ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
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COM (84) 475 
 
 
 
Vol. 1984/0 192 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27 .9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0M(84) 475 final
Brussels, 24th August 1984
COMMISSION'S REPLIES TO THE REQUESTS  
MADE BY PARLIAMENT IN ITS RESOLUTION  
OF 10 APRIL 1984 (Mrs BOSERUP)
COMC84) 475 final

I
Commission's replies to the requests made by Parliament  
in its resolution of 10 April 1984  
deferring a discharge for 1982 (Mrs Boserup)
1. On 10 April Parliament adopted a resolution whereby it deferred giving  
the Commission a discharge for 1982.
2. Some of Parliament's comments relate to financial management, others  
are purely political.
3. The Commission is obviously prepared to respond to any criticism
of its financial management. Detailed replies to all the criticism and  
requests in the 10 April resolution are attached.
4. As to Parliament's assertion that the Commission has failed to use
its right of initiative in recent years, the Commission finds this criticism
unfounded. The Commission has used its right of initiative to the full
and with all the independence bestowed on it by the Treaties. In some
cases, it has considered it better to proceed in stages, presenting
communications to open a discussion and following up with precise proposals.
★Such initiatives have concentrated on priority areas such as reform  
of the common agricultural policy, the strengthening of the structural  
funds, the future financing of the Community and new policies, all of  
which have been at the centre of discussions by both Parliament and the  
Council.
5. Parliament has been kept regularly informed of the Commission's proposals  
in accordance with the appropriate procedures and has been given every  
opportunity to comment. The Commission has always reacted to Parliament's  
resolutions. Where it has agreed with them, it has amended its proposals  
accordingly. Where it has not agreed, it has said so clearly and each 
institution has taken responsibility for its own actions.
*A non-exhaustive list of proposals for the development of the Community  
presented by the Commission since 1982 will be found in Annex II.

I I
6. Furthermore, the very fact that a Large number of proposals are still  
pending before the Council demonstrates that the Commission is playing
a fully independent role and acting in the best interests of the Communities.
7. The Commission agrees that anything that weakens its right of initiative  
undermines Parliament's position. But it does not believe this to have  
been the case.
8. The Commission would also point out that Parliament has debated the  
Community's institutional problems at length in recent years, and its  
views have always broadly coincided with the Commission's. It is clear  
from this that the imbalance in intei— institutional relations referred
to on such occasions goes far beyond anything the Commission can correct by  
using its right of initiative. Other factors, quite independent of the  
Commission's political will, are to blame.
9. As to the political aspects of difficulties encountered in using  
appropriations voted by the House, the Commission would urge Parliament  
to bear in mind that the discharge relates to 1982. It was during that  
year that the institutions negotiated the Joint Declaration of 30 June 1982,  
of which point IV.3 has particular relevance.
The Commission attaches the utmost importance to scrupulous application  
of the Joint Declaration in the spirit of inter-institutional cooperation  
which marks it. The Declaration had little practical effect in 1982,  
however, since this long process of implementation did not begin until  
the middle of the year.

I l l
The Commission would also remind Parliament that it began a large-scale  
revision of the Financial Regulation in December 1980. Some aspects  
of this touch on the mechanism for implementing the budget.
The procedural delays which have occurred are not attributable to the  
Commission, which is continuing to press for an early decision.
10. The Commission has provided the fullest possible answers to each  
of the points raised by Parliament in its 10 April resolution. The technical  
comments required by the nature of the discharge procedure are supplemented  
by clarification of the more political aspects in each case. It is naturally  
willing to provide any further information that may be required during  
subsequent discussions, either in committee or on the floor of the House.

1
Point 2 of Parliament's resolution: Disturbance of the inter-institutional
equilibrium
(Parliament) observes that, over recent years, the Commission has disturbed  
the intei— institutional equilibrium envisaged under the Treaties by failing  
to use its right of initiative adequately thus weakening its own position  
and, at the same time, undermining the position of Parliament.
Reply
See introduction and Annex II.
*

ù
Point 3 of Parliament's resolution: Commission's failure to take
full account of rejection by Parliament of draft supplementary and  
amending budget No 1 of 1982
(Parliament)concurs with the Court of Auditors in its findings at  
Chapter 9 of its annual report on 1982; considers that the Commission  
deliberately acted in contravention of the rules (Article 208 of  
the EEC Treaty and Article 12(1) and (3) of Regulation 2891/77)  
in a manner which challenged and opposed the budgetary power of  
Parliament in its ultimate expression, namely the rejection of the  
budget, and finds that this behaviour is politcally unacceptable  
and endangers the principle of the Community's own resources.
Reply
1. The measures taken by the Commission on 31 December 1982 were  
confined to the management of cash resources; they did not  
constitute payments to the Member States concerned. In the  
interests of clarity and transparency, the amounts of sterling and  
German marks available on 31 December were entered in two accounts,  
instead of remaining in a single account with the national treasuries  
of the Member States concerned. At the same time, precisely  
because of Parliament's political concern, the Commission submitted  
a preliminary draft supplementary budget which was adopted  
without amendment on 10 February 1983. Early in 19.84, the  
Commission made a point of accepting all Parliament's requests for  
amendments to the proposals for regulations on special measures for 
the United Kingdom and Germany, once again demonstrating its  
willingness to take the fullest possible account of Parliament's  
wishes. The Commission can therefore assure Parliament that the  
cash management measures it criticizes were not designed to undermine  
Parliament's political exercise of its budgetary powers. On the  
contrary, following rejection of the draft supplementary and  
amending budget No 1/1982, the Commission took immediate budgetary  
and legislative steps to meet Parliament's main political concerns.  
The Commission continued to be guided by the same principles.

2. There are three criteria which the Commission must meet in  
managing its cash resources. These are contained in Article 208  
of the EEC Treaty and Articles 12(1) and (3) of Regulation No 2891/77  
and require the Commission:
- to keep exchange operations to the minimum and to use the central  
banks of the Member States for such transactions;
- to ensure that any surplus of overall assets over cash  
requirements is divided among the (treasuries of the) Member States,  
as far as possible in proportion to estimated budget revenue
from each of them;
- to use the accounts with national treasuries to the extent  
necessary to cover cash requirements arising from implementation  
of the budget.
The Commission must point out that a reconstitution of a  
proportional breakdown of assets at the end of 1982 would have  
called for the sale of a very considerable amount of sterling and  
hence a large exchange transaction. At the same time, the impending  
adoption of supplementary budget No 1/83 (which actually occurred  
six weeks later, on 10 February 1983), meant that a similar amount  
of sterling would be need shortly. In the circumstances the  
Commission considered that it would be quite wrong to sell virtually  
all its cash holdings in sterling at the end of 1982, only to  
repurchase sterling subsequently. It felt this view to be in line  
; with the requirements of Article 208 EEC, particularly since  
information from the central banks indicated that such a transaction  
would involve considerable exchange losses. The fact that no  
losses were incurred reinforces the Commission's conviction that it  
acted - and this was its main concern - in the best interests of  
the Community.
This being so the Commission regrets that its action has been interpreted  
as a failure to comply with the provisions of the Treaty and the  
Financial Regulation, since its sole concern was to apply these

- 4 -
provisions in the most appropriate manner to a single, exceptional, .  
case which clearly could not constitute a precedent.
3. A situation which resembled that discussed above in some ways  
arose in 1984 (payments for that year to the United Kingdom and  
Germany). As far as cash resources are concerned the Commission  
made full allowance for the lessons to be learnt from Parliament's  
criticisms relating to end-1982. As far as subsequent payments are  
concerned, the Commission is endeavouring to avoid renewed criticism.  
In so doing it is trying to respect Parliament's view of the earlier  
case.
4. On the more specific point of the payment of interest on the  
Commission's deposits with national treasuries, the Commission would  
remind Parliament that its communication of 20 July 1982 (C0M(82>316)  
proposed that interest should be paid on such accounts. This is  
not the case at present (Article 9 of Regulation No 2891/77).
Parliament rejected the proposal since it felt that the Member  
States could not be forced to pay interest to the Community. Instead  
it proposed an amendment which would enable these assets to be  
transferred to interest-bearing accounts with financial institutions  
other than national treasuries (Notenboom report, PE 81.680 of  
2 December 1982).
The Commission accepted this request and amended its proposal  
accordingly under the second paragraph of Article 149 EEC (C0M(83)254  
of 10 May 1983).
This is another example of the Commission attempting to meet  
Parliament's wishes. Its action is clearly designed to reinforce  
the principle of the Community's own resources. It is using its  
best endeavours to ensure that this amended proposal is adopted by  
the Council#

5
Point 4 of Parliament's resolution: Commission's overruling of its
Financial Controller's withholding of approval
(Parliament) was surprised to find, following discussions arising out  
of Commission decisions to overrule its Finnacial Controller's withholding  
of approval under Article 35 of the Financial Regulation, that there  
were alleged breaches of the principles of Community law in the sector  
of the common organization of the agricultural markets in dairy products  
from the year 1978 onwards and that, up to now, the Commission had not  
taken effective measures to correct the situation; furthermore, the  
Commission failed to inform Parliament of the matter.
Reply
1. Following the adoption of Council Regulations Nos 1421/78 and  
1422/78 of 28 June 1978, the Commission, by Regulation No 1565/79 of  
25 July 1979, authorized the retention of the Milk Marketing Boards,  
subject to certain operational changes. The regulation allowed the  
United Kingdom a transitional period to comply with Community provisions.
This was necessary because compliance involved considerable changes to  
existing marketing arrangements and national rules. There was no infringemet  
of Community rules in 1978 and 1979.
Since then the Commission has carefully monitored the process of bringing  
the Milk Marketing Boards into line with Community provisions and has  
held a number of meetings with the British authorities.
As a result, the United Kingdom made numerous changes to its arrangements  
to meet Community requirements.
The Commission found, however, that Community rules were still being  
infringed in two respects:
- the multiple pricing policy of the Milk Marketing Boards, brought  
before the Court on 23 January 1984 (Case 23/84);

-  6 -
- differential prices for milk used for the manufacture of other products,  
depending on whether those products are for home use or export.  
Infringement proceedings under Article 169 EEC have been instituted  
in this case too: a reasoned opinion was sent on 27 February 1984.
The Commission has therefore done everything necessary to bring the operation  
of the Milk Marketing Boards into line with Community rules.
2. Furthermore, Parliament was consulted on Regulation No 1421/78 and  
was therefore aware of the special position of the Milk Marketing Boards  
(Parliament's opinion of 16 June 1978). The Commission therefore considers  
that it has discharged its obligation under the Treaty to keep Parliament  
informed.
3. As stated in 1 above, the Commission has taken appropriate measures  
to make the Milk Marketing Boards conform to Community law by instituting  
proceedings under Article 169 EEC. The Commission will draw the necessary  
conclusions in connection with the clearance of accounts for 1980 and  
1981 and acceptance of expenditure on milk products declared by the  
United Kingdom since 1980 will depend on whether or not it complies with  
Community rules.

Point 5 of Parliament's resolution: Commission's failure to try
out a new instrument recommended by Parliament
(Parliament) deplores the fact that the Christmas butter scheme introduced  
by the Commission in 1982 was implemented late and did not conform to  
the guidelines Laid down by Parliament in its resolution of 15 October 1982  
notes that the loss of effectiveness which resulted was unjustifiably  
used by the Commission as an excuse for not introducing a Christmas butter  
scheme in 1983 on Parliament's model at an extra cost of 33%; this failure  
means that the Commission must now dispose of the stocks at an extra  
cost of 75%.
R eply
The Commission has already explained to Parliament the position it adopted  
on this point in 1982 and 1983 given the special circumstances in which  
it had to operate.
The Commission feels that special disposal measures will have to be taken  
in view of the size of existing stocks and current price ratios. It  
will inform Parliament of its intentions in due course.

-  8 -
Point 6 of Parliament's resolution: Implementation of food aid
policies
(Parliament) recalls the considerable humanitarian, social and political  
importance attaching to EC policies approved by Parliament in  
relation to the development and cooperation sector; with reference  
to the work and deliberations of the European Parliament and the  
report of the Court of Auditors, regrets that insufficient progress  
has been made in the implementation of aid, food aid in particular;  
observes with the Council that the performance in 1982 was insufficient.
Reply ·  ·
The Commission has been trying for a number of years, and since 1982  
in particular, to improve food aid management at both the  
decision-making and implementation stages. These improvements have  
affected both emergency aid and more traditional forms of food aid.
1. Emergency aid
(a) At the decision-making stage, a delegation procedure enables  
the Commission to react very quickly, without seeking the  
opinion of the Member States in the case of natural disasters  
and within 48 hours of obtaining the opinion of the Member  
States in case of conflict.
(b) At the implementation stage, mobilization procedures have been  
simplified by:
- more frequent recourse to private contracts instead of  
formal tenders;
- more systematic application of the rules permitting food
to be purchased on the world market (preferably in the same  
region as the recipient) and delivered more rapidly.

- 9 -
2. Traditional forms of food aid
Ca) Decision-making procedures have been improved considerably.
The rules which have been in force since 1982 make it possible  
to allocate food aid more efficiently. The Commission can now  
take decisions on allocations by country on the basis of  
information on the real level of supplies there. Contrary  
to the old single programme system, decisions are now taken  
individually in the course of the year, timing being dictated  
by harvesting in the different regions. This has put an end  
to the problems which arose in the past when the Community  
was forced to take decisions on the same date on, for example,  
food aid for the countries of southern Africa (where harvest  
figures were known in May or June) and the Sahel countries  
(where no figures for local production are available until  
November).
From a strictly budgetary point of view, DG VIII has replaced  
DG VI as the authorizing department for financing transport  
and distribution of food products by international organizations  
and NGOs. This means that DG VIII now has sole administrative  
and financial responsibility for purchases on the world  
market.
Tender procedures on the European market and procedures for  
the signature of contracts where supplies are mobilized on  
the world market are now being rationalized.
(b) At the implementation stage, the Commission is trying to shorten  
delivery dates, mainly by improving mobilization. However,  
delivery dates are determined by a number of constraints which  
are difficult to reduce.

-  10  -
.  Where aid is mobilized on the European market, care must be  
taken not to disturb local markets by massive purchases.
•  It is difficult to reduce transport time and shipping dates  
have to take account of recipients' imports from other sources  
and the storage facilities available.
With regard to adapting aid to local needs, the Commission is  
endeavouring to extend "triangular operations" by buying goods  
from the developing countries themselves.
With regard to the quality of aid, packaging has been improved  
(new mobilization regulation adopted in July 1983) and quality  
control tightened. This is now carried out automatically by  
the intervention agencies of the Member States responsible for  
the operation. The budget appropriations for control are used  
for spot checks and inspections. The number of spot checks  
has increased slightly in the last year but there is no need  
tO_multiply them further or make them systematic.
Generally speaking the Commi ssion has'^feweV“ staff avai labte for  
food aid management than do national or other international  
donors. For example, it has only about one tenth of the staff  
available to the WFP. It has drawn the attention of the budgetary  
authority on a number of occasions to the urgent need for additional  
posts and appropriations to improve staffing in this area.

11
Point 7 of Parliament's resolution: Energy and industry
(Parliament) shares the concern expressed by the Court of Auditors  
regarding problems of budget implementation in the energy and  
industry sectors, acknowledges that the low rate of utilization  
of appropriations for the demonstration project programmes was  
largely due to factors outside the Commission's control, but urges  
the Commission to keep up its efforts to ensure that the high  
political priority the Parliament has consistently given to these  
programmes is reflected in the execution of the Community budget.
Reply
1. Industrial affairs and the internal market
Utilization of appropriations in the industrial sector has been  
satisfactory on the whole. The low utilization rate in 1982 was  
more apparent than real since two thirds of it was accounted for  
by the non-utilization of 40 million ECU at Item 7710.
Implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3744/81 of 7 December 1981  
concerning Community projects in the field of microelectronic  
technology (0J L 376 of 30 December 1981), for which a single  
commitment appropriation of 40 million ECU was entered under item  
7710 of the 1982 budget, was inevitably preceded by a lengthy period  
of tendering and project selection. A significant proportion of the  
commitment appropriations was used from the beginning of 1983 and the  
entire appropriation has now been utilized.
2. Energy
The late adoption of basic regulations has entailed delays in the  
budgetary implementation of a number of policies. As far as the  
energy sector is concerned, implementation of the 1983 budget was  
delayed by the Council's failure to approve the regulations on demonstration

12 -
projects in good time and by a delay of several months in securing  
a Council decision on support for technological development projects  
in the hydrocarbons sector. Despite these difficulties, the Commission  
succeeded in utilizing more than 90% of the commitment appropriations  
available in Chapter 70 before the end of the year.

13 -
Pc■  ; t 8 of Parliament's resolution: the inadequacy of the
Commission's management, monitoring, appraisal, assessment and  
financial information systems
(Parliament) considers that the Court of Auditors' annual reports  
demonstrate continuing weaknesses in the Commission's overall financial  
management of EC funds, monitoring of results, appraisal of schemes,  
assessment of policies and the inadequacy of financial information;  
believes that these weaknesses are of primary political significance  
because they undermine the implementation of policies entrusted to  
the Commission by Parliament and that they create the additional  
problem of the late closure of accounts which, of itself, undermines  
the value of Parliament's discharge.
Reply: 8(i) Monitoring of results and assessment of policies
The Commission monitors the results of the actions it finances and  
assesses their impact as far as its own resources permit. Now that  
a growing number of actions are reaching the stage where assessment  
would be worthwhile the Commission has instructed its departments to  
look into all aspects of systematic monitoring, bearing the  
constraints imposed by available resources in mind. Parliament  
will be informed of progress.

14 -
So far, apart from specific Community actions, the ERDF has provided
support for regional policy measures. In an attempt to increase the
Fund's efficiency the Commission, in accordance with the principles
set out in its report on ways of increasing the effectiveness of the  
1structural funds, has proposed a number of ways of improving management  
2of the Fund. These involve, in the main, a gradual shift from the present  
policy of supporting individual projects funded at national level to the  
co-financing of infrastructure programmes and regional aid schemes based  
on programme contracts between the Member State and the Commission.
These should strengthen the link between the objectives of structural  
development and conversion of the regions and the objectives of other  
Community policies. With the same aim in view, the Commission has  
proposed that, in the case of large investment projects, the Member State  
should detail with the application those socio-economic effects of an  
individual project which can be identified at that time.
The Commission is aware of the importance of evaluating the impact of  
ERDF interventions on regional development. It has therefore proposed that  
the statistical summaries referred to in Article 6(6) of the present regulation  
should be replaced by implementation reports showing the effect of such  
intervention on investment and jobs in each region.
The Council is expected to wind up its discussion of the Commission's  
proposals shortly. Meanwhile, the Commission, with the help of experts,  
will consider the best way of putting the principles set out in the above  
report into practice.
pC0M(83)501 final of 28 July 1983.  
lOM(83)649 final of 18 November 1983.

15 -
It should be noted that the Commission has repeatedly asked the budgetary  
authority for extra posts to increase its monitoring of the energy sector  
but these requests have, unfortunately, always been turned down.
Reply 8(ii) Overall financial management including the footnotes to  
paragraph 8 of the resolution.
1.1 Parliament considers that the annual reports by the Court of Auditors  
reveal continuing weaknesses in the overall financial management of  
Community funds. The footnote contains a series of references to  
comments by the Court in its annual reports from 1979 to 1982.
The Commission considers that neither the content of the reports nor the  
action it has taken in response to them justify this criticism. The  
detailed replies which follow support the Commission's position.
1.2 The Commission adopts a positive attitude to the Court's suggestions  
in general and those in its annual reports on implementation of the budget  
in particular. That is why the Commission and the Court have agreed on
a procedure for an exchange of views on the text of the Court's report  
and the Commission's replies to it. The draft report "Observations with  
a view to an annual report" prepared by the Court by 15 July of each year  
is examined fully by the Commission departments concerned in liaison with  
the department responsible for relations with the Court. The examination  
takes the form of an extremely detailed and objective analysis of the  
Court's criticisms and suggestions.

- 16 -
This is followed by meetings with the different sections of the Court of  
Auditors during which contradictory statements, factual errors and  
misunderstandings are dealt with. The Commission then proceeds to a further  
examination and adopts its final reply.
It is clear therefore that the Commission's reaction to concrete, workable  
observations by the Court of Auditors is normally positive.
1.3 The President of the Court of Auditors and the Vice-President of
the Commission responsible for budgets (and hence for relations with
the Court) have already reviewed this procedure on a number of occasions to
try to improve it. This confirms thé Commission's desire to respond positively.
In virtually all the cashes to which Parliament's resolution refers, the
Commission has done what it felt it could and should, as will be seen
from Section II below. But this is well-known: by its replies to the
Court of Auditor's annual reports, debates in the Committee on Budgetary
Control and the House in the context of the discharge procedure, and
its reports on action taken in response to comments accompanying Parliament's
discharge decisions, the Commission has kept Parliament regularly informed
of the steps it has taken to improve financial management.
Nor should it be forgotten that Parliament itself, in the Irmer resolutions  
of 18 June 1981 on the 1979 discharge and of 16 November 1982 on action  
on the 1979 discharge,^the Key resolutions of 14 January 1983 on theL1980 discharge and 16 December 1983 on action on the 1980
"(Parliament) __
1.
 expresses its satisfaction at the fact that the action taken on the  
1979 discharge decisions by the Commission, whose constructive attitude  
must be emphasized, has strengthened both the political nature and the  
accounting and legal significance of the discharge procedure;
II
4"" “"(Parliament) __
23
. considers that the positive reaction of the Commission to Parliament's  
resolution of 30 April 1982 made possible major progress in relation to  
the weighty matters raised in that resolution and also consolidated the  
effectiveness and the political character of the discharge procedure."

