No C 311/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12.90 
Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the second phase of the Tedis programme (Trade 
Electronic Data Interchange Systems) 
COM(90) 475 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 22 November 1990) 
(90/C 311/09) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas one of the Community's tasks is, by establishing 
a common market and gradually reducing the gap 
between the economic policies of the Member States, to 
promote the harmonious development of economic acti­
vities throughout the Community and closer relations 
between the Member States; 
Whereas the Commission White Paper on the 
completion of the internal market stresses the importance 
of the future development of new transfrontier services 
and the contribution made by telecommunications 
networks based on common standards towards the 
creation of a market free of barriers at Community level; 
Whereas the exchange of computerized data (EDI) can 
contribute increasingly towards the competitiveness of 
European undertakings in the production and services 
sectors; 
Whereas there is rapid growth at present in public and 
private initiatives for putting into service within a 
company or group of companies or sector of activity, at 
national and international level, electronic data inter­
change systems which are not compatible with each 
other; 
Whereas, as regards electronic data interchange, the 
diversity and fragmentation of initiatives taken at 
national level or more generally by a company, group of 
companies or sector of activity may lead to the creation 
of incompatible and non-communicating systems, and to preventing suppliers of equipment and services, and 
users, from deriving maximum benefit from the 
advantages created by the growth in electronic data 
interchange; 
Whereas, in line with the Council Resolution of 
22 January 1990 on trans-European networks (*) and the 
conclusions of the Strasbourg and Dublin European 
Councils, the smooth running of the internal market 
depends on undertakings and authorities involved in it 
being able to exchange data as part of their activities by 
making use of compatible systems which enable genuine 
pan-European data interchange networks to be 
developed; 
Whereas the work already initiated in the field of elec­
tronic data interchange (EDI) during the first phase of 
the Tedis programme, (1988-89) established by Council 
Decision 87/499/EEC (2) makes it possible to envisage 
the establishment of such pan-European networks, 
provided that this work is continued and expanded by 
instituting a second phase to the programme; 
Whereas by Decision 89/241/EEC (3) the Council of 
Ministers amended the initial Decision on the Tedis 
programme to allow non-member countries, in particular 
member states of the European Free Trade Association 
(EFTA), to be associated with the Tedis programme and, 
in accordance with Article 228 of the Treaty, authorized 
the Commission to negotiate agreements with the EFTA 
member states; 
Whereas by Decisions 89/689/EEC (4), 89/690/EEC (s), 
89/691/EEC (4), 89/692/EECO, 89/693/EEC (8) and 
89/694/EEC (9) the European Economic Community 
concluded agreements on systems for the electronic 
transfer of data for commercial use with respectively 
Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Swit­
zerland; 
(') OJ No C 27, 6. 2. 1990, p. 8. 
O OJ No L 285, 8. 10. 1987, p. 35. 
(3) OJ No L 97, 11. 4. 1989, p. 46. 
O OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 1. 
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 6. 
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 11. 
O OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 16. 
(•) OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 21. 
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 26. 
12. 12.90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 311/7 
Whereas the Treaty does not provide powers, other than 
those of Article 235, to undertake the action concerned, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
The second phase of the Tedis (Trade Electronic Data 
Interchange Systems) Community programme 
concerning the exchange of electronic data (EDI) in 
trade, industry and administration, hereinafter called the 
'programme', is hereby set up. The programme shall be 
implemented according to the conditions set out below 
for a period of 36 months starting from the date on 
which this Decision takes effect. 
Article 2 
The objectives of the programme are to ensure that elec­
tronic data interchange systems are established to the 
best effect, in view of the socio-economic importance of 
such systems, and to mobilize the necessary resources to 
achieve this end at Community level. 
Article 3 
In order to achieve the objectives defined in Article 2, 
measures will be taken and continued in the following 
areas: 
— standardization, 
— interconnection of EDI services, 
— legal aspects of EDI, 
— security of messages, 
— multi-sector and Europe-wide projects, 
— analysis of the impact of EDI on company 
management, Article 4 
The implementation of the programme shall be coor­
dinated with existing or planned Community policies and 
activities concerning telecommunications, the infor­
mation market, security of information systems and stan­
dardization, and in particular with the Caddia 
programme and the CD project, so as to ensure the 
necessary interaction with the specific requirements of 
the exchange of electronic data. 
Article 5 
Contracts arising from the programme shall be 
concluded with undertakings, including small and 
medium-sized businesses, research establishments and 
other bodies established in the Community, in the 
member countries of the European Free Trade Asso­
ciation or in a third country with which the Community 
has concluded an agreement associating that country 
with the programme. 
Article 6 
1. The Community shall contribute to the programme 
within the limits of the appropriations entered each year 
for that purpose in the general budget of the European 
Communities. 
2. The appropriations to be entered into the general 
budget of the European Communities shall be decided 
annually by the Budget Authority. 
Article 7 
The Commission shall see to it that the programme is 
carried out satisfactorily and shall take the appropriate 
implementing measures. 
Article 8 
At the end of the Tedis programme, the Commission 
shall present to the Council, the European Parliament 
and the Economic and Social Committee a final report 
containing an assessment by independent experts of the 
progress made towards each of the objectives set under 
the programme on the basis of the criteria and indicators 
annexed to this Decision. 
Article 9 
— information campaigns. This Decision shall take effect on 1 July 1991. 
No C 311/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12. 90 
ANNEX 
Guidelines for assessing progress made towards the objectives of the Tedis programme 
In order to achieve the objectives defined in Article 2, several measures, referred to in Article 3, will be 
taken and continued. The progress thereby achieved will then be assessed. 
1. For standardization, this will mean assessing the influence of the Tedis programme on: 
(a) the development and use of the Edifact standard in Western Europe; 
(b) the availability and use of conversion software and its conformity to the international Edifact 
standard. 
2. Interconnection of EDI services: assessment of the Tedis programme's impact on the capacity of data 
networks to operate together and the availability of Europe-wide EDI services. 
3. Legal aspects: examination of how the measures taken under the Tedis programme have helped ensure 
the legal validity of EDI data interchange in each Member State and how they have encouraged the 
introduction of 'paperless trading'. 
4. Security of messages: examination of how the Tedis programme has helped protect the EDI message itself 
and the security of EDI messages in an interlinked business environment. 
5. Multi-sector and Europe-wide projects: measuring how far support for the launching of multi-sectoral 
pilot projects has contributed towards the sectoral and geographical integration of EDI projects. 
6. Management: assessment of the value of studies and analyses carried out under the TEDIS programme 
to assess the impact of EDI on company management and its economic and social impact. 
7. Information campaigns: assessment of the impact of measures taken under the Tedis programme on the 
use of EDI in Western Europe. 
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of a Protocol extending the first 
stage of the Agreement establishing an association between the European Economic Community 
and Malta 
COM(90) 558 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 26 November 1990) 
(90/C 311/10) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in 
particular Article 238 thereof, 
Having regard to the recommendation from the Commission, 
Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament,