Decision on common position (EC) No 58/98 adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network (8987/98 - C4-0565/98 97/0168(SYN))(Cooperation procedure: second reading)
Date: 1999-02-09
Institutions: Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, European Parliament
Subjects: European Environment Agency, data collection, environmental cooperation, environmental monitoring, environmental protection, environmental research, information network, information system, retail price, statistics

28.5.1999

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 150/41

Tuesday 9 February 1999

11. Denominations  and  technical  specifications  of  euro  coins

**II  (procedure

without debate)

A4-0044/99

Decision  on  the  common  position  adopted  by  the  Council  with  a  view  to  adopting  a  Council
Regulation  (EC)  amending  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  975/98  on  denominations  and  technical
specifications of euro coins intended for circulation (13849/1/98 − C4-0007/99 − 98/0270(SYN))

(Cooperation procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

−  having regard to the common position of the Council, 13849/1/98 − 98/0270(SYN),

−  having  regard  to  its  opinion  at  first  reading (1)  on  the  Commission  proposal  to  the  Council,

COM(98)0492 (2),

−  having  been  consulted  by  the  Council  pursuant  to  Articles  189c  and  105a(2)  of  the  EC  Treaty

(C4-0007/99),

−  having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

−  having  regard  to  the  recommendation  for  second  reading  of  the  Committee  on  Economic  and

Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A4-0044/99),

1.

2.

Approves the common position;

Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.

(1)  Minutes of 18.11.1998, Part II, Item 11.
(2)  OJ C 296, 24.9.1998, p. 10.

12. European Environment Agency **II (procedure without debate)

A4-0019/99

Decision  on  common  position  (EC)  No  58/98  adopted  by  the  Council  with  a  view  to  adopting  a
Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1210/90  on  the  establishment  of  the
European  Environment  Agency  and  the  European  Environment  Information  and  Observation
Network (8987/98 − C4-0565/98 − 97/0168(SYN))

(Cooperation procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

−  having regard to the common position of the Council, 8987/98 − 97/0168(SYN) (1),

−  having  regard  to  its  opinion  at  first  reading (2)  on  the  Commission  proposal  to  the  Council

COM(97)0282 (3),

−  having regard to the amended Commission proposal COM(98)0191 (4),

(1)  OJ C 364, 25.11.1998, p. 1.
(2)  OJ C 80, 16.3.1998, p. 85.
(3)  OJ C 255, 20.8.1997, p. 9.
(4)  OJ C 23, 22.4.1998, p. 6.

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Tuesday 9 February 1999

−  having  been  consulted  by  the  Council  pursuant  to  Articles  189c  and  130s(1)  of  the  EC  Treaty

(C4-0565/98),

−  having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

−  having  regard  to  the  recommendation  for  second  reading  of  the  Committee  on  the  Environment,

Public Health and Consumer Protection (A4-0019/99),

1.

2.

Amends the common position as follows;

Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 1)

ARTICLE 1(2)(a)

Article 2(ii), third indent (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

− 

to  advise  individual  Member  States,  upon  their  request
and  where  this  is  consistent  with  the  Agency’s  annual
work-programme, on the development, establishment and
expansion of their systems for the monitoring of environ-
mental measures, provided such activities do not endanger
the fulfilment of the other tasks established by this Article.
Such advice may also include peer reviews by experts at
the specific request of Member States.

− 

to advise individual Member States, where this is consis-
tent with the Agency’s multiannual work-programme, on
the  development,  establishment  and  expansion  of  their
systems  for  the  monitoring  of  environmental  measures,
provided such activities do not endanger the fulfilment of
the  other  tasks  established  by  this  Article.  Such  advice
may also include peer reviews by experts;

The information, assistance and advice under point (ii) can
be required by a Member State, the Commission or other
EU  institutions  or  be  provided  by  the  Agency  on  its  own
initiative.

The Commission shall in general seek to cooperate with the
Agency  in  cases  where  appropriate  information  can  be
provided by the Agency to support Commission initiatives
or implementation of acts.

Such  requests  should  in  normal  circumstances  be  in  line
with the Agency’s approved working programmes.

(Amendment 2)

ARTICLE 1(2)(a)

Article 2(iii) (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

(iii)  to  record,  collate  and  assess  data  on  the  state  of  the
environment,  to  draw  up  expert  reports  on  the  quality,
sensitivity  and  pressures  on  the  environment  within  the
territory  of  the  Community,  to  provide  uniform  assess-
ment  criteria  for  environmental  data  to  be  applied  in  all
Member  States,  to  develop  further  a  reference  centre  of
information  on  the  environment.  The  Commission  shall
use this information in its task of ensuring the implemen-
tation of Community legislation on the environment;