17 -
discharge,"5  and the Schon resolution of 17 February 1984 on action on  
the 1981 discharge,^* Parliament acknowledged that the Commission had  
taken positive steps in response to the discharge decisions and  
resolutions for those years.
I. 4 The Court of Auditors will continue - as is only right
and proper - to require improvements in financial management and the  
Commission will do all it can to meet its demands.
II. The measures taken to find a viable solution to the greatest possible  
number of problems raised by the resolution are as follows:
1979
.  The general accounting system and the statement of assets and liabilities  
do not always meet the requirements of legislation (2.3 to 2.11). The  
Commission noted the comments and took the measures required during 1980  
and 1981. In so doing, it maintained close contact with the appropriate  
section of the Court of Auditors as the Key resolution of 14 January 1983  
expressly noted.^
5__»
"(
Parliament)
1. notes the positive reaction of the Commission as reflected in the  
concrete changes of a political, procedural and accounting nature that  
have resulted from Parliament's resolutions on the implementation of  
.the 1980 budget; ...".
"(Parliament)
4. recognizes the improvements achieved in the following areas:
- indication of interest owing because of delays in transferring own  
resources,
- greater efforts to recover amounts wrongly paid,
- a number of technical improvements in the implementation of one  
section of food aid,
introduction of internal monitoring of the European Schools;.··".  
'"(Parliament)
■  ·  *
As regards the accounts
5. Notes with approval that the differences of opinion in the matter of EC  
accounts between the Commission and the Court of Auditors are being  
gradually settled; urges that an early comprehensive solution be obtained  
and asks both institutions to keep Parliament fully informed on a  
continuing basis in regard to these matters;
It *

18 -
.  Overspending of 203.5 million EUA (4.10 to 4.18)
In line with Parliament's request, the Commission has inserted further  
notes in the revenue and expenditure account. This is noted in point 2  
of the Irmer resolution of 16 November 1982. In 1981 the Commission  
took measures to prevent a repetition of this event (see action on the  
1979 discharge)
.  European Social Fund - Method used to clear balances for projects from  
1972 to 1977 (6.21)
Provisions on the clearance of balances were included in Council  
Regulation No 2950/83 revising the texts governing the Social Fund.
.  Scanty information on ERDF commitments (7.13)
To meet the Court's request, computerized data processing was  
introduced in this field and this has achieved a considerable improvement  
in the information available.
.  Anomalies in the management and implementation of research contracts  
(indirect action) (8.33 and 8.34)
Since the Commission has insufficient staff to carry out adequate  
checks, it called in outside auditors who began work in October 1981  
(see action on the 1979 discharge). At the same time, the complete  
reorganization of the Directorate-General enabled departments to be  
rationalized and strengthened where priorities so required.
(Parliament)
2. Takes note of the amendments to the management account and financial  
balance sheet relating to budget operations in the 1980 financial year ..."
(The amendments were those requested by Parliament).

19 -
.  Food aid: comments arising from on-the-spot audits (9-13)
A number of the problems in this area raised in 1979 and 1981 have been resolved  
over the years. The technical problems were largely settled
by Regulation No 1354/83 (see point 9.10 of the 1981 report).
.  Emergency aid to developing countries: findings on the basis of records
or of visits to the recipient countries (9.37).
Although the Commission has not made direct contact with the recipient  
countries, it makes regular and systematic approaches to them to try  
to speed up projects and did so in the cases mentioned by the Court  
at point 9.37. Clearly, it cannot usurp the role of these  
non-member countries.
1980
.  Reconciliation of bank accounts (2.4)
Steps were taken to remedy the shortcomings noted in 1980. More  
generally, substantial improvements of a permanent nature have been  
made in this area despite staff shortages and efforts to secure  
further progress will continue*
.  Outside confirmation of bank balances (cash resources) (2.8 - 2.11)
The question of confirmation of bank balances was resolved by  
joint agreement between the Court of Auditors and the Commission  
on 13 November 1981.
.  Internal provisions for the recovery of miscellaneous revenue  
(3.35 - 3.43): improvement of the statement of revenue: internal
procedure for the recovery of miscellaneous revenue.

-  20  -
In 1980 the Commission proposed that the provisions for implementing the  
Financial Regulation, including the presentation of the statement of revenue, be revised. This has  
not yet been done because the Commission is still awaiting the opinion  
of Parliament requested on 5 August 1980. New forms for the recovery  
of debts have been introduced and these remind authorizing officers  
of their responsibilities. On the organizational front, the recovery  
section of the Directorate-General for Budgets has been strengthened.
.  Application of the provisional twelfths system to the EAGGF Guarantee  
Section (4.14 - 4.18)
The Commission has proposed the clarifications required as part of the  
revision of the Financial Regulation. Parliament indicated its approval  
of the political commitments made on that occasion in the Key resolution
9of 14 January 1983 and the Key resolution of 16 December 1983 on
10action taken on the 1980 discharge.
.  Examination of applications for assistance from the Social Fund and  
project monitoring (6.20 - 6.28)
The Commission has introduced a new form containing information which  
should improve the examination of applications. The procedures used  
to monitor the success and efficiency of measures are set out in  
detail in Annex 2 to the report of 29 April 1983 on the action taken  
in response to comments accompanying the discharge decision for 1980.
"(Parliament)
3. accepts the assurance given orally and in writing by the Commission  
that, in future, the wishes of the elected representatives of the  
peoples of Europe must be allowed to exert a decisive influence over
the decisions on how the Commission is to implement the budget.__i
^"
(Parliament)
3. recognizes that the issue of the provisional twelfths may remain  
in abeyance pending the completion of the present revision of the  
Financial Regulation;

21
.  Financial information on the ERDF (7.12)
(See reply to point 7.13, 1979, page 19 of this document)
.  Food aid: failure of recipient countries to comply with their  
obligations (9.6)
The Commission is using all the means available to it to secure  
improvements in this area. The fact that it has no power of decision  
in the matter hampers the search for solutions.
.  Food aid: damaged goods (9.22)
Leaving aside the minor problems which can arise in this field and  
which cannot be kept under control, the Commission took a series  
of measures during 1979, 1980 and 1981 on the packaging and labelling  
of goods (Regulation No 1354/83). Application of this Regulation  
should improve matters in future (see also point 9.6, 1980).
1981
.  Accounting: reconciliation of accounts; differences between the
contra accounts of Community bodies,· overstatement of advances to  
certain Member States (2.5 - 2.7)
For the reconciliation of accounts, see point 2.4, 1980 The changes  
called for in the other two areas have been made. A system for the  
regular exchange of statements and confirmation of balances between  
the accounting officers of the institutions has been introduced.
The problem relating to advances was settled in May 1982.
.  Lack of appropriations to cover bank charges and exchange losses
(2.11)

22 -
The Commission has adopted the Court's suggestions on bank charges.
It has also amended the financial rules providing for exchange gains
and losses to be charged against the balance for the year in the
end-of-year balance sheet. The budgetary authority, including Parliament,
1 1has raised no objection to this solution.
.  Clearance of EAGGF Guarantee Section accounts (4.23 - 4.27)
The Commission and the Court discussed the effect of charging the  
results of clearing the 1974 and 1975 accounts to the 1981 budget.
The amounts refused were recovered in December 1981.
.  Application of Council Directive 72/159/EEC concerning the modernization  
of farms (5.11 - 5.15)
The Commission has reconsidered the interpretation given by one Member  
State to one of the central concepts of the Directive and acknowledges  
that it is correct. The Court's proposal for an economic follow-up  
after final completion of the plan for the farm would inevitably be  
expensive in relation to the results achieved. See also point 8.i  
above.
.  Failure to ensure that recipients respect the conditions of  
Regulation (EEC) No 794/76 (5.21)
The Commission has asked the Member States to inform it of the results  
of their checks that recipients do in fact honour their commitments.
In general, the flow of information between the Commission and the  
Member States has improved. In addition to the quarterly lists  
provided for in Regulation No 283/72, further information on  
irregularities is supplied by the Member States with applications  
for reimbursement.
1 1Debate of the Committee on Budgets on 28 and 29 September 1982 on  
Transfer No 33/82 (Court of Justice).
Debate of the Committee on Budgetary Control on 15 and 16 December 1982  
on Transfer No C 9a/82 (Parliament).

23
.  Consistency of the investments assisted with other Community programmes  
and objectives (ERDF) (7.22 - 7.25).
One of the key criteria for the eligibility of regional development
programmes is consistency with the objectives of Community policies.
It should be said that, in line with the principles set out in the
Commission's report on ways of increasing the effectiveness of the  
12structural Funds, the ERDF Regulation as amended by the Council on  
a proposal from the Commission embodies a series of qualitative  
improvements to the management of the Fund, although it falls far short of the aims of  
the Commission proposal. These improvements involve, in the main, a gradual shift from financing  
supporting projects funded-at national level to the co-financing of programmes which should
strengthen the link between the objectives of structural development and  
conversion of the regions and the objectives of other Community policies.
.  Food aid: packaging, labelling, etc. (9.10)
On 17 May 1983 the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission,  
adopted Regulation (EEC) No 1354/83 on the mobilization of milk  
products as food aid which has improved presentation considerably  
by providing for much stronger packaging and the imprinting of the  
origin and date of manufacture of the goods.
This regulation also enables the Commission to undertake a systematic  
quality control of the goods supplied.
.  Procedure for engaging private audit firms (11.6 - 11.8)
In an attempt to eliminate procedural shortcomings, a circular was  
sent to all authorizing officers emphasizing the need to comply with  
the provisions of the Financial Regulation in this respect in order
12C0M(83) 501 final of 28 July 1983.

