6.7.85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 167/3 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision relating to the coordinated development of computerized 
administrative procedures (CD. project) 
COM(85) 295 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 19 June 1985) 
(85/C 167/03) 
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, 
Whereas the Council adopted a resolution on 15 May 
1984 on the computerization of the administrative proc­
edures relating to intra-Community trade ('); whereas, 
further to that resolution, the Commission has sent to 
the Council a communication (2) which provides a 
framework for developing computerized systems for 
international trade extending up to 31 December 1991; 
whereas that communication broadens the scope of the 
said resolution since it not only establishes guidelines for 
developing national computerized systems dealing with 
intra-Community trade but also covers systems for 
external trade and the interconnection of the relevant 
systems of the Commission with those of the Member 
States; 
Whereas the Community framework for computerizing 
administrative procedures should cover the following six 
fields: intra-Community trade, trade with non-member 
countries (imports and exports), interfaces with traders' 
systems, interfaces with Commission systems, inter­
connection of the systems and the establishment of 
common standards for data interchange; 
Whereas in the case of intra-Community trade, the 
computerization of administrative procedures should be 
regarded as an interim solution until such time as 
internal trade is completely free of controls; Whereas the Commission should be responsible for 
adopting the measures necessary for the coordinated 
development of computerized administrative procedures 
(CD. project); whereas the Commission and each of the 
Member States should be responsible for implementing 
their own computer systems, taking into account the 
objectives of the CD. project; whereas these objectives 
are an integral part of the more general framework of 
the CADDIA programme (3); whereas, in order to assist 
the Commission in the implementation of the CD. 
project, a project management committee should be set 
up; whereas an appropriate procedure should be laid 
down which allows the Commission to adopt 
Community measures for the implementation of the CD. 
project; 
Whereas the Treaty has not provided the necessary 
powers; 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
1. The Council takes note of the Commission's 
communication on the coordinated development of 
computerized administrative procedures and of the 
proposals therein made pursuant to the Council's 
resolution of 15 May 1984. 
2. The Commission shall be responsible for the 
coordination of the development of computerized 
administrative procedures (CD. project) by the Member 
States and itself during the period extending until 
31 December 1991. 
3. The Commission and the Member States shall be 
guided by the computerization framework and work 
programme provided, in the communication referred to 
in paragraph 1, amended, as necessary, in accordance 
with the provisions of Article 4. They shall also take 
account of the opinions expressed within the CADDIA 
Steering Committee. 
O OJ No C 137, 24. 5. 1984, p. 1. Q QJ NO C n2, 26. 4. 1984, p. 1; OJ No L 96, 3. 4. 1985, 
(2) OJNoC 15, 16. 1. 1985, p. 1. p. 35. 
No C 167/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 7. 85 
Article 2 
1. The CD. project shall be undertaken as part of the 
CADDIA programme and in conformity with its long-
term objectives of providing the necessary organizational 
infrastructure and data-processing facilities to enable the 
Commission and Member States to obtain access to and 
process, expeditiously and efficiently, the information 
needed for the operation of the Customs Union and 
of the Community's commercial policies and the 
management and financial control of agricultural 
markets. 
2. Action shall be taken within the framework of the 
CD. project: 
(a) to coordinate the planning and implementation by 
the customs administrations of the Member States 
and the Commission of computer systems dealing 
with imports, with exports and, pending the 
complete abolition of controls, with intra-
Community trade, 
(b) to establish a programme and an overall timetable 
for the development and implementation of such 
systems with the objective of completing their 
implementation not later than 31 December 1991, 
(c) to adopt appropriate standards for the interchange of 
data, and for the security of data exchanged, 
between the parties involved in the project, having 
regard to the overall standardization requirements of 
CADDIA, 
(d) to ensure close cooperation with commercial and 
industrial interests so as to provide appropriate 
interfaces between commercial and industrial systems 
and those of customs administrations. 
Article 3 
1. The Commission and each Member State shall be 
responsible for the implementation of its own computer 
systems. 
