Amended proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL extending Regulation (EC) No 443/97 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries

(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC-Treaty)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

A. Principles

On 15 September the Commission submitted a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation extending Regulation (EC) No 443/97 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries (COM(1999 443 final - C5-0146-1999 - 1999/0194(COD)).

The report of Parliament's Committee on Development and Cooperation, making four amendments to the Commission's proposal of 15 September 1999, was published on 14 March 2000 and adopted at its first reading on 4 May 2000.

On that occasion the Member of the Commission responsible gave his position on each of the amendments and accepted them all.

The Commission has therefore amended its proposal.

B. Explanation of the amendments

The Commission accepted Parliament's four amendments

In the case of the first amendment, the Member of the Commission noted that the unofficial version of the activity report had been sent to the Committee on Development and Cooperation and that the official version would be sent in June.

The second and third amendments were accepted because they reflected the interinstitutional framework of cooperation for budgetary discipline and comitology.

The fourth amendment was also accepted since the Commission will submit to Parliament and the Council an independent evaluation in September this year.

1999/0194 (COD)

Amended proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL extending Regulation (EC) No 443/97 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 179(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [1],

[1] OJ C 21 E, 25.1.2000, p. 65.

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty [2],

[2] Position of the European Parliament of 4.5.2000.

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 443/97 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries will expire on 31 December 1999.

(2) It would appear appropriate to extend this Regulation until 31 December 2000 and at the same time to amend the financial reference amount and the relevant period referred to in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 443/97.

(3) Regulation (EC) No 443/97 requires the Commission to submit an annual report to the European Parliament and the Council; this report should be available before the adoption of this Regulation.

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

1. The second subparagraph of Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) No 443/97 is replaced by the following: "It shall apply until 31 December 2000."

2. Article 6(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 443/97 is replaced by the following:

"1. Community financing of the operations referred to in Article 1 shall cover a period of five years (1996 to 2000). The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period 1996 to 2000 shall be EUR 280 million. Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective."

3. Article 10(2) of Council Regulation No 443/97 is replaced by the following:

"2. Where reference is made to this article, Article 4 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC [3] shall apply, having regard to Articles 7 and 8 thereof. The period provided for in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be one month.

[3] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

Article 1a

The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council, four months before the expiry of Council Regulation (EC) No 443/97, an overall assessment report appraising the management of the programme, identifying its strengths and weaknesses and making recommendations to improve the impact of the programme

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, [...]

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President

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