- 24 -
to ensure the proper and legal management of Community funds  
(Memo XIX-C-2 No 3052 of 16 June 1983). The Key resolution of  
16 December 1983 noted that this had been done.^
1982 .
.  Regular monitoring of accounts; allocation of expenditure to a  
suspense account (2.39 and 2.40)
With regard to monitoring, an interdepartmental working party is  
reorganizing the computerized accounting system on the basis of a  
report drawn up by Professor Bodart on 29 January 1982. Other, more  
urgent, priorities mean that a new system taking full account of  
highly complex accounting needs will not be introduced until 1986.
The Commission will follow the Court's recommendation on‘ fexpenditure  
to be charged" should such a case occur in future.
.  Treatment of exchange differences (4.14 - 4.18)
(See point 2.11, 1981)
.  Accounting information on "non-quota" expenditure from the ERDF  
(6.16 - 6.20)
The case referred to by the Court, for which a Member State was  
responsible, was the subject of an on-the-spot investigation by the  
Commission. Some of the difficulties, which arose from the budgetary  
and administrative procedures in the Member State concerned, are  
being resolved. The Commission has changed the system for advances  
under the non-quota regulation in connection with the second series  
of specific Community actions.
"(Parliament)
4. Appreciates the fact that the Commission has reminded all services  
concerned of the provisions of the Financial Regulation concerning the  
correct and sound management of EC funds and points out that these  
concepts extend to the inclusion of the effectiveness criterion;"

- 25 -
.  Management of direct research action, indirect action and the energy sector.
The general statement is not acceptable. It ignores the efforts made for  
a number of years now to improve budgetary management in this area.
Parliament should also have taken account of the efforts made or being  
made by the Commission and its departments to respond in the best possible  
way to the Court's specific comments (see in particular Points 8.7, 8.8 - 8.13,  
8.18, 8.20, 8.21, 8.22, 8.31-8.35, 8.48, 8.56, 8.57, 8.59, 8.60 and 8.61).
The indiscriminate nature of this general reference to Chapter 8 of the  
Court's report is at odds with Parliament's more specific view contained in  
point 11 of its 10 April 1984 resolution: "Parliament expresses interest in
the efforts of the authorities of the Joint Research Centre to improve the  
scientific, managerial and financial efficiency of the Centre."
III. In some cases referred to in the resolution, the Court commented on  
matters of considerable importance for Community policy and which, in the  
Commission's view, involved political decisions based on a detailed  
examination of whether the policies should be adopted. The main concern  
was always the general interest of the Community, including sound management  
of its finances.
The Commission has paid particularly detailed attention to the comments  
which the Court prepared and sent to it following completion of the actions  
in question. It will take its conclusions into account should it have  
occasion to take measures of the same kind.

- 26 -
This is particularly true of the following cases:
.  Interest on late payments (3.15 - 3.T7, 1979)
As the Commission told Parliament on 18 May 1983, interest on late payments  
poses no problem if the 1980-81 budget dispute is left out of account.
The Irmer resolution on the 1979 discharge did no more than ask for the  
financial rules to be applied in the normal way. While the Commission  
was in full agreement with Parliament on this point, it felt that it should  
retain some discretionary power in this regard in the Community interest.
It did promise, however, to exercise this power in line with Parliament's  
wishes.
.  Special measures for the disposal of milk products (milk for schools;  
butter for the armed forces (4.73 - 4.86, 1979); management of expenditure  
on skimmed-milk powder (4.87 - 4.96, 1979)).
The Commission proposed the policy measures which it considered necessary  
under its own right of initiative, while emphasizing that overproduction of  
milk lay at the root of the problem. However, the Commission's  
proposals, made in the context of the annual farm price review, remained  
a dead letter until the partial decisions of 31 March 1984.
.  Anticipated depreciation of stocks (Poland) (4.33, 1980).
The Commission was required to implement this humanitarian decision,  
adopted by the Council on 1 and 2 December 1980 and expressly approved by  
Parliament on 18 December^ as a matter of urgency. In so doing it complied  
with Community rules, including those on the anticipated depreciation of  
stocks.” *^
Parliament resolution of 9 April 1981 on food supplies to Poland.

- 27 -
The Commission very much regrets that this measure has been subjected to  
further criticism on this point.
.  Anticipated depreciation of stocks (Poland) (4.20 - 4.22, 1981).
The circumstances surrounding this operation are described above  
(4.33, 1980). They were the result of decisions by the budgetary authority.  
Implementation of the depreciation procedure was the Commission's  
responsibility under the framework regulation, which it complied with.
The Commission very much regrets that this measure has been subjected  
to further criticism on this point.
.  Anticipated depreciation of stocks: decisions to be taken,· criteria^
publication of the value of quantities in storage (4.44 - 4.46, 1982).
The basis for the decisions to be taken by the Commission is Council
Regulation (EEC) No 1883/78 of 2 August 1978. The Commission believes
that the criteria listed by the Court could profitably be added to the
list of those it considers before taking a decision. The value of intervention
stocks at the end of each year is published in the financial report of the
EAGGF Guarantee Section.
.  Triangular traffic in rice (3.22 - 1980).
At a meeting of the Expert Group on Trade Mechanisms held on 18 February 1982,  
Commission departments reminded Member States of the Court's comments on  
triangular traffic in rice in its annual report for 1980.
The problem raised by the Court could be solved by introducing monetary  
compensatory amounts for rice. It should be remembered, however, that  
this can be done only if monetary compensatory amounts are necessary for  
the proper functioning of a common market organization and intervention

-  28  -
in particular. This is not the case in the rice sector. The anomaly  
noted by the Court of Auditors does not, in the Commission's opinion,  
endanger the operation of the common market organization, given producing  
regions in the Community on the one hand and traditional trade flows  
on the other.
Other ways of dealing with this type of traffic have been sought, so far  
without success.
The introduction of monetary compensatory amounts would be worse than  
the disease. It would create a further series of barriers to free movement  
which cannot be justified unless market organization mechanisms are in  
jeopardy.

- 29 -
Point 9 of Parti ament's resolution: Degree of commercial success in the
energy field
(Parliament) expects, in particular, a marked improvement in the follow-up  
given to energy demonstration projects, with a view to establishing whether  
these have achieved the degree of commercial success which renders the  
Community's financial aid repayable.
Reply
The Commission is alive to its duty to monitor projects and does what it  
can to secure repayment where projects reach the commercial exploitation  
stage. So far it has been agreed that a sum of 25 million ECU is to be  
refunded for hydrocarbons projects; of this 16 million ECU had been repaid  
at the end of 1983.
The first demonstration projects were launched in 1979 and very few of them  
have been completed as yet. As in the case of the hydrocarbons sector,
the Commission is monitoring these projects closely and will determine  
the reimbursement to be made by the firms concerned as soon as possible.
The comments made at the end of the reply to point 8 also apply here.

- 30 -
Points 10 and 11 of Parliament's resolution do not require a reply.
Point 12 of Parliament's resolution: Unsatisfactory implementation of
the budget.
(Parliament) recalls that, year after year, the Commission has inadequately  
executed amendments to the budget with a consequential adverse effect on  
the speedy implementation of policies and finds that the pattern of the  
implementation of the 1982 budget was, once again, unsatisfactory and  
believes that this is due, in part, to the failure of the Commission to  
adapt its personnel chart to the priorities expressed in the budget as  
adopted.
Reply
1. The utilization of appropriations under budget headings to which  
Parliament had added funds (including therefore the appropriations added  
by Parliament which do not appear separately) was good or very good in most  
cases in 1982 and 1983. This is clear from the table at Annex I and  
attached explanatory notes (sent to the rapporteur for the 'discharge on
6 March 1984).
2. There are many obstacles to the utilization of payment appropriations  
in the first year that they are entered in the budget and these can only  
be ignored by neglecting the principles of sound financial management,  
monitoring included.
3. The Commission's requests for posts and the use it makes of the posts  
it is granted come within its freedom to manage its own affairs.
The Commission allocates the posts granted by the budgetary authority in

- 31 -
the light of the reasons given by the authority in its decisions.
It notes that these invariably coincide with the requests it has made.  
Nevertheless, because the budgetary authority has never met all the  
Commission's requirements, it has to make choices and keep staffing in  
certain areas at a level it is powerless to increase.
At the rapporteur's suggestion, the new posts granted in the 1984 budget  
were approved only after the use made of those granted in previous years  
had been checked against Parliament's decisions.

- 32-
Point 14 of Parliament's résoluti on :
(Parliament) requests the Commission to consider ways of providing more  
and clearer statistical and explanatory information on the execution of  
the budget-
Reply
The inclusion of this request among the grounds for deferring the granting  
of a discharge in respect of the 1982 budget is most surprising.
Parliament receives copious, detailed information on implementation of  
the budget including:
- on the budget for the previous year:
.  the revenue and expenditure account (5 volumes) containing a detailed  
financial analysis of the implementation of the budget and notes;
- on the budget for the current year:
.  the quarterly report on the financial situation of the Community including  
an analysis of the utilization of appropriations for the year and, in  
particular, of carryovers, a summary of transfers of appropriations and  
a list of budget headings where there has been a delay in implementation.  
Since 1982, at the request of the Committee on Budgets, the third report  
for the year has been prepared to 31 August instead of 30 September so  
that it is available to Parliament before the first reading of the budget  
for the coming year;
.  monthly information on the utilization of EAGGF Guarantee Section  
appropriations;
explanations virtually every month by the Commission's representati  
to the Committee on Budgetary Control and replies to any specific  
request by Parliament;

- 33 -
.  regular detailed replies at the October part-session to the oral question  
on the utilization of appropriations voted by Parliament by means of  
amendments; this debate extends to the entire implementation of the  
budget.
In addition, where a supplementary and amending budget is submitted  
during the year, the adoption procedure is the occasion for an examination,  
often detailed, of the implementation of the current budget.
Over time, this considerable amount of information has been improved and  
extended, often at Parliament's request. It goes without saying that the  
Commission is perfectly willing to consider with Parliament any precise and  
specific request for improvements.