(iii)  to  record,  collate  and  assess  data  on  the  state  of  the
environment,  to  draw  up  expert  reports  on  the  quality,
sensitivity  and  pressures  on  the  environment  within  the
territory  of  the  Community,  to  provide  uniform  assess-
ment  criteria  for  environmental  data  to  be  applied  in  all
Member States, to develop further and maintain a refer-
ence centre of information on the environment. The refer-
ence  centre  shall  include  a  data  register  which  shall
contain  information  related  to  legislative  and  other
measures  taken  by  the  European  Community  and
Member  States  to  protect  the  environment.  The Com-
mission shall use this information in its task of ensuring
the implementation of and compliance with Community
legislation on the environment;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 150/43

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COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 3)

ARTICLE 1(2)(b)

Article 2(xi) (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

(xi) to ensure the broad dissemination of environmental infor-
mation, in particular on the state of the environment, to the
general public and, to this end, to promote the use of new
telematics technology for this purpose;

(xi) to  ensure  the  broad  dissemination  of  reliable  and  com-
parable  environmental  information,  in  particular  on  the
state of the environment, to the general public and, to this
end, to promote the use of new telematics technology for
this purpose;

(Amendment 4)

ARTICLE 1(2)(b)

Article 2(xiiia) (new) (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

(xiiia)

to  use  the  reference  centre  of  information  on  the
environment to ensure freedom of access to validated
information  on  the  environment,  in  accordance  with
the  requirements  set  out  in  Council  Directive  90/
313/EEC  on  the  freedom  of  access  to  information  on
the environment (1).

(1)  OJ L 158, 23.6.1990, p. 56.

(Amendment 5)

ARTICLE 1(3)(b)(–i) (new)

Article 3(2), first subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

(–i)

the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

‘The  Agency  shall  furnish  information  which  can  be
directly used in the implementation and evaluation of,
and compliance with, Community environmental poli-
cy.’

(Amendment 6)

ARTICLE 1(3)(c)

Article 3(3), first subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

The  Agency  may  also  cooperate  in  the  exchange  of
3.
information  with  other  bodies,  including  with  the  IMPEL
network.

The  Agency  shall  also  cooperate  in  the  exchange  of
3.
information  with  and  assist  other  bodies,  including  with  the
IMPEL network.

(Amendment 7)

ARTICLE 1(4)(a)

Article 4(2), second subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

Member  States  shall  keep  the  Agency  informed  of  the  main
component elements of their national environment information
networks. Member States shall, as appropriate, cooperate with
the  Agency  and  contribute  to  the  work  of  the  European
environment information and observation network in accord-
ance with the work programme of the Agency by collecting,
collating and analysing data nationwide. Member States may
also join to cooperate in these activities at a transnational level.

Member  States  shall  keep  the  Agency  informed  of  the  main
component elements of their national environment information
networks. Member States shall cooperate with the Agency and
contribute to the work of the European environment informa-
tion  and  observation  network  in  accordance  with  the  work
programme of the Agency by collecting, collating and analys-
ing data nationwide. Member States may also join to cooperate
in these activities at a transnational level.

C 150/44

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Tuesday 9 February 1999

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 8)

ARTICLE 1(5)(b)

Article 8(2), second subparagraph a (new) (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

The bureau shall include amongst its members a represen-
tative appointed by the European Parliament and a repre-
sentative appointed by the Commission.

(Amendment 9)

ARTICLE 1(8a) (new)

Article 20 (Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90)

8a. Article 20 is replaced by the following:

‘1.
Not later than 31 December 2003, on the basis of
a report from the Commission, the Council shall review
the progress of and tasks undertaken by the Agency in
relation with the Union’s global policy on the environ-
ment.  This  report  shall  contain  a  cost  effectiveness
evaluation on centralised and decentralised actions.

2.
The  Agency  shall  conduct  an  evaluation  of  its
performance and efficiency before 15 September 1999
and  submit  a  report  to  the  management  board,
the Commission and the European Parliament.’

13. Comprehensive partnership with China

A4-0479/98

Resolution on the communication from the Commission − Building a Comprehensive Partnership
with China (COM(98)0181 − C4-0248/98)

The European Parliament,

−  having regard to the communication from the Commission (COM(98)0181 − C4-0248/98),

−  having regard to the trade and cooperation agreement signed in 1985 between China and the European

Community,

−  having regard to its resolution of 12 June 1997 on the Commission communication on a long-term
policy for China-Europe relations (COM(95)0279 − C4-0288/95)  (1) and its resolution of 8 October
1998 on the communication from the Commission to the Council on the European Union and Hong
Kong: Beyond 1997 (COM(97)0171 − C4-0214/97) (2),

−  having regard also to its other numerous resolutions concerning China,

−  having regard to the report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy and the
opinions of the Committee on External Economic Relations and the Committee on Civil Liberties and
Internal Affairs (A4-0479/98),

(1)  OJ C 200, 30.6.1997, p. 158.
(2)  OJ C 328, 26.10.1998, p. 186.