COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 08.06.1995 
C()M(95) 253 final 
94/ 0028 (SYN) 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
relating to a multi-annual programme (1994-96) of work for 
cooperatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations in the Community 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

MULTI-ANNUAL PROGRAMME (1994-96) OF WORK FOR COOPERATIVES, MUTUAL 
SOCIETIES, ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
At its session of 17 March 1995 (EP A4-0119/95) the Parliament adopted a series of amendments to the 
above-mentioned Multi-annual Programme. 
The Commission accepted ten out of the eleven amendments approved (1,2, 4-9, 13, 14), either exactly as 
worded or subject to re-wording. The purpose of the amendments to Articles 1 and 2 and to the annex is 
to clarify who is entitled to benefit from the programme (definition of an commercial association) and 
what the guidelines for intervention should be. In addition, improvements to the Commission's text are 
proposed via other amendments, such as: 
that concerning the establishment of an observatory comparable to that for SMEs; 
- those designed to allow the appropriations available for these actions to be scheduled on the basis of 
information supplied via an updated financial statement; 
- that intended to simplify procedures by replacing the Management Committee provided for in Article 
4 by an Advisory Committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by the 
representative of the Commission; 
The Commission accepts the above amendments. 
However, the Commission cannot accept Amendment 3, since the consultation structure it proposes is too 
far removed from the procedures adopted by the sector itself. 
yi 
COM(93) 650 FINAL 
Article 1 Article 1 
(new second paragraph) 
'Enterprise in the form of an association' shall 
mean any non-profit-making association which 
provides goods or services to the public for a fixed 
price, whatever the cost-to-price ratio and 
regardless of whether the price is paid by the 
beneficiary or by a third organization 
Article 2, first paragraph Amendment N°14 
Article 2, first paragraph 
The measures embraced by this programme must 
give the players in the sector easier access to 
Community resources. The measures embraced by this programme must 
give each of the enterprises and organisations in 
the form of cooperatives, mutual societies and 
associations easier access to the Community 
resources. 
Article 2, Part I, Point A, first indent Amendment n° 2 
Article 2, Part 1, Point A, first indent 
conducting studies on the development ol 
the sector in the community conducting studies on the development of the 
sector in the Community, particularly by 
establishing an observatory along the lines of 
the observatory set up for SMEs to monitor 
the performance and operation of the sector in 
the single market 
Article 2, paragraph I , 
letter B, first indent Amendment n° 4 
Article 2, paragraph I, 
letter B, first indent 
encouraging opportunities for 
transnational cooperation, especially SMEs in 
the cooperatives, mutuals and associations 
sector, and the quest for new fields of activity by 
groups of partners; : encouraging opportunities for transnational 
cooperation, especially in the smaller 
cooperatives, mutuals and associations sector, and 
the quest for new fields of activity by groups of 
partners;: 
2-
Article 2, Para 1, Point B, First Indent Amendment N° 13 
Article 2, Para 1, Point B, First Indent 
encouraging opportunities for transnational 
cooperation, especially for SME's cooperatives, 
mutuals and associations sector, and the quest 
for new fields of activity by groups of partners, encouraging opportunities for transnational 
cooperation, especially for SME's cooperatives, 
mutuals and associations sector, and the quest for 
new fields of activity by groups of partners, 
without prejudice, however, to the effects resulting 
from adoption of the proposals for European 
Parliament and Council Regulations on the Statute 
for a European association, the Statute for a 
European cooperative society, and the Statute for a 
European mutual society: 
Article 2, paragraph 1, letter B Amendment n° 5 and 9 
Article 2, paragraph I, letter B, indent 4, (a), (b) 
and (c) (new) 
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations as 
vehicles of Community policies 
- creating better opportunities for women 
employers: 
- giving small businesses and associations the 
opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in 
receipt of public support: 
- supporting, coordinating and supplementing the 
member States and their players in the mutually-
supportive and 'économie sociale' sector in 
developing new forms of employment and new 
services: 
Article 3, paragraph. 2, second indent Amendment n° 6 
Article 3, paragraph 2, second indent 
the content and timetable of. and 
financial assistance for, measures and calls for 
proposals. the content and timetable of measures and 
calls for proposals. 
3 
Article 4 Amendment ] 
Article 4 
A committee shall be set up, attached to the 
Commission, composed of the representatives of 
the Member States and chaired by the 
representative of the Commission. 
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 stipulated 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. 
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 Uic.Commission to the Council forthwith. Jn 
that event, the Commission shall defer 
application of the measures which it has decided 
for a period of two months from the date of 
communication. 
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may 
take a different decision within the time limit 
referred to in the previous paragraph. The Commission shall be assisted by a 
consultative committee composed of 
representatives of the Member States and chaired 
by the representative of the Commission 
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, proceeding where necessary to a vote. 
