do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 92/12/EEC on the general arrangements for products subject to excise duty and on the holding, movement and monitoring of such products'
Date: 1997-10-29
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: application of EU law, approximation of laws, committee (EU), excise duty, free movement of goods

C 19/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 1. 98

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive
amending Directive 92/12/EEC on the general arrangements for products subject to excise
duty and on the holding, movement and monitoring of such products’ (1)

(98/C 19/18)

On 14 July 1997 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 99 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned
proposal.

The Section for Economic, Financial and Monetary Questions, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 14 October 1997. The
rapporteur, working without a study group, was Mr Bento Gonçalves.

At its 349th plenary session (meeting of 29 October 1997), the Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following opinion by 123 votes in favour and three abstentions.

1. General comments

1.1.
This proposal for a Council Directive amending
Article 24 of Directive 92/12/EEC seeks to assign to
the Commission wider-ranging regulatory powers with
regard to excise duties, and to render their application
more rapid.

It also seeks to adapt the terms of reference of

1.2.
the Committee on Excise Duties.

b) improving ways of combating abusive practices, tax

fraud and smuggling;

c) allowing free movement of goods subject to excise
duty, in all the states of the European Union, on a
more transparent basis, with adequate procedures
and legal rules, while avoiding distortion of compe-
tition and preventing abuses.

It should be pointed out that the proposed
1.4.
changes leave the fiscal autonomy of the Member States
unchanged, as they do not include the fixing of tax levels
in EU terms of reference.

These changes are also intended to make the

1.3.
regulatory procedure more efficient, especially by:

2. Conclusion

a) making monitoring systems more modern and func-

tional;

(1) OJ C 267, 3. 9. 1997, p. 58.

Brussels, 29 October 1997.

2.1.
In view of the objectives set — above all those
of helping to complete the internal market and improving
the effectiveness of legal rules, with positive effects on
market transparency — the ESC endorses the draft
directive under consideration.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3513/97 by Jup WEBER to the Commission. EU forestry strategy
Date: 1997-10-29
Institutions: European Parliament, WEBER JUP
Subjects: EU Member State, European Commission, European Union, forestry policy, proposal (EU), resolution of parliament













EUR-Lex - 91997E3513 - EN






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91997E3513

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3513/97 by Jup WEBER to the Commission. EU forestry strategy  


Official Journal C 134 , 30/04/1998 P. 0169 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-3513/97 by Jup Weber (ARE) to the Commission (29 October 1997)Subject: EU forestry strategyOn 30 January 1997, Parliament adopted a resolution on EU forestry strategy (doc. A4-0414/96 ((OJ C 55, 24.2.1997, p. 22. ))), calling on the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal by January 1999 in accordance with certain recommendations, including:at the international level, submission by the Commission of proposals on the following:- an active EU role in negotiations concerning the trade in timber,- an action plan to combat ecological and social dumping in relation to imports of timber into the EU,- work towards an international convention on forests,- problems associated with eco-certification,- support for a forest conservation policy for transition and developing countries.It does not appear from the documents submitted by the Commission that the drawing-up of a forest strategy is included in its programme of work for next year.Will the President of the Commission state whether work on the forest strategy has already started? If it has, what progress has been made, given that almost half of the period stipulated by Parliament has now elapsed?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (13 November 1997)The Honourable Member is referring to the Parliament resolution adopted on 30 January 1997 calling on the Commission to make a legislative proposal on European forestry strategy within two years of the date of adoption of that resolution.The Commission is currently carrying out, in close cooperation with the Member States, an in-depth examination of the objectives and procedure for such a strategy, although this was not expressly mentioned in the Commission's 1998 work programme.The Commission intends to comply with the date indicated in the Parliament resolution and present a forestry strategy to Parliament at the beginning of 1999.
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on: - the 'Proposal for a Council Directive on the extension of Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994, on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland', and - the 'Proposal for a Council Directive extending Council Directive 96/34/EC of 3 June 1996, on the framework agreement on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'
Date: 1997-10-29
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: European undertaking, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, parental leave, worker consultation

C 19/44

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 1. 98

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive on the extension of Council Directive 94/45/EC of
22 September 1994, on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in
Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the
purposes of informing and consulting employees, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland’, and

— the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive extending Council Directive 96/34/EC of 3 June
1996, on the framework agreement on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the
ETUC, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’

(98/C 19/12)

On 7 October 1997, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 100 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned
proposals.

The Section for Social Family, Educational and Cultural Affairs, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 17 October 1997. The
rapporteur working without a study group was Miss Maddocks.

At its 349th plenary session (meeting of 29 October 1997), the Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following opinion by 107 votes to four, with eight abstentions.

The Economic and Social Committee played an active role in the launching and promotion of
the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers. It has consistently
argued that the Charter and Social Protocol Agreement should be incorporated in the Treaty
and apply to all Member States. It therefore welcomes wholeheartedly the United Kingdom’s
decision to accede to these social provisions, and it supports the European Council agreement
in Amsterdam to incorporate the concept of fundamental social rights in the new Treaty. The
Committee consequently endorses the two Commission proposals to extend the existing
Directive in question to the UK.

Brussels, 29 October 1997.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS