A4-0306/98

Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the Community position within the Association Council on the participation of Latvia in a Community programme in the field of culture (COM(98)0358 - C4-0403/98 - 98/0203(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 3a (new)

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>Text following EP vote>

Whereas culture plays a fundamental role in forging closer relations between peoples and in the development of European citizenship and there is hence a need for the applicant countries to be involved in this process;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 3b (new)

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>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the boosting of cultural measures will have positive effects on the economic and social development of the applicant countries and on the functioning of their democracies;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 3c (new)

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Whereas, pursuant to Article 128 of the Treaty on European Union, it is necessary to encourage the cultural expression of the applicant countries, with due regard for their cultural diversity and the minorities to which they are home:

(Amendment 4)

Recital 3d (new)

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Whereas income from third countries is pre-allocated to the programmes and entered as such in the corresponding expenditure line;

(Amendment 5)

Council Decision, 2nd paragraph (new)

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The annual breakdown of appropriations for the financing of this action, pursuant to Article 109 of the Europe Agreement referred to in the first recital, shall appear in Section III, Part B, Annex IV, of the budget of the European Union.

(Amendment 6)

Association Council draft decision

Annex I (7)

>Original text>

7. Without prejudice to the procedures referred to in Article 7 of the Decision on Raphael, Latvia will be invited to any co-ordination meetings on questions concerning the implementation of this Decision prior to the regular meetings of the Programme Committee. The Commission will inform Latvia about the results of such regular meetings.

>Text following EP vote>

7.

Without prejudice to the procedures referred to in Article 7 of the Decision on Raphael, Latvia will be invited to any co-ordination meetings on questions concerning the implementation of this Decision prior to the regular meetings of the Programme Committee, to which Latvia may send an observer in order to gain first-hand experience of the Community and, possibly, express its point of view without, however, being able to influence decisions directly.

(Amendment 7)

Association Council draft decision

Annex I (8)

>Original text>

8. The language to be used as regards the application process, contracts, reports to be submitted and other administrative arrangements for the Programme, will be one of the official languages of the Community.

>Text following EP vote>

8.

The language(s) to be used as regards the application process, contracts, reports to be submitted and other administrative arrangements for the Programme, will be official languages of the Community. This should not, however, result in the language(s) of Latvia being completely excluded, especially in the case of informal negotiations.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision concerning the Community position within the Association Council on the participation of Latvia in a Community programme in the field of culture (COM(98)0358 - C4-0403/98 - 98/0203(CNS))(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(98)0358 - 98/0203(CNS) ((OJ C 215, 10.7.1998, p. 21.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 128(3) in conjunction with Article 228(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty (C4-0403/98),

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

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on External Economic Relations (A4-0306/98),

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 notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

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

5. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

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