COMMISSION .
OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIESANNEX 1
Brussels, 6th March 1984
Dear Mrs Boserup,
In response to your request I am enclosing some notes which should  
help to rectify the shortcomings of the working paper on implementation  
of Parliament's amendments to the 1982 budget (PE 89.058).
It is unfortunate that the working paper fails to· take account of two  
factors which are vital to an accurate appraisal of the use made by  
the Commission of sums covered by Parliament's amendments to the 1982  
budget. These are:
(a) Sums committed under the budget headings in question. It is  
commitments that provide a true picture of action taken. Commitments  
will be followed by payments as soon as the conditions for payment  
are met. The tables in the Annex show that the level of commitments  
is entirely satisfactory.
(b) In implementation of the budget as conceived under Community law,  
payments cannot always be made in the first year appropriations  
are entered in the budget. For this reason no accurate appraisal  
can be made on the basis of payments in that year alone.
It follows from this, and the attached notes, that, contrary to the  
argument advanced in the working paper, utilization by the Commission  
of appropriations under budget headings reinforced by Parliament's  
amendments is satisfactory, if not highly satisfactory, in the vast  
majority of cases.
Provi.ion.1 .d d r ...: R o. d . I. Loi 200, B-1049 S ru.«.l. -  T .I.p h o n . 7 3 5 0 04 0 /7 3 B 80 4 0  -  T .I.gr.Phic ad d r.,,: "COMEUR ■
Talax: "21 877 COMÉU B"

I am sure that you will want to take these points into consideration.  
I am sending a copy of this letter to Mr Aigner.
Yours sincerely,
D. Strasser
Director-General for Budgets
Mrs B. Boserup
Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Budgetary Control,  
European Parliament,
Plateau du Kirchberg,
Luxembourg

Budg«t Liniinitial 
•ppropr V 
ations_
__1.-I—Pa
rt due to 
Parliament's 
amendments.
664' Application of legisla­
tion relating to pollu­
tion and nuisance 700 000
£6640 v 6641)
6670 Consumer protection
studies 400 000
6673 Measures required for 
the .application of the 
Consumer Directives 130 000
6701 Cultural' events of
European importance 170 000
6702 Conservation of the
architectural heritage p.m.
6703 Preparation European 
Music year
7015 Transport of radioactive
materials P-m.
721 Preparation of new
research programmes 1 150 000
752 Community projects in
the field of innovation 250 000
7770 Textile-clothing indus- 
i  try information system 300 000
1  780 Studies preliminaty to
1  financial aid in respect!
I  of transport infrastruc
|  sure 700 000
I  9201 food aid in cereals ·
]  (  other than rice S7 300 000
I  9221 food aid in sugar 1 400 000
j  923 Food aid in vegetable oi( P-m .
924 food aid (other
commodities) p.m.
9251 Transport costs for food
aid under current pro 
grammes |59 800 000
933 Cooperation with non-
associated developing 
countries on energy j
942 Advisory Committee on 
Development Policies
950 Aid to disaster victims 
in developing and other 
non-member countries
990 Operations under commer­
cial and aconomio co­
operation agreements with 
non-member. count r i e s'3 000 000900 000
30 000final 
appropri­
ations (1>
J-Appropria- 
tions com­mittedAppropria­
tions 
paid____
, .
.5.. . . f
Ut iti- |  Utili­
sation I  zation 
in X 4/3 in X 5/3
1 584 000 1  1 560 840
430 000
20 000 150 000
40 000 238 500
100 000 , 1  100 000iI
26 500 ;  26 500
500 000 350 000
150 000
550 000 
200 000
200 000
23 500 000 
1 400 QOO 
5 000 000
5 000 000 
15 000 000
3 000 OOC
2 600 0001 300 000
990 000 
500 000
900 000
92 820 002 
558 278
5 000  000
5 000 000 
49 885 616427 137
144 957 
238 148 
100 000 j 
26 221 |
344 675 j
\
1 259 853 !I
985 655 |
500 000 j
i
J
897 186 j
i  92 820 002 i  91 
!  '  558 278 !384 910
81 607
46 102 
186 490
0
26 221 
58 861 
491 018
319 976
150 000
320 018
993 400 
0
310 959
1 500 000 1 500 000
500 000 500 000
(ch. 100)5 000 000 i 1
4 775 000 ! 540 093
4V 885 616 ',24 507 837I
1 420 000 
499 95524 14798.5 
99,3
96.6
99.9
100,-
98.9
98.5
96.9 .
99.6
100, -
99.7
100, -
100 *-
100, -
95,5
100, -
94.7
76 000 000 Ì75 530 800
2 600 000 2 232 382286 890 100,24,3
19,-
30.7
78.2
o,-
98,9
16.8
37.8
32.3 '  
30,-
35,6
99.1
0,-
26.2
10.8
49,1
1,6
57.4
35 175 800 99,4 j 46,3
.  745 196 85,9 28,7
(1) Including transfers

Table I :  Non-dlfferentiated appropriations
8udget lintInitialappropri­
ationsPart due to 
Parliament's 
amendments .Final 
appropri­
ations (1)Appropria­
tions com­
mittedAppropria­
tions
paidUtili­
zation 
in X 
4/3Utili­
zation 
in X 
5/3
1 2 3 4 5 67
5100 Regional studies at 
request Member-states 350 000 . 50’  000 400 000 399 181 93 345 99,8 23,3
5410 Preparatory studies for 
integrated operations*  % 
p.m. 2 000 000 2 000 000 409 953 020,5 0
5111 Community measures in 
framework of integrated 
operations p.m. 16 000 000 16 000 000 0 0 00
630 Implementation of the 
education programme 2 500 000 950 000 3 450 000 3 443 546 1 811 100 99,8 52,5
632 européen Centre
Development Vocational 
Training 3 800 000 200 000 4 000 000 4 000 000 3 600 000 100,- 90,-
633 Activities relating to 
vocational training 110 000 90 000 200 000 197 543 82 785 97,341,4
634 Continuing training 350 000 350 000 345 000 49 530 98,614,2 ·
6441 Social integration of 
handicapped, persons 175 000 65 000 240 000 232 441 81 457 96,933,9
6431 Public health studies 
and measures 250 000 150 000 400 000 346 494 163 685 86,640,9
6482 Health protection,
hygiene and safety at 
work . 1 500 000 180 000 1 640 000 1 625 895 694 670 99,142,4 .
650 Contribution to ECSC
.social measures restruc­
turing steel industry•
SO 000 000 50 000 000 50 000 000 50 000 000 100,- 100,-
6610 Aid for development of 
clean technologies p.a. 1 500 000 1  500 000 1 500 000 183 165 100,- 12,2
6612 Implementation Community 
rulos governing certain 
forms of pollution p.m. i ooo ooo 1 000 000 975 767 097,6 0
6620 Community participation 
action plan' for the 
Mediterranean p.m. 420 000 420 000 420 000 420 000 100,- 100,-
6621 Protection marine 
environment 500 000 100 ooo 600 000 565 769 72 479 94,3 12,1
663 Environmental projects |  300 000 30 000 330 000 326 501 296 535 98,9 89,9
(1) Including transfers

Table II :  Differentiated appropriât ions
Budget line
500 £*0F - Support of natio- 89Q ODO 000
nal regional policies (1-520 0CU 000)Initial 
appropr ia 
tions
510 E8DF - Specific com­
munity measures
6000 E$F - Aid to the agri­
cultural sector
6001 £$F - Aid to the textile 
( sec tor
6010 6SF - Aid vocational
training and geographtca 
mobility o' young people
AOtt 6SF - Aid to promote em­
ployment of young people
605 ESF - Measures for 
migrant workers
6100 £SF - Aid to improve 
employment in certain 
reg ions
6101 £$F - Aid to improve em­
ployment ini certain 
groups of undertakings
6102 ESF - Aid tp improve em­
ployment in^ certain eco­
nomic sectors
611 £Sf - Measures for handi 
capped persons
620 ESF - Pilot schemes
6470 Pilot projects on better 
housing for handicapped 
workers
6611 Protection of natural 
environment
6613 Environmental measures 
helping to create new 
jobs»
7030 Mew sources of energy:
liquefaction and gasifi­
cation of solid fuels
(1) Including transfersPart due to
Pifliamenc1  :  
amendments
♦ 125 CEO 000(chu 1 0 0 ) 1 1 
(♦ 149 000 C00) 
<ch. 100)Fifjal
appropri­
ations(1)
1 015 000 000 
817 694 268>|a
<80 000 003)
5 977 SCO 
£5 200 000)
7 158 600 
<13 500 000)
205 164 Cm< Z74 to o  an)
82 951 200 
(112 1C0 000)
25 018 200oi 2 0 0  o c o )
320 734 8C0 
<410 200 COO)
3 542 403 
<8 300 OCO)
17 416 800
<26 000 C00)
53 357 400 
<93 500 C00)
2 361 «30 
<3 100 000)
<900 000)
pja.
P -».
(pa.)(♦ 10 503 C00) <
♦ 1 472 200 
<* 2 3CQ 030)
+ 4 681 400 
(* 6 025 003)
■:♦· 34 256 000 
(+ 65 5C0 CC0)60 000 000 
111 819 340)
7 450 000 
<9 840 787)
11 840 000 
<27 757 707)
301 920 000 
<475 505 134)
♦ 19 488 800 
(+.25 488 800)j<154
+ 11 031 800 
<+ 16 «33 000)
+ 47 675 SD 
(♦ 67 675 330)1619 990 916>;
«· 6 297 600 
(t 8 400 000)
♦ 18 533 20) 
(+ 27 533 200)
♦ 28 242 600 
(* 22 242
*· 1 638 400 
<* 8Cp
<<■ 600 000)
♦ . 1  000 000
<♦ 2 500 000))
* ·■ 500 CEO 
«■ 1 500 000)
(♦ 16 000 033)98 440 000 
916 661 :Utili tat ion 
of commit- 
■ent appro­
priât ionsUt ilitat ion 
ol payment 
appropr i  a- 
t ions
36 050 000 
(51 424 082)
393 410 000
9 840 000 
(17 998 379)
35 950 000 
(59 946 974)
91 600 000 
600) 112 8 7 7 2 297)
000 )4 000 000 
<4 606 087)
700 000 
CI 5762Ü8)
1  000 000 
<2 500 000)
500 000. 
(1 500 000)
5 000 000 
<35 821 399)812 130 748)
<32 739 369) 
(9 651 040) 
(26 470 396) 
(453 015 855)
0 46 460 301)
‘  (50 740 953) 
698 027 155)
(16 751 999)
(58 552 673)
021 691 483)
(2 715 245) 
(1 473 398)
(2 014 439) 
(1 429 800)
(19 417 296)Utili­
zation 
in X 
4/3
917 044 223
20 200 003 
6 344 828 
11 834 953 
277 943 358
97 815 771 
35 169 936 
258 355 126
8 883 850
25 616 915
91 125 248
381 075 
354 593
0
099.7
29.3
98.1
95.4
95.3
94.5
98.7
96.5
93.1
97.7
94.5
58,9
93.5
80.6
95.3
54.2Utili­
zation 
in X 
5/3
90.3
33.7
85.2
100,-
92,1
99.4
97.6
64.8
90.3
71.3
99.5
9,5
50.7
0
0
P.S. Appropriations between brackets refer to commitment appropriations
•2

_II I  Differentiated apprppr iat ions
Bu
dget lineInitial
appropria­
tions
7052 ht« sources of energy: 
solar energy
701 Energy-saviny program**
7351 Research:- primary raw 
mater i  als
7359 Research and development 
in the raw materials 
sector
7368 Biology and health 
protection
7369 Sectoral programme - 
Environment
7370 Biomolecular engineering
7375 Research and development 
In the field of teitiles
and clothing
7502 Third plan of action fo 
the information market
751 Activities supplementary 
to the three-years plans
7702 Operations for the
development of data pro 
cess ing
7710 Operations for develop­
ing microelectronics 
technology
7711 Inter-institutional 
information systems
781 Financial support for
transport infrastructure 
projec t s
930 Financial and technical 
cooperation with non- 
associated developing 
countries (NAOC's)
931 Promotion of trade 
relations with NAOC's
•9340 Scholarships, training 
courses for· nationals 
of NAOC's
941 Community contribution 
towards NGO's aid 
schemesPart due to 
Parliament's 
amendments
(pm.)
(-)
p.m. 
(p.m.)
7 468 CC0 
(6 968 000) I
3 780 ó tri
(13 am am> 1
P·*·
(p.m.)
p.m. 
(p.m.)
3 500 C 00 
(5 coo ami
i 600 am 
(i am am)
7 am am 
a  ooo am)
2 am am 
do am am>
p.m.
(p.m.)
(p.m.)
(iso am am)
4 5 0 0  am  
(6 250 C O O )
(p_m.)
' 13 5oo am 
(16 am am>(+ 5 oio ami
t is am am 
(♦ 20 am ami
♦  3( S ’®Final
appropri a- 
t iot\s 
(1)
(♦ 9  1 5 6  a m i(ch 100)
♦ 2 a m  am  < ♦ 5 0 0  a m i
♦ 977 am(♦ 2  0 5 7  a m >
♦ 1 am  a m
(ch 103) (♦ 3  a m  a m >  (ch im>
♦ 1 7 5 0  a m
(ch 100) 
(♦ 4 2CO-CC0) 
(ch 100)
v  6 o d  am
(♦ 3 100 000)
♦ < ·  7 0 0  a m
( ♦  1 200  000 )
♦ 3  am  a m
O- 4 000 000)'rrrJootr'
< 8  379 543)
W 000 000 
« 1 2  267855)
4 000 000 
(1  292 747)
3 838 000 
«  721 000)
8 868 000 
< 9  352 796)
4 396 665 
(19 180 631)
900 000 
(3 000 000)
920 000
(3 630 000)
4 100 000 
«  154 503)
2 065 000 
< 2  320 952)
7 370000 
l 9 290 601)
♦;■ 9 am ooo 
(♦3 o  amUt ili tat ion 
of commit­
ment appro­
priât ions
11 000 000
aX »K 40 000 000)
♦  3 4co am 
( ♦  4 «33 000)
(♦ 10 am am)
(ch .100)
.( ♦ 35 ooo ooo)
♦  1  500 000 
(♦ 1  750 000)
(♦ 2  5 0 0  a m >
♦  6 500 000
(♦ 4  am  o o o )3 400 000 
(5 070 337)
(10 000 000)
168 000 000 
l 275 336 954)
6 000 000 
(9 177 848)
1  000 000 
(2 500 000)
28 000 000 
(28 369 418)Ut ili iJ t ion 
of payment 
appropr ia- 
t ionsUtili- 
zat ion 
in X 
4/3
(3 265 542) 
(26018 429) 
758 867
(578 053)
<7 219 321) 
(15 533 528)
t
<2 877 740)
(3 293 087) 
(2 001 539) 
(1 862 782) 
(6 078 139)
(234 002)
(3 488 845)
(135 052 143)
(7 016 142) 
(1 383 930)
(26 920 362)— o ----------
4 
271 446 
3 990 732 
529 368
6 231 224 
3 257 541 
381 158
103 692
1  153 959 
1  599 143 
1  377 363
74 935
369 141
t
52 834 450
5 989 615 
801 718
18 357 455Utili­
zation 
in X 
5/3
_ 6_
39.0
61,6
58.7
5.9
77.2
81.0
95,9
90.7 
24,5
80.3
65.4
0,6
68.8
0
4 9,-
76.4
55.4
94.923.7
99.8
13.8
70.3
74.1
42.4
11.3
28.1
77.4
18.7
0,7
10.9
31,*
99.8 
80,2
65,6
(1) including transfers
P.S. /y^propr iat ions between brackets refer to ccumritment appropriations

NOTES ON A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC CASES
A. NON-DIFFERENTIATED APPROPRIATIONS  
Integrated operations
(a) Item 5411 - Community measures -in the framework of integrated operation.:
The 16 million ECU appropriation entered following Parliament's  
amendment relates to a proposal presented by the Commission on  
18 November 1981 for a housing project/in Northern Ireland. The Coünci.  
did not take a decision until 21 June 1983. Between then and the  
end of 1983 the Commission committed 99.8% and paid 92.50% of the  
appropriation.
Cb) Item 5410 - Preparatory studies for integrated operations
Since Member States submitted their requests for studies late in the  
year, only 410 000 ECU had to be committed.

B. DIFFERENTIATED APPROPRIATIONS
1. Article 510 - ERDF - Specific Community measures (non-quota section)
Of the V O .5 million ECU entered in the budget, 11.4 million ECU were  
committed; 79.1 million ECU were thus available for 1983. In 1983  
all of the commitment appropriations and 15.63% of the payment appropriation  
were utilized. The problem here is that the resources of the non-quota  
section (5% of the quota section) exceed the annual cost in terms of  
commitment appropriations of five specific measures approved by the Council.  
Furthermore, the measures were not.implemented by the Member States at  
the rate originally planned. The Commi ssion did present a second series  
of complementary or new measures to the Council for a total of 710 million  
ECU over five years. But since the Counci l-did not complete its examination  
of this second series, commitments could not be made.
2. Article 620 - Social Fund - Pilot schemes and preparatory studies
'The low utilization rate for this Article is partly due to a substantial  
carryover from 1981 of 2 million ECU, all of which was used, and partly  
to further delays caused by the need to amend several contracts. In 1983  
all of the commitment appropriations and 48.05% of the payment appropriation  
were utilized.
3. Item 7030 - Projects for the liquefaction and gasification of solid fuels
Although the Commission submitted a draft decision for a total of  
18.98 million ECU to the Council on 16 November 1981, the Council did not  
adopt it until 29 July 1982.
In 1982 54.2% of the commitment appropriations were used; in 1983 all of  
the commitment appropriations and 48.90% of the payment appropriations  
were used.
A. Item 7032 - Projects concerning solar energy  
In 1982 39% of the commitment appropriations were used.
The rate 'of 'uti lization was adversely affected by the fact that certain drav'L  
contracts had still to be drawn up, while others were withdrawn by the  
proposers.
Of the 5 million ECU in commitment and payment appropriations carried over  
to 1983, all of the commitment appropriations and 33.82% of the payment  
appropriations were used.
5. Article 704 - Community energy saving programme
Two draft decisions for a total of 25.7 million ECU were not adopted by the  
Council until 29 July 1982.
The Commission had submitted these to the Council on 22 December 1981  
(18.89 million ECU) and 25 February 1982 (6.86 million ECU) respectively.
The resultant delays in preparing and confirming contracts limited the  
scope for using payment appropriations in 1983.

In 1982 61 .'6% of the commitment appropriations were used.
In 1983 all of the remaining commitment appropriations and 76.24% of the  
payment appropriations were used.
6. Item 7351 - Primary raw materials - indirect action
In 1982 this Item was only allocated payment appropriations, 99.8% of which  
were used. Of the commitment appropriations remaining from 1981, 58.7%  
were used. In 1983, all of the available appropriations were used.
7. Item 7359 - Research and development in the raw materials sector - indirect  
action
No appropriations were transferred to this Item.from Chapter 100 until i 
July 1983, following the programme decision. Because of unexpectedly long  
tendering times the contracts were not ready until the' beginning of 1983.
It will be noted that in 1983/ both commitment and payment appropriations  
for this heading had to be increased by a transfer. All of the commitment^  
appropriations and 99.98% of the payment appropriations were used.
8. Item 7368 - Biology and health protection
Utilization of commitments ,(77.2%) was slowed down by appropriations  
remaining from 1981. If these were left out of account, utilization would  
have been 96.7%. The utilization rate for payments (70.3%) is due to late  
submission by beneficiaries of the interim and final reports, on the basis  
of which progress payments and outstanding balances are paid.
All of the commitment and payment appropriations remaining from 1982 were  
used in 1983.
9. item 7368 - Sectoral programme - environment
Utilization of commitments (81%) was slowed down by appropriations remaining  
from 1981; otherwise it would have been 98%. The utilization rate for  
payments (74.1%) was again due to late submission by beneficiaries of  
interim and final reports.
All of the commitment appropriations and 93% of the payment appropriations  
remaining from 1982 were used in 1983.
10. Item 7502 - Third plan of action (1981 to 1983) for the information market
Implementation of the plan fell about six months behind schedule in 1982.
As regards development of the information market, the criteria to be defined  
under the tendering procedure were not approved by the Council until the en  
of 1982. As a result calls for tender could not be issued until the end  
of the year. The six-month delay in launching the plan meant that almost  
50% of the commitment appropriations had to be carried over to the following  
year. As regards EUR0NET (second phase of the project) negotiations were  
in progress throughout the year with the telecommunications authorities  
(PTT) to determine the Community's contribution to operating costs.
In 1983 the outturn of this Item proved even better than the Commission's  
most optimistic forecasts.
All of the commitment and 41.58X of the payment appropriations for 1982 were ■  
used in 1983.
it

11. Item 7702 - Community operations for the development of data processing
The utilization rate is explained by the fact that contract negotiations were  
often lengthy and arduous. The utilization rate for commitments was 65.4%  
in 1982; in 1983, all of the commitment appropriations and 69.12% of the  
payment appropriations carried over were used.
12. Item 7710 - Community operations for developing microelectronics technology
The Commission undertook the necessary preparatory work in 1982. A study was  
carried out and the first calls for tender issued by the Commission were  
closed. Proposals for a sum of roughly 26 million ECU were received. No  
appropriations could be commited in 1982 because of the time needed to  
negotiate contracts. The operation was largely implemented in 1983, for the  
most part with appropriations remaining from 1982; all of the commitment  
appropriations and 44.46% of the payment appropriations were used.
13. Article 781 - Financial support for transport infrastructure projects
This Article received a transfer of 10 million ECU from Chapter 100. Since  
the legal basis (confined to 1982) was not adopted by the Council until  
30 December 1982 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3600/82 on the granting of  
limited support in the field of transport infrastructures) the Commission  
could not provide support for the three transport infrastructure projects  
covered by the Regulation until 1983. The appropriations remaining from 1982  
were therefore used in 1983.
14. Article 930 - Financial and technical cooperation with non-associated
developing countries .
Item 9340 - Scholarships, visits from experts, further training courses
for nationals of non-associated developing countries
(a) As regards Article 930, implementation of the 1982 programme of  
financial aid to non-associated developing countries encountered delays  
due to recognized problems beyond the Commission's control, notably:
- the absence of multiannual programming, which makes it difficult to  
identify projects;
- the increase in the number of recipient countries, which is creating  
new administrative problems.
An effort was made to catch up in 1982 when the utilization rate was  
52% for commitments and 37% for payments. But in 1983 all of the  
commitment appropriations and 87% of the payment appropriations for  
1982 were used, indicating that the effort was·sustained.
(b) In 1982 Item 9340 was allocated much larger differentiated appropriation  
than in 1981. This raised an absorption problem but all of the  
remaining commitment and payment appropriations were used in 1983.

