ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation on the European Social Fund"

(1999/C 293/05)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the list of Commission proposals pending at 1 May 1999 for which the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam implies a change in legal base and/or a change in procedure (SEC(1999) 581 final);

having regard to the Proposal for a Council Regulation on the European Social Fund [COM(1998) 131 final - 98/0115 (COD) - formerly 98/0115 (SYN)](1);

having regard to the decision taken by the Council according to its letter of 3 May 1999, under Article 265 first paragraph and Article 148 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions on the matter;

having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 7 May 1999 to appoint Ms Matthews and Mr Correia as general rapporteurs, to draw up an opinion on this subject, in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure of the COR;

having regard to its Opinion on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation on the European Social Fund" [COM(1998) 131 final - 98/0115 (SYN)] (CdR 155/98 fin)(2), (rapporteurs: Ms Matthews and Mr Correia) adopted at its plenary session on 19 November 1998,

adopted the following opinion at its 29th plenary session on 2 and 3 June 1999 (meeting of 3 June).

1. The Committee of the Regions re-endorses its Opinion on the "Proposal of the Council Regulation on the European Social Fund" adopted at its plenary session on 19 November 1998.

2. The Committee of the Regions strongly regrets the fact that the Council has not respected the procedure of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing a deadline which in any case may not be less than a month after the communication from the Council has been received by the president of the Committee of the Regions. The letter from the Council concerning this referral is dated on 3 May 1999, registered at the Committee of the Regions the 5 May and the time limit was fixed by the Council for 3 June 1999.

Brussels, 3 June 1999.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

(1) OJ C 176, 9.6.1998, p. 39.

(2) OJ C 51, 22.2.1999, p. 48.
19.

yet again regrets the blatant inconsistency between, on the one hand, the crucial importance of TEN networks for the EU, once again highlighted in this communication, and the key role that can be played by financial incentives from the EU, and, on the other, the very small budget allocated, even if this is concentrated on the cross-border sections and bottlenecks, and therefore stresses the need for synergy among all the funding sources available at EU level. The European Commission should also explore new sources of funding that might be possible in the future. With this in mind, a medium-term review of the Eurovignette directive seems necessary in order to factor in external costs;
28.

notes that technical maritime services (such as pilotage, towage and mooring) are classed as services of general economic interest and are therefore subject to Articles 86, 87 and 88 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Under these articles and the principle of subsidiarity, it is the Member States' responsibility to identify their SGEI in compliance with the conditions set out in the Decision of 28 November 2005. If a Member State decides that an undertaking is responsible for an SGEI, the undertaking may receive public service compensation if the income from providing the SGEI does not cover the costs incurred. Compensation may not exceed the costs actually incurred and a reasonable profit; recalls, in the same context, that the cost of essential technical-nautical services for safe navigation in port areas constitutes a very small percentage of total transport costs and therefore rejects the idea of encouraging price cuts for these services in order to make maritime transport more attractive;
11.

notes that local and regional authorities already make extensive use of ICTs in many of their activities which have the effect of reducing energy consumption and emissions, such as for instance: — lighting in public places. For example, text messages or the Internet can be used to switch on the lighting at outdoor sports facilities for a fixed period of time and street lighting can be regulated automatically in accordance with changing needs; — regulation of heating, air conditioning and lighting in buildings. Technology has a particularly important role to play in buildings which use a lot of energy, such as swimming halls; — remote surveillance of buildings and other public spaces. This also provides information on energy use in buildings and changes therein; — more environmentally friendly traffic control systems, for example traffic lights which react to changes in traffic flows and systems which provide information on traffic congestion; — making public transport more competitive. Many local authorities already offer real-time timetable updates based on positioning systems and ticket sales on the Internet; — development of local logistics. IT can be used to combine transport operations and various mobile services within a locality, thereby reducing overall emissions, and to optimise routes in an environmentally-friendly way; — raising consumers' awareness. Remote metering can be used to provide consumers with real-time information which, through interaction, improves energy efficiency and reduces emissions; — energy production and distribution, where IT is already used to control processes;
7.

