, 
Amendment No 18 
Article 5 
Before 1 January 1993, without prejudice to the 
Commission's own powers, the Council will decide — as 
far as it is necessary — complementary conditions 
governing the detailed rules of intra-Community transit. Delete