MAIN PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE  
COMMUNITY PRESENTED BY THE COMMISSION SINCE  
1982

ECONOMIC AND MONETARY POLICY
Communication from the Commission to the Council: Budget discipline  
and economic convergence  
C0M(82)422 final - 1.7.1982
Proposal for a Council Decision empowering the Commission to contract  
loans under the New Community Instrument for the purpose of promoting  
investment within the Community  
C0M(82)601 final - 19.10.1982  
amended by
C0MC83)15 final - 14.1.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 18.4.1983)
Commission Communication to the Council on the problem of investment  
C0MC82)365 final - 9.6.1982
Commission Communication to the Council on initiatives for promoting  
investment
C0MC82)641 final - 11.10.1982
Commission Communication on investment to the European Council  
C0M(82)788 final - 25.11.1982
Communication to the Council: Tax and financial measures in favour  
of investment
C0MC83)218 final - 29.4.1983
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the extension of the medium-term
financial assistance
C0MC82)747 final - 22.11.1982
(Adopted by the Council on 17.12.1982)
Communication to the Council: Financial Integration
C0M(83)207 final - 15.4.1983
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on interest subsidies for  
certain loans granted under the European Monetary System  
C0M(83)275 final - 7.6.1983
Communication to the Council and Draft Council Resolution: Development  
of the European Monetary System  
C0M(82)133 final - 10.3.1982
Draft Council Resolution on the promotion of the international role  
of the ECU
C0M(83)274 final - 17.5.1983

-  2 -
■  Communication to the Council: Five years of monetary cooperation  
in Europe
C0MC84)125 final - 5.3.1984
.  Communication to the Counci l . *  towards Community financing of innovation  
in small and medium-sized enterprises and Proposal for a Council Decision  
empowering the Commission to help finance innovation within the Community  
C0MC83)241 final - 7.6.1983
.  Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 628/81  
concerning the Community loan mechanism designed to support the balances  
of payments of Community Member States  
C0M(84)309 final - 29.5.1984

- 3 -
INTERNAL MARKET
Communication to the Council: Strengthening the internal market  
(C0M(82)399 final - 9.7.1982
Communication to the Council on re-activating the European internal  
market
C0M(82)735 final - 12.11.1982
Report by the Commission to the Council: Assessment of the function
of the Internal Market  
C0MC83)80 final - 21.2.1983
Communication to the European Council, 21/22 March 1983: Internal
market problems
C0MC83)144 final - 16.3.1983
Communication to the Council: Consolidating the internal market
C0M(84)305 final - 30.5.1984
Communication to the European Council, Fontainebleau: Consolidating
the internal market  
C0M(84)350 final - 15.6.1984
Proposals for Council Regulations simplifying formalities in trade  
within the Community and introducing a Single Customs Document  
C0MC82)401 final - 1.7.1982  
amended by
C0M(83)163 final - 20.3.1983
Draft Council Resolution on the easing of the formalities relating  
to checks on citizens of Member States at the Community's internal  
frontiers
C0M(82)400 - 2.7.1984
(Resolution adopted by the Council on 7.6.1984)
Interim Report to Parliament: Realities and tendencies in European
television - perspectives and options  
C0MC83)229 final - 31.5.1983
Television without Frontiers - Green Paper on the establishment of  
the common market for broadcasting, especially by satellite and cable  
C0MC84)300 final - 28.6.1984
Amended Proposal for a Fifth Directive founded on Article 54(3)(G)  
of the Treaty concerning the structure of public limited companies  
and the powers and obligations of their organs  
C0M(83)185 final - 19.8.1983

- 4 -
INDUSTRIAL POLICY
.  Communication to the European Council: Community industrial strateqy
C0MC83)150 final - 16.3.1983
.  Communication to the Council: Community action programme regarding
forestry and forest-based industries  
C0MC83)222 final - 8.6.1983
.  Communication to the Council: Discussion paper for the special Council
meeting of 20-21 September 1983 on the Question of improving the  
international competitive position of European firms  
C0M(83)547 final - 15.9.1983  
followed by
Communication from the Commission to the Council: Community measures
to improve the international competitiveness of European firms  
C0M(83)578 final - 29.9.1983

NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Communication to the Council: Towards a European strategic programme
for research and development in information technologies (ESPRIT)  
C0M(82)287 final - 26.5.1982  
followed by
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting the first European strategic  
programme for research and development in information technologies  
(ESPRIT)
C0M(83)258 final - 25.5.1983  
and
Draft Council Decision adopting the 1984 work programme
C0M(84)56 final - 17.2.1984
(Adopted by the Council on 28 February 1984)
Communication to the Council: Biotechnology - the Community's role
C0M(83)328 final - 7.6.1983  
followed by
Communication to the Council: Biotechnology in the Community
C0M(83)672 final - 29.9.1983
and
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a multiannual action programme  
in the field of biotechnology (1985/1989)
C0M(84)230 final - 11.5.1984
Communication to the Council: Telecommunications
C0M(83)329 final - 8.6.1983  
followed by
Communication to the Council on telecommunications - Progress report  
on the thinking and work done in the field and initial proposals for  
an action programme  
C0M(84)277 final - 23.5.1984

-  6 -
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Communication to the Council: Stimulating the Community's scientific
and technical potential - experimental phase 1983
Draft Resolution of the Council concerning the implementation of a
Community activity to stimulate the efficacy of the Community's scientific
and technical potential
C0M(82)493 final - 6.8.1982
followed by
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting an experimental Community  
action to stimulate the efficacy of the European Economic Community's  
scientific and technical potential  
C0M(82)808 final - 3.12.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 28.6.1983)
Communication to the Council: Revision of the Current JRC programme
for 1983 and the next programme for 1984-1987  
C0M(82)843 final - 7.12.1983  
followed by
Communication from the Commission to the Council: The future activities
of the JRC
C0MC83)107 final - 24.2.1983
Communication to the Council concerning the multi-annual programme  
of the JRC (1984-1987)
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a research programme to be  
implemented by the Joint Research Centre (1984-1987)
C0M(83)327 final - 10.6.1983  
amended by
C0M(83)640 final - 26.10.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 22.12.1983)
Proposals for a European scientific and technical strategy framework  
programme (1984-1987)
C0M(82)865 final - 22.12.1982  
followed by
Proposal for a Council Decision on the framework programme for Community  
scientific and technical activities 1984/1987  
C0M(83)260 final - 20.5.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 25.7.1983)
Communication from the Commission to the Council concerning research-action  
programme on industrial technologies
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a multiannual research and  
development programme in the field of basic technological research  
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a multiannual research and  
development programme in the field of the application of new technologies  
C0M(83)350 final - 24.6.1983
Communication from the Commission to the Council - Community research  
priorities
C0M(84)287 final - 29.5.1984

- 7 -
.  Communication from the Commission to the Council concerning a research
and training programme 1985 to 1989 in the field of controlled thermonuclear  
fusion - realization of a tritium handling laboratory  
C0M(84)271 - 22.5.1984
. Communication from the Commission to the Council: First plan for
stimulating European cooperation and scientific and technical interchange  
1985-1988
C0M(84)46 final - 6.2.1984  
followed by
Communication from the Commission to the Council - Stimulating European  
cooperation and scientific and technical interchange - plan 1985-1988  
C0M(84)215 final - 16.4.1984

-  8 -
ENERGY
Communication to the Council: The oil refining industry of the
Community
C0M(83)304 final - 7.6.1983
Communication to the Council: Community energy strategy - progress
and guidelines for future action  
C0MC83)305 final - 7.6.1983
Communication to the Council: Proposals for a balanced solid fuels
policy
C0M(83)309 final - 14.6.1983
Communication to the Council: Energy and energy research in the
Community - a five-year programme of action and its financing  
C0M(83)315 final - 7.6.1983
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) concerning financial support  
of the Community in favour of industries producing solid fuels  
C0M(83)447 final - 12.8.1983

- 9 -
REGIONAL POLICY
Second series of specific Community regional development measures  
(non-quota section)
C0M(82)658 final - 19.11.1982
(Adopted by the Council as six regulations in January 1984)
.  Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC)
No 724/75 establishing a European Regional Development Fund  
C0M(83)649 final - 18.11.1983
(replacing the Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending  
Regulation (EEC) No 724/75 establishing a European Regional Development  
Fund
C0M(81)589 final - 29.10.1981  
amended by C0M(82)572 final - 9.9.1982)
(Adopted by the Council on 19.6.1984)

-  10  -
STRUCTURAL FUNDS
.  Report and Proposals on ways of increasing the effectiveness of the  
Community's structural funds  
C0MC83)501 - 28.7.1983
.  Proposals for the Integrated Mediterranean Programmes  
C0MC83)24 final - 24.3.1983  
followed by
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) instituting Integrated  
Mediterranean Programmes  
C0M(83)495 final - 23.8.1983

COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY
Communication from the Commission to the Council: Common agricultural
policy: proposals of the Commission
C0M(83)500 final - 28.7.1983  
followed by
Proposals on the fixing of prices for agricultural products and related  
measures (1984/1985)
C0MC84)20 final - 17 and 24.1.1984  
and C0MC84)190 final - 22.3.1984  
(Adopted by the Council on 31.3.1984)
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on improving the efficiency  
of agricultural structures
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Council Regulation  
(EEC) No 355/77 on common measures to improve the conditions under  
which agricultural products are processed and marketed and  
Council Regulation (EEC) No 1820/81 on the stimulation of agricultural  
development in the less-favoured areas of the West of Ireland  
C0M(83)559 final - 10.10.1983
(The second of these proposals, concerning the amendment of  
Regulations Nos 355/77 and 1820/80, was adopted by the Council on  
19 June 1984)

-  1 2  -
FISHERIES
.  Modified proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) establishing a  
Community system for the conservation and management of fishery  
resources
(Adopted by the Council on 25.1.1933)

- 13 -
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL POLICY
.  Communication to the Council concerning the European Social Fund  
Council Decision on the tasks of the European Social Fund  
C0M(82)485 final - 15.10.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 17.10.1983)
.  Communication of the Commission to the Standing Committee on Employment:  
Reorganization of available work: young people and the labour market  
C0M(82)661 final - 18.10.1982
.  Communication to the Council concerning vocational training policies  
in the European Communities in the 1980's
Draft Resolution of the Council concerning vocational training policies  
in the European Communities in the 1980's  
C0M(82)637 final - 28.10.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 11.7.1983)
.  Proposal for a Council Resolution on a second programme of action  
of the European Communities on safety and health at work  
C0M(82)690 final - 4.11.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 27.2.1984)
.  Communication to the Council: Social security problems - points
for consideration  
C0M(82)716 final - 18.11.1982
.  Memorandum on the reduction and reorganization of working time  
C0M(82)809 final - 14.12.1982  
followed by
Draft Council Recommendation on the reduction and reorganization of  
working time
C0M(83)543 final - 23.9.1983
.  Communication to the Council: The promotion of employment for young
people
Draft Council Resolution on the promotion of youth employment  
C0M(83)211 final - 25.4.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 23.1.1984)
.  Proposal for a Council Directive on the implementation of the
principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social
security schemes
C0M(83)217 final - 5.5.1983