regrets that the Green Paper does not do more to highlight the importance of transport in European regional planning and, in full accordance with the EU objective of territorial cohesion, recalls that one of the basic objectives of TEN-T is to contribute to a better balance between the regions by enabling the free movement of people and goods, in particular between more remote or less developed regions and major European economic centres in order to give these regions a much-needed economic boost and, in the case of the outermost regions, taking account of their right to accessibility;
6.

welcomes the fact that the ENPI envelope for the Ukraine under the NIP included EUR 494 million in the period 2007-2010 to support the key policy objectives of the Association Agenda, and an indicative financial envelope of EUR 470,1 million to support cooperation activities in Ukraine in the period 2011-2013, based on a European Commission decision of March 2010. In addition to the bilateral allocation, Ukraine also participates in four ENPI CBC programmes, with the overall allocation of EUR 401,163 million for programmes in the period 2007-2013. However the Committee of the Regions stresses the importance of coordinating the different initiatives and programmes and linking up existing Community programmes, projects and instruments in order to avoid duplication of activities and ensure efficiency and progress of cross-border cooperation programmes between the EU and Ukraine;
48.

emphatically supports the 20-20-20 climate protection and energy goals referred to in the EU-2020 strategy, which include raising the emissions reduction target to 30 % provided certain conditions are met. Before the EU commits itself unilaterally to a 30 % increase, a detailed analysis should be carried out so as to ensure that European businesses do not suffer any competitive disadvantages. The Committee believes that the shift to 30 % is an issue of the utmost importance that must be decided on the basis of detailed reports validating its environmental and economic viability. The Committee is concerned that the studies carried out, whilst technically correct, are of a macroeconomic nature, and considers it essential that these studies also be presented on a sectoral basis so that the countervailing measures can be defined more clearly. The specific national circumstances of the Member States, particularly at sub-national/regional level, should be borne in mind when drawing up these reports;
20.

regrets, however, that the Green Paper makes no mention of another issue complementing that of coordination and which has enormous potential: the need for progress on the division of labour among European donors. The division of labour should also be viewed not only in terms of national donors but also between these and sub-national (regional and local) donors, given the important role that these have in different EU cooperation systems. Therefore calls on the Commission to set up reference points for local and regional authorities in the European External Action Service and in the DEVCO Directorate-General, both in the EU and in partner countries. In addition, considers that it is essential to establish a specific funding line that is available to EU local and regional authorities;
26.

believes that in order to put into practice the best choices regarding GMOs a system needs to be set up for proper scientific evaluation, which is not solely based on a posteriori empirical experience and which, to offer a truly in-depth and independent assessment of risks involved in cultivating a particular GMO, must also be conducted at local and regional level through specific studies. In particular, one highly important issue is whether there are wild parent plants in a given area which could lead to the uncontrolled spread of the GMO inserted into the cultivated GM plants. In the same way, it should be emphasised that regional and local authorities should be able to have recourse to the safeguard clause, insofar as the problem of seed purity has not yet been resolved;
25.

would emphasise the need to reduce the fragmentation of the European rail market in order to create an efficient rail network which offers a quality service in terms of journey times, reliability and capacity. In this regard, a sustainable and cost-effective solution should be devised with a view to the creation of a competitive European rail freight network, which caters to the specific needs of this type of traffic. Furthermore, crucial technical barriers, related for example to the railway gauge, should be overcome. In addition, it is clear that rail freight and short sea shipping, and in particular the complementary use of both modes, have the potential to contribute to the integration of regional economies situated in outlying regions. To this end, and in order to ensure the smooth functioning of these sustainable modes of transport, links to logistical hubs must also be developed, providing optimum intermodal exchange and overall system efficiency, while avoiding a proliferation of logistical installations lacking the features that can steer the transport system towards intermodality and co-modality;
3.

