A4-0416/98

Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a series of actions and measures in order to ensure interoperability of and access to trans-European networks for the electronic interchange of data between administrations (IDA) (COM(97)0661 - C4-0067/98 - 97/0341(SYN))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 11

>Original text>

(11) Whereas it is essential to maximise interoperability in order to achieve economies of scale and to increase the benefits of such networks;

>Text following EP vote>

(11)

Whereas it is essential to maximise the use of standards, publicly available specifications and public domain applications to ensure seamless interoperability in order to achieve economies of scale and to increase the benefits of such networks;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 18

>Original text>

(18) Whereas any measures to ensure interoperability between and access to such networks must maintain a judicious balance between satisfying common requirements and preserving national specificities;

>Text following EP vote>

(18)

Whereas any measures to ensure interoperability between and access to such networks must take into account the need to preserve cultural specificities;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 20

>Original text>

(20) Whereas in accordance with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles established by Article 3b of the Treaty, the objective of carrying out such horizontal actions and measures cannot be adequately attained by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects of the proposed action, be better attained at Community level; whereas the proposed action does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the said objective;

>Text following EP vote>

(20)

Whereas in accordance with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles established by Article 3b of the Treaty, the objective of the present programme can be better attained at Community level;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 20a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(20a) Having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 on the incorporation of financial provisions into legislative acts(1),

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(1) OJ C 102, 4.4.1996, p. 4.

(Amendment 5)

Recital 23a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(23a) Mindful of the code of conduct established between Parliament and the Commission on the provision of information and the attendance of representatives of Parliament during the proceedings of committees of the Commission as set out in Parliament's resolution of 24 October 1996 on the draft general budget of the European Communities for the financial year 1997 - Section III - Commission(1);

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

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(1) OJ C 347, 18.11.1996, p. 125.

(Amendment 6)

Recital 24

>Original text>

(24) Whereas the Council has adopted Decision 95/468/EC on a Community contribution for telematic interchange of data between administrations in the Community (IDA);

>Text following EP vote>

(24)

Whereas actions have been carried out under Decision 95/468/EC on a Community contribution for telematic interchange of data between administrations in the Community (IDA);

(Amendment 7)

Article 1(1)(b)

>Original text>

(b) the achievement of greater cost-efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility and adaptability to technological change and market evolution in the establishment and operation of such networks;

>Text following EP vote>

(b)

the achievement of greater cost-efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility and adaptability to technological change and market evolution in the establishment and operation of such networks, in national administrations as well as between the latter and the Community administration;

(Amendment 8)

Article 5, 1st paragraph

>Original text>

The Community shall ensure that common tools and techniques are developed for sectoral network applications with the aim of reducing the overall costs associated with application development, rationalizing and improving technical solutions, decreasing the time required for the implementation of operational systems, and streamlining system maintenance.

>Text following EP vote>

The Community shall ensure that common tools and techniques are

acquired from the public domain or from the market, or otherwise developed for sectoral network applications with the aim of reducing the overall costs associated with application development, rationalizing and improving technical solutions, decreasing the time required for the implementation of operational systems, and streamlining system maintenance.

(Amendment 9)

Article 12(1), 1st and 2nd subparagraphs

>Original text>

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission. This committee shall be called the Telematics between Administrations Committee (TAC).

>Text following EP vote>

1.

The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of one representative per Member State and chaired by a representative of the Commission. This committee shall be called the Telematics between Administrations Committee (TAC).

>Original text>

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 the draft 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 within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.

>Text following EP vote>

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures

of a general nature to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter in question. 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 within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.

(Amendment 10)

Article 13(1)

>Original text>

1. Two years after the entry into force of this Decision or any subsequent amendment of this Decision, and at three-yearly intervals thereafter, the Commission shall, in coordination with the Member States, carry out an evaluation of the implementation of this Decision.

>Text following EP vote>

1. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation shall be carried out after two years of implementation and at three-yearly intervals thereafter. The findings of this evaluation shall be forwarded to the budgetary authority before the first reading of the budget for the financial year 2001.

(Amendment 11)

Article 13(3)

>Original text>

3. The Commission shall forward its evaluation to the Council together with any appropriate proposals for the amendment of this Decision.

>Text following EP vote>

3.

The Commission shall forward its evaluation to the Council and the European Parliament together with any appropriate proposals for the amendment of this Decision.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a series of actions and measures in order to ensure interoperability of and access to trans-European networks for the electronic interchange of data between administrations (IDA) (COM(97)0661 - C4-0067/98 - 97/0341(SYN))(Cooperation procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(97)0661 - 97/0341(SYN) ((OJ C 54, 21.2.1998, p. 12.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Articles 189c and 129d, third paragraph, of the EC Treaty (C4-0067/98),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A4-0416/98), and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs (A4-0415/98),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to incorporate Parliament's amendments in the common position that it adopts in accordance with Article 189c(a) of the EC Treaty;

4. Calls for the conciliation procedure to be opened should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

5. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.