- 14 -
■  Amended Proposal for a Council Directive on procedures for informing  
and consulting employees  
C0M(83)292 final - 13.7.1983
.  Proposal for a Council Decision on the comparabi lity of vocational
training qualifications between the Member States of the European Community  
C0M(83)482 final - 10.9.1983  
amended by
C0M(84)406 - 17.7.1984
.  Communication to the Council: Women's unemployment in the Community
C0M(83)653 final - 17.11.1983  
followed by
Draft Counci l Resolution concerning action to combat unemployment  
amongst women
C0M(84)74 final - 22.2.1984  
(Adopted by the Council on 7.6.1984)
.  Communication to the Council: Community action to combat unemployment -
the contribution of local initiatives
Draft Council Resolution on the contribution of local employment initiatives  
to combatting unemployment  
C0M(83)662 final - 22.11.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 7.6.1984)
.  Proposal for a Council Directive on parental leave and leave for family  
reasons
C0M(83)686 final - 24.11.1983
.  Communication to the Council: Technological change and social adjustment
C0M(84)6 final - 1.2.1984
(Conclusions adopted by the Council on 4 and 7.6.1984)
.  Proposal for a Council Directive of the principle of equal treatment  
for men and women in self-employed occupations, including agriculture,  
and on protection during pregnancy and maternity  
C0M(84)57 final - 15.3.1984
.  Draft Council Recommendation on the promotion of positive action for  
women
C0M(84)234 final - 26.4.1984
.  Reflections on Community social policy  
SEC(84)839 final - 25.5.1984
(Medium-term social action programme, adopted by the Council on  
22 June 1984)

- 15 -
TRANSPORT
.  Proposal for a Council Directive on the facilitation of formalities
and inspections in respect of the carriage of goods between Member States  
C0M(82)189 final - 20.4.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 1.12.1983)
.  Communication to the Council: Initial guidelines for a Community
policy on tourism  
C0M(82)385 final - 5.7.1982
(Resolution adopted by the Council on 10.4.1984)
. Communication to the Council: Progress towards a common transport
policy - inland transport
Proposal for a Council Resolution on the implementation, in stages,  
of a series of measures in the field of the common policy for inland  
transport
C0M(83)58 final - 11.2.1983
.  Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC)
No 3164/76 on the Community quota for the carriage of goods by road  
between Member States  
C0M(83)340 final - 15.6.1983
. Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on financial support for a  
multi-annual transport infrastructure programme  
C0M(83)474 final - 9.8.1983  
amended by
C0M(84)161 final - 29.3.1984
.  Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 75/327/EEC on the
improvement of the situation of railway undertakings and the harmonization  
of rules governing financial relations between such undertakings and  
states
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Council Regulation  
(EEC) No 1107/70 on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road  
and inland waterway  
C0M(83)764 final - 17.1.1984
.  Communication and Draft Council Resolution on the implementation of  
a Community programme on road safety  
C0M(84)170 final - 20.3.1984
.  Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 83/181/EEC determining  
the scope of Article 14(1)(d) of Directive 77/388/EEC as regards exemption  
from value added tax on the final importation of certain goods  
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 68/297/EEC on  
the standardization of provisions regarding the duty-free admission  
of fuel contained in the fuel tanks of commercial motor vehicles  
C0M(84)171 final - 20.3.1984

- 16 -
Communication from the Commission to the Council: Progress towards
the development of a Community air transport policy  
Proposal for a Council Decision on bilateral agreements,. arrangements  
and memoranda of understanding between Member States relating to  
air transport
Amended Proposal for a Council Directive on fares for scheduled air  
transport between Member States
Amendments to the Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying  
down the procedure for the rules on competition applying to undertaki  
in the air transport sector
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the application of  
Article 85(3) of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements and  
concerted practices in the air transport sector
Proposal for a Council Decision on non-discrimination and standstill  
provisions in air transport  
C0MC84)72 final - 20.3.1984

- 17 -
ENVIRONMENT
Amended Draft Resolution of the Council of the European Communities  
and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States  
meeting within the Council on the continuation and implementation  
of a European Community policy and action programme on the environment  
C0M(82)616 final - 21.10.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 7.2.1983)
Proposal for a Council Directive on the combating of air pollution  
from industrial plants  
C0M(83)173 final - 15.4.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 28.6.1984)
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on action by the Community  
relating to the environment (ACE)
C0M(82)849 final - 13.1.1983  
amended by
C0M(83)307 final - 25.5.1983
Proposal for a Council Directive on the supervision and control of  
transfrontier shipment of hazardous wastes within the European Community  
C0M(82)892 final - 17.1.1983  
amended by
C0M(83)386 final - 29.6.1983
Proposal for a Council Directive on the limitation of emissions of  
pollutants into the air from large combustion plants  
C0M(83)704 final - 19.12.1983
Proposals for Council Directives on the lead content of petrol and  
measures to be taken against air pollution by gases from engines of  
motor vehicles  
C0M(84)226 final - 6.6.1984

- 18 -
CONSUMER PROTECTION
.  Amended Proposal for a Council Decision introducing a Community system  
for the rapid exchange of information on consumer products  
C0MC82)837 final - 20.12.1982  
(Adopted by the Council on 2.3.1984)
. Communication to the Council: Unfair terms in contracts concluded
with consumers  
C0M(84)55 final - 14.2.1984

- 19 -
TAXATION
.  Proposal for a Fourteenth Council Directive on the harmonization of  
the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes - Deferred  
payment of the tax payable on importation by taxable persons  
C0MC82)402 final - 9.7.1982
.  Proposal for a Twelfth Council Directive on the harmonization of the  
laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes - Common system  
of value added tax: expenditure not eligible for deduction of value
added tax
C0M(82)870 final - 25.1.1983
. Proposal for a Sixth Council Directive amending Directive 69/169/FEC  
on the harmonization of provisions laid down by law, regulatioa or  
administrative action relating to exemption from turnover tax and  
excise duty on imports in international travel  
C0M(83)117 final - 2-8.4.1983  
amended by
C0MC84)103 final - 1.3.1984
.  Proposal for a Seventh Council Directive amending Directive 69/169/EEC  
on the harmonization of provisions laid down by law, regulation or  
administrative actions relating to exemption from turnover tax and  
excise duty on imports in international travel  
C0MC83)166 final - 11.4.1983  
amended by
C0M(84)102 final - 29.2.1984  
(Adopted by the Council on 30.4.1984)
.  Proposal for a Fourth Council Directive amending Directive 74/651/EEC  
on the tax reliefs to be allowed on the importation of goods in small  
consignments of a non-commercial character within the Community  
C0M(83)730 final - 13.12.1983
.  Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 69/169/EEC on  
the harmonization of provisions laid down by law, regulation or  
administrative action relating to exemption from turnover tax and  
excise duty on imports in international travel  
C0M(84)182 final - 2.4.1984

-  20  -
GREEK MEMORANDUM
Communist ion to the Council on the Greek Government memorandum of  ly March 1982
C0M(82)348 final - 14.6.1982
Communication to the Council and the European Parliament - Greece  
in the Community - assessment and proposals  
C0M(83)134 final - 29.3.1984
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) extending the common measure  
provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 1975/82 on the acceleration of  
agricultural development in certain regions of Greece  
C0M(83)468 final - 22.7.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 5.3.1984)
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on special measures in favour  
of Greece in the social field  
C0M(83)477 final - 29.7.1983  
(Adopted by the Council on 26.3.1984)
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on financial support for the  
multi-annual transport infrastructure programme (see o 15)
C0M(83)474 final - 5.4.1983
Proposals for Council Regulations introducing aid for the transhumance  
ot sheep, goats and cattle in Greece, on increasing the staff of the  
departments responsible for the quality control of agricultural products  
in Greece and authorizing Greece to grant aid for the transport of means  
of production to certain islands

-  21  -
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
.  Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the strengthening of the
common commercial policy with regard in particular to protection against  
unfair commercial practices  
C0M(83)87 final - 1.3.1983
.  Communication to the Council on a Mediterranean policy for the  
enlarged Community  
C0M(82)353 final - 22.6.1982  
followed by
Report to the Council on the exploratory talks with the Mediterranean  
countries and the applicant countries
Proposals concerning the implementation of a Mediterranean policy  
for the enlarged Community  
C0M(84)107 final - 30.3.1984
.  Communication to the Council - Guidelines for the strengthening of  
relations between the Community and Latin America  
C0M(84)105 final - 11.4.1984

-  22  -
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Memorandum on the Community's development policy  
C0M(82)640 final - 4.10.1982
.  Communication from the Commission to the Council concerning a special  
programme to combat hunger in the world  
C0M(82)320 final - 8.6.1982  
followed by
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the implementation of the
special programme to combat hunger in the world
C0M(83)16 final - 31.1.1983
(Adopted by the Council on 11 and 12.7.1983)
.  Communication to the Council - Food aid for development  
C0M(83)141 final - 24.3.1983
(Resolution adopted by the Council on 15.11.1983)
.  Communication to the Council on guidelines for the forthcoming ACP-EEC  
negotiations
C0M(83)153 final - 24.3.1983  
followed by
Recommendation for a Council Decision concerning the opening of  
negotiations with the States party to or in the process of acceding  
to the second Lomé Convention and other States that might wish to  
accede
C0M(83)276 final - 17.5.1983

- 23 -
FINANCING
Communication to the Council and to the European Parliament: The
future financing of the Community  
C0MC83)10 final - 7.2.1983
Communication to the Council: The future financing of the Community -
Draft Decision on new own resources  
C0MC83)270 final - 6.5.1983  
followed by
Communication to the Council: Future financing of the Community
C0MC84)140 final - 5.3.1984
and
Commission Memorandum to the Council: Creation of new own resources
C0M(84)162 final - 15.3.1984  
amended by
Amended Proposal for a Council Decision on the Community's system
of own resources
C0MC84)384 final - 10.7.1984
Communication to the Council: Budget discipline
C0M(84)83 final - 3-6.3.1984

- 24 -
INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
*  Communication to Parliament and the Council: The role of the European
Parliament in the preparation and conclusion of international agreements  
and accession treaties  
C0MC82)277 final - 12.5.1982
Communication to the European Council: Problems of enlargement -
taking stock and proposals  
C0M(82)757 final - 12.11.1982
.  Communication to the Council: Institutional implications of enlargement -
more flexibility in decision-making  
C0M(83)116 final - 1.3.1983