Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 20 July 1998 concerning the expiry of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community
Date: 1998-07-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: Community budget, ECSC Treaty, ECSC operating budget, budget policy, financial management

7.8.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  247/5

RESOLUTION  OF  THE  COUNCIL  AND  OF  THE  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
GOVERNMENTS  OF  THE  MEMBER  STATES,  MEETING  WITHIN  THE  COUNCIL

concerning  the  expiry  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Coal  and  Steel  Community

of  20  July  1998

(98/C  247/04)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION  AND  THE
REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  GOVERNMENTS  OF  THE
MEMBER  STATES  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES,
MEETING  WITHIN  THE  COUNCIL,

RECALLING:

-(cid:217)the  resolution  of  the  European  Council  on  growth
and  employment  adopted  in  Amsterdam  on  16  and
17  June  1997,  according  to  which  the  Commission  is
invited  to  make  the  appropriate  proposals  in  order  to
ensure  that,  on  expiry  in  2002  of  the  Treaty  estab(cid:220)
lishing  the  European  Coal  and  Steel  Community
(hereinafter  referred  to  as  "the  ECSC’),  the  revenues
of  outstanding  reserves  are  used  for  a  research  fund
for  sectors  related  to  the  coal  and  steel  industries,

of  international  law  unless  the  Member  States
decide  otherwise  by  common  accord;

(b) the  decision  on  the  ownership  of  the  assets  and
liabilities  must  be  consistent  with  the  achievement
of  the  aim  agreed  at  the  Amsterdam  European
Council  to  use  the  revenues  and  outstanding
reserves  for  a  research  fund  for  sectors  related  to
the  coal  and  steel  industries;

(c) implementation  of 

conclusions  of 

the
the 
Amsterdam  European  Council  requires  further
consideration,  in  particular  the  legal  means  by
which  they  can  be  brought  into  effect  and  their
practical  consequences.  This  should  be  a  subject
for  further  study  by  the  Council,  the  Commission
and  the  Member  States.

-(cid:217)the  Commission’s  communication  on  the  expiry  of
the  ECSC  Treaty  -  Financial  Activities  of  10
October  1997,

3. CONSIDER  THAT  in  relation  to  the  management  of

the  ECSC  assets:

1. NOTE  THAT:

(a)(cid:217)it  is  important  to  recognise  the  excellent  results  of
the
by 
funded 
research 
contribution  made  to  the 
improvement  of  the
competitiveness  and  social  conditions  in  the  coal
and  steel  industries;

the  ECSC 

and 

(b) the 

overall 

approach 

contained 

the
Commission’s  communication  of  10  October  1997
line  with  the  guidelines  adopted  by  the
is 
abovementioned
European  Council 
resolution;

its 

in 

in 

in 

(c) this  approach 

is  consistent  with  the  opinions
already  expressed  by  the  European  Parliament,
the  ECSC  Consultative  Committee  and  the  coal
and  steel 
levy
payments,  made  a  significant  contribution  to  the
ECSC  assets.

industries  which,  through  their 

2. NOTE  THAT,  in  relation  to  the  ownership  of  the

ECSC  assets  and  liabilities:

(a)(cid:217)on  expiry  of  the  ECSC  Treaty,  ownership  of
these  assets  and 
the
Member  States,  in  accordance  with  the  principles

liabilities  will  revert 

to 

(a)(cid:217)in  order 

to  ensure 

from  other
Community  funds,  it  is  important  to  secure  the
ECSC  assets  as  the  "ECSC  in  liquidation’;

separation 

(b) these  funds  should  remain  separate  from  other
Community  funds  for  the  purposes  agreed  by  the
Member  States, 
even  after  all  outstanding
financial  operations  have  been  completed  and  all
the  possible  contingencies  that  could  emerge  have
been  adequately  covered;

(c) administration  of  the  assets  should  be  entrusted  to
the  Communities  remaining,  as  represented  by  the
the  continuing
Commission.  This  will  enable 
management 
financial
and 
of 
operations  not  completed  in  2002;

budgetary 

(d) any  changes  to  the  purpose  for  which  the  assets
to  a

have  been  provided  should  be  subject 
unanimous  decision  of  Member  States;

financial  guidelines  proposed  by 

(e) to  ensure  the  long(cid:220)term  viability  of  the  assets,
they  should  be  managed  on  the  basis  of  multi(cid:220)
annual 
the
Commission  and  adopted  by  the  Council.  The
management  of  the  assets  readily  available  should
be  aimed  at  the  highest  possible  yield  that  is
securely  attainable;

