B4-0365/99

Decision on the number, powers and responsibilities of parliamentary committees

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Rule 135(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

1. Decides to set up the following parliamentary committees:

I. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy

II. Committee on Budgets

III. Committee on Budgetary Control

IV. Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs

V. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

VI. Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market

VII. Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

VIII. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

IX. Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy

X. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

XI. Committee on Fisheries

XII. Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism

XIII. Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport

XIV. Committee on Development and Cooperation

XV. Committee on Constitutional Affairs

XVI. Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities

XVII. Committee on Petitions

2. Decides to replace Annex VI to its Rules of Procedure with the following text:

ANNEX VI

I. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, including the task of formulating a common defence and disarmament policy (Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union);

2. relations with the other institutions in the foreign policy sphere, and in particular with the High Representative for the common foreign and security policy;

3. political aspects of relations with third countries and international organisations with regard to the implementation of the Union's foreign and security policy;

4. determination of the foreign policy position with regard to the allocation of the major technical assistance and financial support programmes to third countries, in cooperation with the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on Development and Cooperation and the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy;

5. opening, monitoring and concluding negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union (Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union) without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;

6. opening, monitoring and concluding negotiations concerning association and partnership agreements (Article 310 of the EC Treaty) and other international agreements of a mainly political nature;

7. issues concerning human rights and democratisation in third countries including relations with international human rights organisations;

8. relations with the WEU (Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union);

9. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

This committee will coordinate the work of the interparliamentary delegations and the joint parliamentary committees and the cooperation committees and the ad hoc delegations, including those sent to monitor elections, both in preparing for and discussing the outcome of their meetings. The interparliamentary delegations will consult with the committee responsible on economic and trade matters.

II. Committee on Budgets This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the definition and exercise of Parliament's budgetary powers (Articles 268 to 273 of the EC Treaty) and the rules thereof dealing with establishment of the budget;

2. the budgets of the European Union including the ECSC budget and budgetisation of the European Development Fund;

3. the multiannual estimates of the Union's revenue and expenditure and the interinstitutional agreements concluded on these matters and the implementation of budgetary conciliation;

4. financial resources of the Union;

5. the financial activities of the EIB and the other financial and budgetary instruments of the European Communities and of the Member States (Articles 266 and 267 of the EC Treaty);

6. financial implications of Community acts, without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;

7. problems relating to administrative and accounting management and the staff of the European Union, in so far as they do not have substantial implications for the legal status of officials;

8. transfers of appropriations;

9. Parliament's budget, administration and accounts (Rule 165);

10. the Financial Regulation, with the exception of matters relating to the implementation, management and control of budgets (Article 279 of the EC Treaty).

As regards problems relating to the budget of the European Parliament, the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets will take decisions in successive stages on:

(a) the establishment plan;

(b) the preliminary draft and the draft estimates.

The decisions concerning the establishment plan will be taken according to the following procedure:

(a.1) the Bureau shall draw up the establishment plan for each financial year;

(a.2) a conciliation procedure between the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets shall be opened in cases where the opinion of the latter diverges from the initial decisions taken by the Bureau;

(a.3) at the end of the procedure, the Bureau shall take the final decision on the estimates for the establishment plan, in accordance with Rule 164(3), without prejudice to decisions taken pursuant to Article 272 of the EC Treaty.

As regards the estimates proper, the procedure for drawing up the estimates will begin as soon as the Bureau has taken a final decision on the establishment plan. The stages of this procedure will be those laid down in Rule 165, viz.:

(b.1) the Bureau shall draw up the preliminary draft estimates of revenue and expenditure (paragraph 1);

(b.2) the Committee on Budgets shall draw up the draft estimates of revenue and expenditure (paragraph 2);

(b.3) a conciliation procedure shall be opened in cases where the positions of the Committee on Budgets and the Bureau are widely divergent.

In exercising its powers the Committee on Budgets will cooperate closely with the Committee on Budgetary Control.

III. Committee on Budgetary Control This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the control of financial, budgetary and administrative implementing measures relating to the general budget of the European Union (including the EDF);

2. the control of the financial and administrative activities of the ECSC, the financial activities of the EIB carried out on the basis of instructions from the Commission;

3. the Financial Regulation in connection with matters relating to the implementation, management and control of budgets (Article 279 of the EC Treaty);

4. the decisions on discharge taken by Parliament and measures accompanying or implementing such decisions (Article 276 of the EC Treaty);

5. accounts and balance sheets relating to decisions concerning the closure, presenting and auditing of Parliament's revenue and expenditure as well as measures accompanying or implementing these decisions, in particular as part of the internal discharge procedure;

6. the closure, presenting and auditing of the accounts and balance sheets of the European Communities, their organs and any bodies financed by them, including the establishment of appropriations to be carried over and the settling of balances;

