A4-0308/96

Decision on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to the adoption of a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing a support programme in the field of books and reading (Ariane) (C4-0377/96 - 94/0189(COD))

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the common position of the Council, C4-0377/96 - 94/0189(COD),

- having regard to its opinion at first reading (( OJ C 109, 1.5.1995, p. 289.)) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council, COM(94)0356 (( OJ C 324, 22.11.1994, p. 11.)),

- having regard to the amended Commission proposal, COM(95)0374 (( OJ C 279, 25.10.1995, p. 7.)),

- having regard to Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Rule 72 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media (A4-0308/96),

1. Amends the common position as follows;

2. Calls on the Commission to support Parliament's amendments in the opinion it is required to deliver pursuant to Article 189b(2)(d) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to approve all Parliament's amendments, amend its common position accordingly and definitively adopt the act;

4. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.

(Amendment 1)

Title

>Original text>

Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a support programme in the field of books and reading (Ariane)

>Text following EP vote>

European Parliament and Council Decision establishing a support programme in the field of books and reading primarily through translation (Ariane)

(Amendment 2)

Article 5

>Original text>

1. The Commission shall implement this programme in accordance with this Decision.

2. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee composed of two representatives per Member State and chaired by the Commission representative. Members of the Committee may be assisted by experts or advisers.

3. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee draft measures concerning:

- the annual work plan;

>Text following EP vote>

The Commission shall be responsible for implementing the Programme. For the purpose of carrying out this task, the Commission shall be assisted by the Advisory Committee for the incentive measures in the cultural field (hereinafter referred to as the 'Committee¨) according to the procedure laid down below.

The Committee of an advisory nature shall consist of two representatives appointed by each Member State and chaired by the Commission representative. Members of the Committee may be assisted by experts or advisers.

>Original text>

- the general balance between the various Actions;

- the detailed arrangement and selection criteria for the various types of project described in the Annex (Actions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6);

- projects involving more than ten thousand ecus in assistance;

- the procedures for monitoring and evaluating the programme, together with the conclusions of the reports provided for in Article 8 and any programme readjustment measures resulting therefrom.

>Text following EP vote>

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken.

The Committee shall deliver its opinion on this draft within a time limit which the Chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes.

The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken into account.

>Original text>

The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft measures referred to in the first subparagraph within a time limit which the Chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The Chairman shall note vote.

>Original text>

The Commission shall adopt measures which shall apply immediately. However, if these measures are not in accordance with the opinion of the Committee, they shall be communicated by the Commission to the Council forthwith.

>Original text>

In that event:

(a) the Commission may defer application of the measures which it has decided for a period of two months from the date of such communication;

>Original text>

(b) the Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a different decision within the time limit referred to in (a).

>Original text>

4. The Commission may consult the Committee on any other matter concerning the implementation of this programme not covered by paragraph 3.

>Original text>

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken.

>Original text>

The Committee shall deliver its opinion on this draft within a time limit which the Chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

>Original text>

The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes.

>Original text>

The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken into account.

(Amendment 3)

Article 6(1)

>Original text>

1. The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 shall be ECU 7 million.

>Text following EP vote>

1. The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 shall be ECU 10.5 million.

(Amendment 4)

Article 8, first subparagraph

>Original text>

One year after this programme has been in operation, and within the six months following that period, the Commission, after having consulted the Committee, shall present to the European Parliament and the Council a detailed assessment report on the results achieved, accompanied, where necessary, by appropriate proposals, including proposals for the continuation of the programme and the relevant arrangements so as to enable to European Parliament and the Council to take a decision before the end of the period covered by the programme. This report will highlight the added value created, particularly of a cultural nature, and the socio-economic consequences brought about by the financial support granted by the Community. The report is intended to assess, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the extent to which the programme has achieved the objectives referred to in Article 2.

>Text following EP vote>

One year after this programme has been in operation, and within the six months following that period, the Commission, after having consulted the Committee, shall present to the European Parliament and the Council a detailed assessment report on the results achieved, accompanied, where necessary, by appropriate proposals, including proposals for the continuation of the programme and the relevant arrangements so as to enable to European Parliament and the Council to take a decision before the end of the period covered by the programme. This report will highlight the added value created, particularly of a cultural nature, including reference to the impact on the dissemination of literature in the less-widely used languages, and the socio-economic consequences brought about by the financial support granted by the Community. The report is intended to assess, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the extent to which the programme has achieved the objectives referred to in Article 2.

(Amendment 5)

Annex, Action 1(1)(b) (ii), introduction

>Original text>

(ii) Works written in one of the less widely used languages of the European Union may nevertheless be eligible for a translation grant when they have already been translated and published in a European Union language (other than the original language), or when, although they have not yet been translated and published in a European Union language, they are simultaneously proposed for translation into at least two European Union languages. Grants are intended to support translation into another European Union language. These provisions also apply to works:

>Text following EP vote>

(ii) In order to give priority to the less widely-used languages of the European Union, works written in these languages may nevertheless be eligible for a translation grant without having been previously translated into other Community languages. Grants are intended to support translation into another European Union language. These provisions also apply to works:

(Amendment 6)

Annex, Action 1(1)(ba) (new)

>Text following EP vote>

(ba) Priority should be given to applications from small independent publishing houses.

(Amendment 7)

Annex, Action 1, final paragraph

>Original text>

The resources to be committed to this Action will amount to 50% of the overall budget allocated to this programme. The exact breakdown between the six Actions making up this programme will be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 5(3).

>Text following EP vote>

The resources to be committed to this Action will amount to 50% of the overall budget allocated to this programme.

(Amendment 8)

Annex, Action 2, third paragraph, indents

>Original text>

- the mutual knowledge of, and access to, the literature or history of the European peoples;

>Text following EP vote>

(a) the mutual knowledge of, and access to, the literature or history of the European people;

>Original text>

- the development of partnership initiatives which aim to facilitate access to data relevant to the dissemination of books, to their promotion, to their translation and to access by the citizen to reading;

- the exchange of experience and know-how on themes of common interest between professionals at European level.

>Text following EP vote>

(b) the development of partnership initiatives which aim to facilitate:

- access to data relevant to the dissemination of books, for example, by creating a database containing details of books available on the market, of publishing houses and their specialist fields, with a view to supporting the co-production and co-publication of European works,

>Text following EP vote>

- the promotion of books,

>Text following EP vote>

- their translation, including the possible setting up of a semantics database (listing semantic difficulties and peculiarities) to help technical and literary translators,

>Text following EP vote>

- access by the citizen to reading;

>Text following EP vote>

(c) the exchange of experience and know-how on themes of common interest between professionals at European level.