reaffirms, especially in the light of the disaster in Japan, the importance of an effective support system with short response times for the protection of the population, which can only be guaranteed at regional and local level; stresses the call set out in the resolution of the Committee of the Regions on: ‘The consequences of the natural disaster in Japan: lessons for the European Union’ (CdR 123/2011) for a debate on key security issues in the light of the findings from Japan and the need to take into account the latest research in the field; calls on the Member States and regions to examine their existing plans for disaster prevention on the basis of these findings and revise them where necessary;
68.

wishes to develop a strategic partnership with the European Commission and European networks of cities and regions so as to facilitate integration of migrants and promote effective policies. This partnership could be created by setting up a network of local and regional authorities for integration, in which policy-making bodies from all levels of government, as well as civil society organisations, could take part. The CoR looks forward to the political, economic and operational support of the European Commission in fully implementing the strategic partnership and believes that it could be incorporated into the framework of existing mechanisms and initiatives.
33.

has reservations regarding European immission standards for noise pollution if they are treated in separation from a comprehensive noise emission policy. Local and regional authorities must apply these European standards, although the local and regional measures available for doing so are often insufficient. Any introduction of such immission standards should therefore be conceived within the framework of an overall European noise policy that clearly links emissions and immissions policy. The following measures are therefore proposed: — the drafting of a Thematic Strategy for noise setting out a European policy on noise (with a timetable, measures and assessment times); — ensuring that the aspirations of the Environmental Noise Directive are in line with those of EU measures for reducing noise at source; — the development of an EU emissions policy, which should take place before the revision of the directive. After all, it will take several years before EU measures on reducing noise at source have any effect; — the revision of the END directive;
33.

stresses that, in order to achieve the Europe 2020 goals, as well as stepping up development of the major transmission networks, there should be further development of smart networks at local and regional level, as already called for in earlier CoR opinions (CdR 160/2008 fin, CdR 8/2009 fin, CdR 244/2010 fin, CdR 312/2010 fin, CdR 7/2011 fin and CdR 104/2011 fin). End-user prices must, in connection with computer-based load management, be connected to production and demand so as to act as an incentive for energy efficiency and more effectively align decentralised energy production with decentralised energy consumption. If energy taxation is among the instruments that Member States can use to combat climate change, subject to the conditions set out in Council Directive 2003/96/EC on restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity, the CoR believes that the possibility of applying different tax levels should not be restricted to regions but should be extended to local authorities as well, who are also recognised in their own right as sustainable development stakeholders in the EU. These authorities – especially in Member States where they contribute to developing smart grids to improve security of supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency – should be able to set general taxation rates for energy consumption that differ from the corresponding national rates, provided that equal treatment for competing energy sources is maintained and that these differences in levels of taxation do not hinder the proper functioning of the internal market or the free movement of energy products between Member States;
31.

with regard to extended confiscation , while the CoR welcomes the removal of the options available to Member States under the 2005 framework decision and considers existing provisions on extended confiscation to have thus been improved, it considers Article 4(1) to be too vague and in need of improvement. Under extended confiscation, the law aims to allow confiscation beyond the direct proceeds of the crime, precisely because it can presume that there is a link between the crime and the property or rights it intends to confiscate. The CoR would suggest that the "concrete facts and circumstances" on which the court bases its decision should for instance be illustrated by the imbalance between the value of property and legal income. This most frequent example of "concrete facts and circumstances" also has the advantage of stressing that the onus is then upon the person concerned to show proof that property or rights that are not the direct proceeds of a crime but which are to be confiscated are the fruit of other legal sources of income;
All newly constructed multi-dwelling buildings, for which applications for building permits have been submitted after [Publications Office: please insert the exact date of the entry into force of this Regulation], shall be equipped with a concentration point, located inside or outside the building, and accessible to electronic communications networks providers, whereby connection to the high-speed-ready in-building infrastructure is made available. The same obligation applies in the event of major renovation works concerning multi-dwelling buildings for which applications for building permits have been submitted after [Publications Office: please insert the exact date of the entry into force of this Regulation].