2. In preparing their implementation plans, the 
Commission and the Member States shall take into 
account the systems descriptions, and the data exchange 
and data security standards established under the 
procedure referred to in Article 4 (4). 
3. The Commission and the Member States shall 
establish their implementation timetables having regard 
to the objectives of the CD. project and the overall 
timetable referred to at Article 2 (2) (b). 
Article 4 
1. A committee for the implementation of the project 
shall be established to assist the Commission in the 
execution of the tasks referred to in Article 1 (2). 2. The committee shall consist of representatives 
of the Member States and shall be chaired by a 
representative of the Commission. The committee shall 
adopt its own rules of procedures. 
3. Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 4 
and 5, the Commission and the Member States, meeting 
within the framework of the committee and working on 
the basis of consensus, shall undertake, in relation to the 
subject matter covered by the CD. project, the following 
tasks: 
(a) the updating and further elaboration, as appropriate, 
of the CD. project development programme; 
(b) the review of the systems and plans of the Member 
States in the customs informatics field and, where 
necessary, the provision of advice on measures 
needed to ensure their compatibility with the 
objectives and technical solutions adopted for the 
CD. project development programme; 
(c) the review of technical progress reports on all studies 
and projects carried out under the CD. project and 
the provision of advice, where necessary, to ensure 
the full conformity of such studies and projects with 
the objectives and technical solutions adopted for the 
CD. project development programme. 
4. Furthermore, provisions relating to the following 
matters required for the implementation of the CD. 
project shall be adopted under the procedure laid down 
at paragraph 5: 
(a) syntax rules for the purpose of data exchange 
between the Commission and Member States, 
between the customs administration of one Member 
State and that of another, and between customs 
administrations and persons, whether natural or 
legal, who are authorized to exchange data with 
such administrations by electronic means; 
(b) data elements, codes, message formats, and 
transmission standards for use in the exchanges 
referred to in 4 (a); 
(c) standards concerning the security, protection and 
privacy of data in respect of imports, exports and 
intra-Community trade supplied to, held by, or in 
the course of transmission between the Commission, 
customs administrations and commercial operators; 
(d) system descriptions (*) for the functions and facilities 
to be included to meet Community requirements in 
the systems whose development is coordinated within 
the framework of the CD. project. 
(') System description is defined as 'a statement presenting a 
logical solution to meet a user requirement and which is not 
related to any specific hardware or software'. 
6. 7. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 167/5 
5. The representative of the Commission shall submit 
to the committee a draft of the provisions to be adopted. 
The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft 
within a time limit set by the chairman having regard to 
the urgency of the matter. Opinions shall be delivered by 
a qualified majority, the votes of the Member States 
being weighted as provided in Article 148 (2) of the 
Treaty. The chairman shall not vote. 
(a) The Commission shall adopt the provisions envisaged 
where they are in accordance with the opinion of the 
committee. 
(b) Where the provisions envisaged are not in 
accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if 
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 78/1035/EEC on the exemption from 
taxes of imports of small consignments of goods of a non-commercial character from third 
countries 
COM(85) 305 final 
. (Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 20 June 1985) 
(85/C 167/04) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in 
particular Articles 99 and 100 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 no adjustment has been made to the tax relief provided for in Council Directive 
78/1035/EEC (') as regards the importation of small consignments of goods of a non­
commercial character from third countries since the adoption of Council Directive 81/933/ 
EEC (2), resulting in a fall in the real value of the relief owing to the rise in consumer prices; 
whereas that situation should be.remedied; 
Whereas the tax relief should be set at the same level as the relief from customs duties on 
imports of small consignments from third countries provided for by Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 918/83 (3) as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No . . .; 
(') OJ No L 366, 28. 12. 1978, p. 34. 
(2) OJ No L 338, 25. 11. 1981, p. 24. 
(') OJ No L 105, 23. 4. 1983, p. 1. no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall 
without delay propose to the Council the provisions 
to be adopted. The Council shall act by a qualified 
majority. 
(c) If within three months of the proposal being 
submitted to it, the Council has not acted, the 
proposed provisions shall be adopted by the 
Commission. 
Article 5 
This Decision is addressed to the Commission and the 
Member States.