C  247/6

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

7.8.98

(f) in  order  to  ensure  transparency,  the  Commission
should  adopt  annual  financial  reports  certified  by
the  Court  of  Auditors  and  then  transmitted  to  the
Council;

4. FURTHERMORE,  CONSIDER  THAT  in  relation  to  the

organisation  of  research  funds:

(a)(cid:217)the  revenues 

from 

the  ECSC  assets 

the  European  Communities 

should
constitute  "dedicated’  revenue  under  the  general
budget  of 
to  be
administrated  by  the  Commission.  This  should  be
directed  to  a  research  programme  for  sectors
related  to  the  coal  and  steel  industries,  guided  by
the  proposals  on  scientific  and  technical  content
set  out  in  the  Commission  communication  and
including  the  possibility  of  widening  the  scope  of
to  applied  research.
the  existing  programme 
Further  changes  to  the  use  of  the  revenue  should
be  subject  to  a  unanimous  decision  of  Member
States;

(b) to  maximise 

the 

impact  of  research  on 

the
competitiveness  of  these  industries,  the  research
programme  should  be  managed  along  lines  similar
to  the  existing  research  programme  and  on  the
basis  of  multiannual  research  guidelines  proposed
by  the  Commission  and  adopted  by  the  Council,
in  close  consultation  with  industry;

(c) these  guidelines 

should 

further  develop 
financed  by 

the
the
current  research  programme 
ECSC,  by  ensuring  a  high  degree  of  concen(cid:220)
tration  and  by  making  it  complementary  to  those
under  the  Community  framework  programme.
They  should  take  account  of  the  objective  of
and
competitivenesss, 
strengthening 
employment.  The  guidelines  should  state  clearly
how  industry  experts  are  to  be  involved  both  in
future  research  decisions  and  in  the  monitoring  of
projects;

growth 

(d) in  order  to  ensure  the  efficient  annual  allocation
of  funding,  the  existing  procedures  concerning  the

that 

adoption  of  individual  research  projects  should  be
respected, 
the
Commission  should  be  taken  with  the  agreement
of  the  Council  and 
in  consultation  with  the
sectors  concerned;

the  decisions 

is, 

of 

(e) it 

is 

important  that  a  full  evaluation  of  the
research  is  undertaken  at  the  completion  of  the
projects  financed  during  the  period  covered  by
each  multiannual  research  guideline.  In  particular,
this  evaluation  should  examine  the  benefits  of  the
research  to  the  sectors  concerned.  It 
is  also
important  that  preliminary  results  of  research  are
made  known  to  Member  States  before  the  expiry
of  each  guideline  as  a  basis  for  future  decision(cid:220)
making.

5. CALL  ON  the  Commission, 

in  consultation  with
interested  parties,  to  present,  before  the  next  meeting
of  the  Council,  a  contribution  to  the  study  referred  to
in  paragraph  2(c)  which  reflects  the  consequences  of
any  possible  solution.

6. INVITE  the  Commission,  in  doing  so,  to  consider

how:

any
-(cid:217)new  Member 
arrangements 
the
conclusions  of  the  Amsterdam  European  Council,
after  having  contributed  appropriately,

States  might 
to 

in 
join 
implement 

established 

-(cid:217)the  breakdown  between  the  allocations  for  the
coal(cid:220)related  research  and  that  for  steel(cid:220)related
research  can  be  calculated.  This  should  initially  be
based  on  the  financial  contribution  paid  by  the
future
two 
review.

industries  with 

the  possibility 

for 

7. INVITE  the  Commission  to  bring  forward,  where
appropriate  and  in  good  time,  proposals  in  other  areas
affected  by  the  expiry  of  the  ECSC  Treaty,  and  for
their  part,  agree  to  adopt  all  necessary  measures  to
deal  with  the  consequences  of  the  expiry.