7. monitoring accompanying the implementation of current budgets on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission and measures taken for such implementation with the specialist committees or alternatively without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committee under these Rules;

8. the assessment of the effectiveness of the various forms of Community financing, the coordination of the various financial instruments and the assessment of the cost-benefit ratio in the implementation of the policies financed by the European Union;

9. consideration of the credit terms, financing mechanisms and the administrative structures designed to implement them, by examining cases of fraud and irregularities;

10. sets of rules or parts thereof dealing with the implementation of budgets;

11. the organisation of checks, the prevention, prosecution and punishment of fraud and irregularities affecting the budget of the European Union and concerning the protection of the Union's financial interests in general (Article 280 of the EC Treaty);

12. consideration of reports and opinions of the Court of Auditors (Article 248 of the EC Treaty);

13. relations with the Court of Auditors and the appointment of its members, without prejudice to the powers of the President of Parliament (Article 247 of the EC Treaty).

This committee will examine confidential documents concerning areas within in its remit, having full regard for the provisions of Annex VII.

IV. Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. citizens' rights, human rights and fundamental freedoms in the European Union;

2. the measures needed to combat all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Article 13 of the EC Treaty) other than those mentioned in VIII;

3. the protection of physical persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data (EC Treaty including Article 286 and Title VI of the Treaty on European Union);

4. matters relating to the maintenance and development of an area of freedom, security and justice (Article 2, first paragraph, fourth indent, of the Treaty on European Union), and in particular:

a) under the first pillar (Title IV of the EC Treaty), by means of measures concerning the entry and movement of persons (policies on immigration, asylum, visas, the crossing of borders and the right of residence) (Article 3(1)(d) of the EC Treaty);

b) under the third pillar (Title VI of the Treaty on European Union), by means of measures to prevent racism and xenophobia and combat crime, in particular terrorism, trafficking in persons and offences against children, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, corruption and fraud, through:

- closer cooperation among police forces, customs authorities and other competent authorities in the Member States, both directly and through the European Police Office (Europol), in accordance with Articles 30 and 32 of the Treaty on European Union,

- closer cooperation among judicial and other competent authorities in the Member States, in accordance with Article 31(a) to (d) and Article 32 of the Treaty on European Union,

- the approximation of the rules on criminal matters in the Member States, in accordance with Article 31(e) (Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union);

5. the strengthened cooperation arrangements under the first and third pillars with a view to establishing an area of freedom, security and justice;

6. the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction,

the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia;

7. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

V. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union;

2. medium and long-term economic and monetary planning (Articles 98 to 100 of the EC Treaty);

3. questions of monetary policy, balance of payments, capital movements and borrowing and lending policy (control of movements of capital originating in third countries, measures to encourage the export of the European Union's capital); application of Articles 56 to 60 and 101 to 124 of the EC Treaty;

4. relations with the European Central Bank;

5. the world monetary system;

6. application of the rules of competition, restrictive practices and monopolies (Articles 81 to 86 of the EC Treaty), without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;

7. questions relating to public aid (Articles 87 to 89 of the EC Treaty), without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;

8. tax harmonisation and the application of tax provisions relating to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital in the internal market (Articles 90 to 93 of the EC Treaty);

9. financial services (Article 51(2) of the EC Treaty) and aspects related to the prudential supervision and monitoring of such services;

10. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

VI. Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. legal aspects of the creation, interpretation and application of Community law, including the choice of legal basis for Community acts and compliance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

2. legal aspects of the creation, interpretation and application of international law, in so far as it affects the European Union;

3. all matters relating to the simplification of Community law, in particular legislative proposals for its official codification;

4. coordination at Community level of national legislation in the sphere of the internal market:

a) the establishment and operation of the internal market (Articles 14 and 15 of the EC Treaty);

b) the right of establishment and the freedom to provide services (Articles 43 to 55 of the EC Treaty), except for financial services;

c) the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market;

5. intellectual property law;

6. civil liability law, contract law and procedural law, irrespective of the sector concerned;

7. consumers' legal protection;

8. the Staff Regulations of the European Communities (Article 24 of the Merger Treaty), with the exception of matters pertaining to remuneration, unless they have substantial implications for the legal status of staff;

9. the protection of Parliament's rights and prerogatives, including its involvement in actions before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance;

10. ethical questions related to new technologies, in strengthened cooperation with the relevant committee or committees;

11. verifying the credentials of newly elected Members and ruling on any dispute concerning the validity of the appointment of a Member;

12. privileges and immunities;

13. the Statute for Members;

14. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

VII. Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. Community industrial policy, including its application in specific sectors, such as telecommunications, the technological and economic aspects of the information society, the space industry, information technology and biotechnology;

a) the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the telecommunications infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to 156 of the EC Treaty);

b) the application of new technologies in specific industrial and service sectors, (standards, competition rules, freedom of movement and freedom to provide services and general problems relating to the organisation of production sectors);

c) Community technical standards (in conjunction with the European standardisation institutes);

2. monitoring of the Union's common commercial policy (Articles 131 to 134 of the EC Treaty);

a) international agreements governing economic and trade relations with third countries;

b) the economic and trade aspects of the European Economic Area and relations with EFTA;

c) matters concerning the OECD and regional economic and commercial integration organisations situated outside the Community, and agreements signed in that context;

d) all aspects concerning the WTO and other international economic organisations, particularly as regards trade in goods and services, investment, public contracts, competition and intellectual property;

e) the common external tariff and dumping practices by third countries;

f) economic cooperation, including the major programmes offering technical assistance and financial support to associated third countries (Phare, Tacis and Meda) and the economic aspects of the association and partnership agreements;

3. fundamental or pre-industrial research, the Community research and technological development framework programme and other specific programmes (Articles 163 to 173 of the EC Treaty);

a) the research and technological development agreements with third parties, and the application of such technological research and development;

b) dissemination of research findings;

c) the arrangements for the implementation of or participation in the framework research programme (Articles 168 to 171 of the EC Treaty);

4. the activities of the JRC, the Central Office for Nuclear Measurements, JET, ITER and other projects in the same area;

5. energy policy in general, and in particular energy supplies, including coal and nuclear energy under the ECSC and EAEC Treaties;

a) the Energy Charter;

b) the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the energy infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to 156 of the EC Treaty);

c) nuclear safety;

d) renewable energies;

6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

The interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations will consult with this committee on the economic and trade aspects of relations with third countries.

VIII. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. employment policy (Title VIII of the EC Treaty), including measures to combat unemployment, job creation and the Employment Committee;

2. social policy (Articles 136 to 145 of the EC Treaty, with the exception of Article 141), and in particular:

a) protection of living and working conditions, including the working environment, in order to protect the health and safety of workers;

b) information and consultation of workers;

c) collective protection of workers' and employers' interests;

d) wages and pensions policy;

e) social security and welfare protection;

f) social exclusion and social cohesion;

g) employment conditions for legal residents from third countries;

h) housing policy and promotion of low-cost housing schemes;

3. the social dimension and the labour market in the information society;

4. the European Social Fund (Articles 146 to 148 of the EC Treaty);

5. vocational training (Article 150 of the EC Treaty), and in particular:

a) implementation of a Community vocational training policy;

b) harmonisation of professional qualifications;

6. the free movement of workers (Articles 39 to 42 of the EC Treaty);

7. social dialogue;

8. - CEDEFOP,

- the Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions,

- the European Training Foundation,

- the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work;

9. all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Article 13 of the EC Treaty), related to fundamental social rights and to the labour market;

10. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

IX. Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. environmental policy and environmental protection measures (Article 174 of the EC Treaty):

a) air, soil and water pollution;

b) climate change;

c) classification, packaging, labelling, transport and use of dangerous substances and preparations;

d) fixing permissible noise levels;

e) treatment and storage of waste (including recycling);

f) international and regional measures and agreements aimed at protecting the environment;

g) protecting fauna and its habitat;

h) provisions of the Law of the Sea regarding the environment;

i) the European Environment Agency;

2. public health (Article 152 of the EC Treaty):

a) programmes in the field of public health;

b) labelling and safety of foodstuffs;

c) veterinary legislation concerning protection against dangers to human health arising from bacteria and residues in animal products; public health checks on foodstuffs and food production systems;

d) pharmaceutical products, including veterinary products;

e) the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products;

f) medical research;

g) cosmetic products;

h) civil protection;

3. consumer policy:

a) protection of consumers against risks to their health and safety;

b) appropriate consultation and representation of consumers during the preparation of decisions which affect their interests, in particular their economic interests;

c) improvement of consumer information and education;

4. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

X. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the operation and development of the common agricultural policy and forestry policy (Articles 32 to 38 of the EC Treaty and, where appropriate, Articles 95 and 152 of the EC Treaty);

2. rural development, including the activities of the EAGGF - Guidance Section;

3. legislation on:

- veterinary and plant-health matters,

- animal feedingstuffs,

provided that the agricultural aspect of these matters is predominant, by comparison with any risks to human health which may stem from them;

- animal husbandry and welfare,

4. supplies of agricultural raw materials;

5. the Community Office for Plant Varieties;

6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XI. Committee on Fisheries This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the operation and development of the common fisheries policy and its management;

2. conservation of fishery resources;

3. common organisation of the market in fishery products;

4. structural policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including the financial instruments for fisheries guidance (FIFG and PESCA);