The opinion shall be entered in the minutes. In 
addition, each Member State shall have the right to 
ask for its position to be included in the minutes 
The Commission shall take full account of the 
committee's opinion. It shall inform the 
committee of the form in which the opinion has 
been taken account of. 
Article 6, paragraph 2 Amendment n° 8 
Article 6, paragraph 2 
2. The budgetary authority shall determine 
the appropriations available for each financial 
year in accordance with the principles of good 
management referred to in Article 2 of the 
Financial Regulation applicable to the general 
budget of the European Communities. 2. The budgetary authority shall determine 
the appropriations available for each financial year 
in accordance with the principles of good 
management referred to in Article 2 of the 
Financial Regulation applicable to the general 
budget of the European Communities and on the 
basis of the information contained in the updated 
financial statement. 
M 
Annex, part II, point 1, letter A, indent Amendment n° 2 
Annex, part II, point 1, letter A, indentl 
- conducting studies on the development of the 
sector in the Community, conducting studies on the development of 
the sector in the Community, particularly by 
establishing an observatory along the lines of the 
observatory set up for SMEs to monitor the 
performance and operation of the sector in the 
single market 
Annex, part II, point I, letter B, indent 4 Amendment n° 9 
Annex, part II, point I, letter B, indent 4, a, b, c, 
(new) 
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations as 
vehicles of Community policies 
- creating better opportunities for women 
employers 
- giving small businesses and associations the 
opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in 
receipt of public support: 
- supporting, coordinating and supplementing the 
Members States and their players in the mutually-
supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in 
developing new forms of employment and new 
services 
Annex Part II, A.l. a) Amendment n° 2 
Annex Part II, A. 1. a) 
A programme of studies and forecasts will 
provide the necessary information to identify the 
major trends in the development of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations, both in 
general terms and with regard to individual 
activities. A programme of studies and forecasts will provide 
the necessary information to identify the major 
trends in the development of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations, both in 
general terms and with regard to individual 
activities particularly by establishing an 
observatory along the lines of the observatory set 
up for SMEs to monitor the performance and 
operation of the sector in the single market. 
Annex, II, A 2.d. Amendment n° 9 
Annex, II, A 2.d. Indent 4, a, b c, d (new) 
The "cooperatives" unit seeks to identify 
innovative projects, to publicise them and to 
stimulate cooperation between them. 
Furthermore, special support will be given to: 
- establishing favourable conditions and assessing 
the impact of Community policies: 
- creating better opportunities for women 
employers 
- giving small businesses and associations the 
opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in 
receipt of public support: 
- supporting, coordinating and supplementing the 
Members States and their players in the mutually-
supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in 
developing new forms of employment and new 
services 
é 
Financial Statement, 4.1, point 2, 5th indent Amendment n° 9 
Financial Statement, 4.1, point 2, 5th indent 
a,b,c,d (new) 
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations as 
vehicles of Community policies - establishing favourable conditions and assessing 
the impact of Community policies: 
- creating better opportunities for women 
employers 
- giving small businesses and associations the 
opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in 
receipt of public support: 
- supporting, coordinating and supplementing the 
Members States and their players in the mutually-
supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in 
developing new forms of employment and new 
services 
Financial Statement, 7.2, A.l, 3rd paragraph Amendment n° 2 
Financial Statement, 7.2, A.l, 3rd paragraph 
Implementation of studies on the development of 
the sector within the Community Implementation of studies on the development of 
the sector within the Community including an 
observatory 
Financial Statement, 7.2, A.2 Amendment n° 9 
Financial Statement, 7.2, A.2, indents 6,7,8, (new) 
Strengthening the role of cooperatives, mutuals, 
associations and foundations as vehicles of 
Community policies 
- creating better opportunities for women 
employers 
- giving small businesses and associations the 
opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in 
receipt of public support: 
- supporting, coordinating and supplementing the 
Members States and their players in the mutual ly-
supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in 
developing new forms of employment and new 
services 
? 
Financing Plan, A. 1., a) 
Studies on the development of the sector within 
the Community Amendment n°2 
Financing Plan, A.L, a) 
Studies on the development of the sector within 
the Community including an observatory 
Financing Plan, A.2. Amendment n° 9 
Financing Plan, A.2.e), A.2.f) and A.2.g)(new) 
A.2.d Strengthening the role of cooperatives, 
mutuals, associations and foundations as 
vehicles of Community policies 
A.2.e - creating better opportunities for women 
employers 
A.2.f - giving small businesses and associations 
the opportunity to create jobs by employing 
persons in receipt of public support: 
A.2.g- supporting. coordinating and 
supplementing the Members States and their 
players in the mutually-supportuve and 'économie 
sociale' sector in developing new forms of 
employment and new services 

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• COM(95) 253 final 
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