All newly constructed multi-dwelling buildings, including social housing, for which applications for building permits have been submitted after [Publications Office: please insert the exact date of the entry into force of this Regulation], shall be equipped with a concentration point, located inside or outside the building, and accessible to electronic communications networks providers, whereby connection to the high-speed-ready in-building infrastructure is made available. The same obligation applies in the event of major renovation works concerning multi-dwelling buildings for which applications for building permits have been submitted after [Publications Office: please insert the exact date of the entry into force of this Regulation].
26.

points out that analysis is needed of whether renovating existing buildings is an appropriate solution in every case: existing buildings in many regions of Europe, including commercial, residential and public buildings, can be renovated to provide a suitable degree of comfort only after substantial investment. These situations draw attention to the fact that, while renovating existing buildings is always more resource efficient in terms of the individual building than demolishing them or building new ones, the aesthetic, architectural and social value of a new building is much greater in some cases — especially from a user's perspective. Therefore, in order to ascertain whether renovating existing buildings is an appropriate solution, alongside the purely technical aspects, consideration must also be given to the architectural, social, economic and environmental aspects as well as the user's perspective;
16.

regrets the fact that the Commission has not highlighted the role of regional airports and their importance for aviation development in the strategy. The balanced approach which the Commission intends to adopt under the Guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines (OJ C 99, 4.4.2014, p. 3) should take account of the need for regional development and connectivity for all Europe’s regions, especially sparsely populated, peripheral and outermost regions, where there is an obvious risk of regional needs not being met by the market. The Committee of the Regions underlines the fact that the public service obligation is a very important matter from the regional perspective. It must also be considered that regional airports need to be able to receive support in sustainably maintaining their financial break-even point over the long term. Air connections to national economic and administrative centres and to hub airports for onward transport to the wider world are crucial for the long-term survival of outermost, peripheral and sparsely populated regions, as well as regions currently affected by poor connectivity for other reasons. In many cases, the creation of reasonable development conditions for these regions requires investment and operational contributions to airports in addition to publicly procured transport, as well as the safeguarding of take-off and landing slots at peak times at the hub airports that enable onward transfers to other destinations in Europe and other continents. This is crucial for territorial cohesion in the EU, and the Committee of the Regions is of the view that this must be made clear in the aviation strategy. The Committee of the Regions reaffirms the view it has previously expressed that the Commission should focus on large airports and that state aid measures for small airports with average traffic not exceeding 300 000 passengers per annum should not fall within the scope of State aid given that these airports can have no notable impact on trade between Member States, that they are unable for structural reasons to cover their capital and operating costs (1) and that public support is intended for the development of a safe and economically viable air traffic infrastructure in regions with poor transport connections (2). This should, of course, go hand in hand with a significant increase in the exemption threshold for aid to airports providing SGEIs (currently set at 200 000 passengers per annum), restoring the threshold of 1 million passengers per annum which was in place before the adoption of the Almunia package on SGEIs. The prerequisite for such action must nevertheless be that a reasonable level of connectivity cannot be achieved by any other means;
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — A Modern Budget for a Union that Protects, Empowers and Defends The Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027

COM(2018) 321 final

Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027

COM(2018) 322 final

Proposal for a Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management

COM(2018) 323 final

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States

COM(2018) 324 final

Proposal for a Council Decision on the system of Own Resources of the European Union

COM(2018) 325 final

Proposal for a Council Regulation on the methods and procedure for making available the Own Resources based on the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, on the European Union Emissions Trading System and on Plastic packaging waste that is not recycled, and on the measures to meet cash requirements

COM(2018) 326 final

Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down implementing measures for the system of Own Resources of the European Union

COM(2018) 327 final

Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1553/89 on the definitive uniform arrangements for the collection of own resources accruing from value added tax

COM(2018) 328 final