ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council decision amending Council Decision 93/383/EEC of 14 June 1993 on reference laboratories for the monitoring of marine biotoxins` (97/C 66/15)

On 17 October 1996 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted the following opinion on 5 November 1996. The rapporteur was Staffan Nilsson.

At its 340th Plenary Session on 27 and 28 November 1996 (meeting of 27 November 1996) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 102 votes to two, with one abstention.

1. Background

1.1. Council Directives 91/492/EEC and 91/493/EEC lay down the health conditions for the production and marketing of live bivalve molluscs and fishery products, in particular as regards the monitoring of marine biotoxins.

Under the terms of Council Decision 93/383/EEC each Member State must designate a national reference laboratory to monitor implementation of the provisions and coordinate the findings of the analyses. An annex to the decision contains a list of the reference laboratories designated by each Member State.

2. The Commission proposal

2.1. The United Kingdom has informed the Commission that owing to changed circumstances, it intends to designate a new national reference laboratory. The Commission proposes to amend Council Decision 93/383/EEC accordingly.

2.2. At the same time the Commission proposes to amend Articles 5 and 6 of the decision, to provide for any future revision of the annex following notification from a Member State.

3. Comments

3.1. The Committee endorses the Commission proposal to amend the annex to Council decision 93/383/EEC in accordance with the United Kingdom's designation of a new reference laboratory.

3.2. The Committee also endorses the amendments designed to enable the Commission to revise the annex, following notification from a Member State, without the need for a Council decision. This proposal is in keeping with the process of simplification of EU legislation and with the subsidiarity principle which must underpin cooperation.

Brussels, 27 November 1996.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Council Directives 76/116/EEC, 80/876/EEC, 89/284/EEC and 89/530/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to fertilizers` (97/C 89/07)

On 27 January 1997 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 100a of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 January 1997. The rapporteur was Mr Lerios.

At its 342nd Plenary Session (meeting of 29 January 1997), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 94 votes to two, with two abstentions.

1. Gist of the Commission's proposal

1.1. Given that Article G of the Treaty on European Union replaced the term 'European Economic Community` with the term 'European Community`, the designation 'EEC fertilizer` should be replaced with 'EC fertilizer` in so far as the term is used to describe fertilizer under the four directives in question.

1.2. In consultation with representatives of the European Fertilizer Manufacturers' Association (EFMA), the time needed for the industry to adapt to the new situation was considered and it is proposed that the use of old packages, labels and accompanying documents marked 'EEC fertilizer` should be allowed until 31 December 1998.

2. Conclusions

The Economic and Social Committee agrees with the Commission's proposal amending the above-mentioned Council directives, since it considers that it is not advisable to use out-of-date markings on packages, labels and accompanying documents.

Brussels, 29 January 1997.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources in the waters of the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound` (97/C 296/07)

On 30 May 1997 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 1 July 1997. The rapporteur was Mr Kallio.

At its 347th plenary session (meeting of 9 July 1997), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion with 120 votes in favour, one vote against and three abstentions.

1. General comments

1.1. The proposal sets out to harmonize and simplify Baltic and EU fishing regulations. The section feels that this is a justified and worthwhile objective. The end result will be to simplify EU legislation and that of the Baltic region, thereby facilitating the activities and cooperation of the industry and of the authorities in the longer term.

1.2. The present regulation has no significance for fishing and those employed in fishing as it makes no change at all to current regulations. This being the case, there is no reason to assess the economic, social or business implications of this particular proposal.

1.3. Finding no factual or technical errors in the proposal, the Committee endorses it unreservedly.

2. Other observations

The Committee feels that the EU should go on to harmonize other specific fishing agreements with this kind of proposal. The approach adopted leads to greater harmonization of fishery policy and facilitates cooperation between industry and administration.

Brussels, 9 July 1997.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms` (1999/C 40/05)

On 9 November 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 12 November 1998. The rapporteur was Mr Muñiz Guardado.

At its 359th plenary session (meeting of 2 December 1998), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion with 102 votes in favour and two abstentions.

The Committee approves the content of the Commission proposal, which seeks solely to correct the omissions, textual errors and editorial inadequacies found in Council Regulation No 850/98.

Brussels, 2 December 1998.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:

- the "Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending and correcting Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables", and

- the "Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EC) No 2202/96 introducing a Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits"

(1999/C 116/08)

On 18 December 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposals.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 5 February 1999. The rapporteur was Mr Bento Gonçalves.

At its 361st plenary session (meeting of 24 February 1999) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion with 63 votes in favour and five abstentions.

1. Introduction

1.1. The two proposals essentially implement the conclusions of the Council of Agricultural Ministers meeting of 22-26 June 1998. The first proposal also makes two drafting and/or technical improvements which have proved necessary in Regulation 2200/96.

2. General comments

2.1. Direct sales

2.1.1. The Committee is concerned about the impact which the proposed amendments might have on the operation of producer organizations, and about the economic impact of allowing their members to sell produce direct to consumers away from the farm.