5. international fisheries agreements (concluded pursuant to Article 37 in conjunction with Article 300 of the EC Treaty);

6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XII. Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. Community regional policy understood as a structural policy designed to foster the convergence of economies, economic and social cohesion, the harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of the Union (Article 2 of the EC Treaty) and the lessening of socio-economic imbalances among the various areas of the Union;

a) the drawing-up, implementation and evaluation of Community regional policy plans and projects concerning, in particular, the less-developed regions, areas undergoing socio-economic change in the industrial and service sectors and urban areas;

b) the problems of the extremely remote island regions (Declaration No 30 of the Amsterdam Treaty);

c) the impact of other Community policies on economic and social cohesion;

d) the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the other instruments of Community regional policy;

e) coordination of Community structural instruments;

f) the use and results in the Member States of Community regional intervention measures and the coordination and impact of national regional aid schemes;

g) transfrontier and interregional cooperation;

h) relations with the Committee of the Regions;

i) relations with local and regional authorities and their involvement in the framing of regional policy;

2. a common transport policy (Articles 70 to 80 of the EC Treaty), incorporating rail, road and inland waterway transport and maritime and air transport;

a) the creation of a European transport network, and in particular the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the transport infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to 156 of the EC Treaty);

b) the drafting of common rules applicable to international transport;

c) discrimination, harmonisation and coordination in the transport sphere;

d) the European Union's policy on ports and airports;

3. tourism;

4. the development of a European regional planning policy, including an urban policy;

5. postal services;

6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XIII. Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the cultural aspects of the European Union, and in particular improving the knowledge and dissemination of culture, the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage, cultural exchanges and artistic creation (Article 151 of the EC Treaty);

2. the European Union's education policy (Article 149 of the EC Treaty):

a) the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member States;

b) student and teacher mobility;

c) fostering cooperation among educational establishments;

d) the development of distance education and life-long learning;

e) the development of the European University and promotion of the system of European schools;

3. youth policy; exchanges of young people, with the exception of young workers, the European voluntary service and other measures designed to involve young people in the European integration process, such as the European Youth Forum for example;

4. the audiovisual industry and the cultural and educational aspects of the information society;

5. information and media policy and informing public opinion about the activities of the European Union;

6. the development of a sports (Declaration No 29 of the Amsterdam Treaty) and leisure policy;

7. cooperation in the areas of culture and education with third countries and the competent international organisations, in particular the Council of Europe;

8. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XIV. Committee on Development and Cooperation This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the promotion, application and monitoring of the development and cooperation policy of the European Union (Articles 177 to 181 of the EC Treaty), including:

a) political dialogue with developing countries;

b) economic, trade and investment policy as regards developing countries, including the Generalised System of Preferences;

c) humanitarian aid, emergency aid and food aid in developing countries;

d) technical and financial cooperation with developing countries;

e) other sectoral issues, such as health, education, industrial and rural development;

f) support for the process of democratisation, good governance and human rights in developing countries;

2. the negotiation, conclusion and implementation of the ACP-EC Convention;

3. relations with relevant international, multilateral and non-governmental organisations;

4. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XV. Committee on Constitutional Affairs This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the development of European integration, in particular in the framework of the preparation and proceedings of the intergovernmental conferences;

2. the institutional consequences of enlargement negotiations of the European Union;

3. the implementation of the Treaty on European Union and the assessment of its operation;

4. general relations with the other institutions or bodies of the European Union;

5. the drawing-up of a draft uniform electoral procedure (Article 190(4) of the EC Treaty);

6. the development of European political parties (Article 191 of the EC Treaty);

7. the establishment of instances of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the principles common to the Member States (Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 309 of the EC Treaty);

8. the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, i.e.:

a) the wording of the Rules of Procedure, including the annexes;

b) consideration of amendments to the Rules of Procedure tabled pursuant to Rule 163 and the drafting of reports on that subject;

c) the interpretation of the Rules of Procedure pursuant to Rules 127 and 162;

9. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XVI. Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. the definition, the evolution and the implementation of women's rights in the Union and fostering women's rights in third countries;

2. the implementation and further development of mainstreaming in all sectors;

3. the establishment and evaluation of all policies and programmes for women;

4. the follow-up and implementation of international agreements and conventions involving the rights of women (United Nations, International Labour Office, etc.);

5. information policy and studies on women;

6. the policy on equal opportunities (Article 141 of the EC Treaty), including equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work (Article 137(1), fifth indent, of the EC Treaty);

7. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

XVII. Committee on Petitions This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

1. petitions (Article 21 of the EC Treaty), consideration thereof and action to be taken in connection therewith, and relations with the Ombudsman;

2. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission.

3. Decides that this decision will enter into force at the first part-session of the fifth parliamentary term.