2.1.2. The Commission proposal makes no provision for monitoring these direct sales.

2.2. Free distribution

2.2.1. The Committee thinks that producer organizations should be effectively compensated for all the transport, sorting and packaging costs of free distribution of products withdrawn from the market.

3. Specific comments

3.1. Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending and correcting Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables.

3.1.1. Article 1(1)(c)(3), first indent.

3.1.1.1. The Committee proposes that the current wording of the regulation be retained unamended.

3.1.1.2. The Committee could only accept the amendment if it stated clearly that the sales which the producer makes outside his organization must on no account exceed 25 % of the farm's production.

3.2. Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EC) No 2202/96 introducing a Community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits.

3.2.1. The Committee endorses the Commission proposal.

4. Conclusions

4.1. The Committee approves the proposals on condition that the Commission takes account of the above comments.

Brussels, 24 February 1999.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation amending for the fifth time Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms"

(2000/C 75/12)

On 18 January 2000 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 37 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 12 January 2000. The rapporteur was Mr E. Chagas.

At its 369th plenary session (meeting of 26 January 2000), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 62 votes to one with one abstention.

1. Introduction

1.1. In Regulation (EC) No 850/98(1), the Council adopted a number of technical measures to protect juveniles of marine organisms.

1.2. Subsequent to the adoption and publication of the regulation, it was discovered that certain developments meant the text needed to be adjusted.

1.3. The present proposal for a regulation amends the relevant aspects of Regulation (EC) No 850/98.

2. General comments

2.1. The ESC approves the proposal.

2.2. The amendments contained in the draft regulation generally supplement the wording and fill the gaps detected in the text of the original regulation, while also aiming to strike a better balance between ideal technical measures and the reality of the fisheries sector.

2.3. The measure set out in Article 1(3) was particularly necessary in the context of national measures for the conservation and management of stocks, given the lack of clarity of the previous text.

2.4. The coordinates indicated for the drafting of a new Article 29 bis must be corrected.

2.5. The proposed restrictions on fishing for sand eels, which only have commercial value when converted into meal, are designed on the basis of scientific advice to preserve the balance of certain populations of marine birds in a small area off England and Scotland, given the impact of industrial fishing in that area.

2.5.1. The Committee suggests that the Commission fund more detailed research into other factors affecting the marine environment and acting to reduce resources still further. Analysis of the impact of industrial fishing for reduction purposes (fish meal) on juvenile populations, the food chain of other species, as well as catches for human consumption, would be particularly welcome.

2.6. The ESC suggests that the Commission consolidate the text of Regulation (EC) No 850/98 as soon as possible, as it has now been amended five times.

Brussels, 26 January 2000.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice Rangoni Machiavelli

(1) OJ L 125, 27.4.1998.
8.

The EESC calls on the EU to take ambitious measures, revising the mission of the Union for the Mediterranean, to provide political and institutional, economic, social, technical and humanitarian assistance to the Mediterranean countries that are already on the path towards democratic transition. The EESC regrets the lack of coordination between the EU institutions and the Member States in addressing these issues. It therefore urges the EU institutions and the Member States to coordinate their actions in the region and to thoroughly overhaul their Mediterranean strategy. Support for civil society should be a strategic component of this new approach in order to ensure that EU support to the countries of the region leads to maximum benefits. The European Economic and Social Committee, as well as the Committee of the Regions (CoR), are ready to be involved in such actions.
56.

in line with its own opinion on the fight against illegal immigration, reiterates the recommendation to adopt, as a priority, all necessary measures to put an end to human trafficking, of which women are the main victims, and to eradicate the organisations responsible and all forms of slavery, including those involving children and adolescents, by adopting appropriate laws and specific action programmes and to recognise that even when some of those victims are illegal immigrants that they are seen to be special cases and that in some circumstances deportation may lead to extreme violence against them, or even death, if they are forced to return to their country of origin;
39.

proposes, on the basis of the above considerations and in view of the role and significance of Regions For Economic Change, that, in line with its institutional responsibilities, the Committee of the Regions take on a role of representation, cooperation and support which could prove decisive. In particular, the following elements (mentioned above) will enable it to perform that role: a) involvement in the drawing-up of the new operational programmes Interreg IV C and Urbact 2007-2013, using appropriate arrangements for consultation and/or participation; b) a genuine role in integrating the regional and local dimensions with regard to the themes chosen when the general thematic guidelines, implementing procedures and direct financing programmes (Interreg IV C and Urbact 2007-2013) are defined; to this end, a constant exchange of information with the programmes' managing authorities, where appropriate inviting these authorities to regular hearings at the Committee of the Regions; they could also be asked to submit a report to the Committee at regular intervals; c) mutual involvement of representatives of the Commission and the Committee of the Regions respectively in events they organise, for the purposes of sharing and exchanging information on expertise gained in the context of Regions For Economic Change; d) participation, in a consultative capacity, in the implementation of the Interreg IV C and Urbact 2007-2013 programmes, through the appointment of a member proposed by the Committee of the Regions to each programme's Monitoring Committee; e) cooperation to promote in the future networks, possibly by means of a preliminary study, the use of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), a new legal instrument established to facilitate and give direction to territorial cooperation; f) active participation in demonstration and dissemination activities, as part of a coordinated communication plan, in accordance with procedures to be agreed when the Plan is defined; g) establishment of synergy and compatibility between the Regions For Economic Change initiative and the CoR's Lisbon Monitoring Platform;
35.

considers it essential, in recording the difficulties that may be experienced by second-generation migrants in different parts of Europe vis-à-vis integration policies, that refugees (in this particular case) should not always be seen as ‘foreigners’ or ‘guests’, and that, based on recognition of and respect for the values and the law of the host country, there should be no move to distance them from their cultures of origin;
By derogation from the second subparagraph of paragraph 2, the competent authority may, in specific cases, on the basis of an assessment of the environmental and economic costs and benefits taking into account the technical characteristics of the installation concerned, its geographical location and the local environmental conditions, set emission limit values that exceed the emission levels associated with the best available techniques as described in the BAT reference documents. Those emission limit values shall however not exceed the emission limit values set out in Annexes V to VIII, where applicable. The Commission may establish criteria for the granting of the derogation referred to in this paragraph. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 69(2).

By derogation from the second subparagraph of paragraph 2, the competent authority may, in specific cases, on the basis of an assessment of the environmental and economic costs and benefits taking into account the technical characteristics of the installation concerned, its geographical location and the local environmental conditions, set emission limit values that exceed the emission levels associated with the best available techniques as described in the BAT reference documents. Those emission limit values shall however not exceed the emission limit values set out in Annexes V to VIII, where applicable. The Commission may establish criteria for the granting of the derogation referred to in this paragraph. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 69(2).
1.

underlines the importance of the new development of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The differences between the ENP countries and their latest political developments, the expectation gap and the debate on the Enlargement process, the EU strategic relationship with Russia and the request to establish an Eastern Dimension alongside the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, led to the EaP after a Swedish-Polish proposal. The ENP countries to be considered in the development of the Eastern Partnership are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Except for Belarus, these countries are members of the Council of Europe. The European Commission (EC) has drafted its proposal, which will be decided upon at the Eastern Partnership Summit in spring 2009. It will be central for the EaP to enhance cross-border or interregional cooperation and institution building, where local and regional authorities can play their part in building relations and promoting European integration, in order to address the deficiencies of the current ENP;
5.

recalls that upon the accession to the European Union of the new Member States - the countries of origin of most Roma migrants - their nationals became full EU citizens and acquired the same rights as EU citizens from other Member States, and that the foremost of these rights include freedom of movement, one of the fundamental freedoms of EU citizens set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; further recalls that the accession treaties authorise Member States to apply temporary restrictions to the nationals of these States only with respect to labour market access, and that Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States applies without distinction to all EU nationals;
56.

considers that, in view of the new procedures and new financial instruments arising from the Lisbon Treaty, the review could be made meaningful by using dual level machinery: — at the first - and most general - level a ‘review reserve’ could be created, amounting to 5 % of the total EU budget for the last five programming years. Where this money was actually deployed would be negotiated at the halfway point: the decisions taken at the start of the period could be confirmed, with a proportionally identical deployment among the headings, chapters, Member States and others, or there could be a new deployment adapted to trends in European priorities and the political, social and economic context. Whatever happened, this ‘review reserve’ would be added to the ‘flexibility and European interest reserve’ envisaged by the European Commission, as part of the new machinery for flexibility; — at the second level, within the heading concerning cohesion policy and the other territorial development policies included in the common strategic framework, the Member States could be authorised, with the agreement of the regions, to re-deploy up to 25 % of the amounts in the partnership contracts for investment and development. This deployment could be carried out between the various funds concerned, i.e. the Cohesion Fund, the ERDF, the ESF, the EAFRD and the EFF;
28.

emphasises the prime importance of environmental protection, and in particular the need to ensure that water quality complies with the EU Water Framework Directive. The Committee of the Regions agrees that "sustainable water management is needed", and the River Basin Management Plan is an important benchmark in this connection. Priority should be given to measures aimed at conserving the natural flood retention capacity of the Danube basin and preventing the recurrence of floods. Besides, the Danube includes several Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation relating to Natura 2000 as well as the Danube Delta, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1991; it therefore represents a unique and fragile ecosystem which is home to various rare species threatened by pollution. In view of this, we must halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystems, and maintain diversity of species, and ensure that EU funding is spent on projects consistent with implementation of European environmental legislation. These goals should be reflected in the objectives and specific programmes of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and national agricultural support schemes;