European Parliament legislative resolution on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to the adoption of a European Parliament and Council regulation concerning the financial instrument for the environment (LIFE) (10233/2/1999 – C5-0224/1999 — 1998/0336(COD))
Date: 2000-02-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU financial instrument

C 339/124

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.11.2000

Wednesday 16 February 2000

TEXTS ADOPTED

1. Financial instrument for the environment (LIFE) ***II

A5-0014/2000

European Parliament legislative resolution on the common position adopted by the Council with a
view to the adoption of a European Parliament and Council regulation concerning the financial
instrument for the environment (LIFE) (10233/2/1999 / C5-0224/1999 / 1998/0336(COD))

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

(cid:17) having regard to the Council common position, (10233/2/1999 (cid:17) C5-0224/1999) (1),

(cid:17) having regard to its position at first reading (2) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the

Council (COM(1998) 720) (3),

(cid:17) having regard to the Commission’s amended proposal (COM(1999) 305),

(cid:17) having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

(cid:17) having regard to Rule 80 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:17) having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment,

Public Health and Consumer Policy (A5-0014/2000),

1.

2.

Amends the common position as follows;

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 1)
Article 3(7), 1st subparagraph

7.
Projects considered for financial support under LIFE-
Nature shall be subject to the procedure set out in Article 11. For
the purposes of this paragraph, the committee shall be that referred
to in Article 20 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

Projects considered for financial support under LIFE-
7.
Nature shall be subject
to the committee referred to in
Article 20 of Directive 92/43/EEC in accordance with the
management procedure set out in Article 4 of Decision
1999/468/EC, having due regard for the provisions of Ar-
ticle 8 of the latter. The period laid down in Article 4(3)
of the Decision shall be three months.

(Amendment 2)
Article 3(8)(a)

(a) accompanying measures to be financed pursuant to para-
graph 2(b)(i) and (ii) shall, after consultation of the com-
mittee mentioned in Article 21 of Directive 92/43/EEC,
be the subject of calls for expressions of interest. Member
States may submit proposals on accompanying measures
to the Commission;

(a) accompanying measures to be financed pursuant to para-
graph 2(b)(i) and (ii) shall, after consultation of the com-
mittee mentioned in Article 20 of Directive 92/43/EEC
in accordance with the advisory procedure set out in
Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC, be the subject of
calls for expressions of interest. Member States may submit
proposals on accompanying measures to the Commission;

(1) OJ C 346, 2.12.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 265.
(3) OJ C 15, 20.1.1999, p. 4.

29.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 339/125

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

Wednesday 16 February 2000

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 3)

Article 3(8a) (new)

8a.
New proposals for the co-financing of measures of
significant importance for the maintenance or re-establish-
ment, under favourable conditions of protection, of habi-
tats of Community interest pursuant to Article 8 of Direc-
tive 92/43/EEC shall, in so far as they receive no financial
support in the context of LIFE-Environment, be forwarded
by the Commission for financing by means of other suita-
ble Community resources.

The Commission shall report annually on the applications
for co-financing submitted in accordance with para-
graph 5(a), which have not received support within a
year in the context of either LIFE-Environment or other
Community co-financing resources.

(Amendment 4)

Article 4(2)(a), 4th indent

(cid:17) reduce the environmental impact of products through an
integrated approach to production, distribution, consump-
tion and handling at the end of their life-time, including
the development of environmentally-friendly products;

(cid:17) reduce the environmental impact of products through an
integrated approach to production, distribution, consump-
tion and handling at the end of their life-time, including
the development of clean technologies and environ-
ment-friendly products;

(Amendment 5)

Article 4(2)(a), 4th indent a (new)

/ include plans and demonstration projects for the sus-
tainable management of groundwater and surface
water; or

(Amendment 6)

Article 4(2)(a), 4th indent b (new)

/ include plans and demonstration projects for reducing

air pollutants which affect climate.

(Amendment 7)

Article 4(4)

4.
As far as demonstration projects are concerned, guide-
lines will be established by the Commission, after being subject
to the procedure set out in Article 11, and published in the
Official Journal of the European Communities. The guidelines
shall promote synergy between demonstration actions and the
guiding principles of Community environmental policy with a
view to sustainable development.

4.
As far as demonstration projects are concerned, guide-
lines will be established by the Commission, after being subject
to the procedure set out in Article 11(3b) and (3c), and pub-
lished in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
The guidelines shall promote synergy between demonstration
actions and the guiding principles of Community environmen-
tal policy with a view to sustainable development.

C 339/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.11.2000

Wednesday 16 February 2000

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

(Amendment 8)

Article 4(8)(a)

(a) projects to be financed pursuant to paragraph 2(b) and
accompanying measures to be financed pursuant to para-
graph 2(c)(i) shall, after consultation of the committee men-
tioned in Article 11, be the subject of calls for expression
of interest. Member States may submit proposals on pro-
jects to be financed pursuant to paragraph 2(b) to the
Commission;

(a) projects to be financed pursuant to paragraph 2(b) and
accompanying measures to be financed pursuant to para-
graph 2(c)(i) shall, after having been subject to the pro-
cedure set out in Article 11(3b) and (3c), be the subject
of calls for expression of interest. Member States may sub-
mit proposals on projects to be financed pursuant to para-
graph 2(b) to the Commission;

Projects considered for financial support shall be subject

10.
to the procedure set out in Article 11.

Projects considered for financial support shall be subject

10.
to the procedure set out in Article 11(2) to (3a).

(Amendment 9)

Article 4(10)

(Amendment 10)

Article 5(7)

7.
Projects considered for financial support shall be subject
to the procedure set out in Article 11. Without prejudice to
this procedure, the committee set up by Article 21 of Directive
92/43/EEC shall be consulted before a decision is taken on pro-
jects concerning nature protection. The Commission shall
adopt a decision concerning the list of projects selected.

7.
Projects considered for financial support shall be subject
to the procedure set out in Article 11(2) to (3a). Without pre-
the committee referred to in
judice to this procedure,
Article 20 of Directive 92/43/EEC shall be consulted in accor-
dance with the advisory procedure set out in Article 3 of
Decision 1999/468/EC before a decision is taken on projects
concerning nature protection. The Commission shall adopt a
decision concerning the list of projects selected.

(Amendment 11)

Article 6(5)

5.
Projects considered for LIFE financial support shall be
subject either to the procedure set out in Article 3(7) or to that
set out in Article 11 according to the type of project proposed.

5.
Projects considered for LIFE financial support shall be
subject either to the committee referred to in Article 20 of
Directive 92/43/EEC in accordance with the management
procedure set out in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC,
having due regard for the provisions of Article 8 of that
Decision, or to the procedure set out in Article 11(2) to (3a)
of this Regulation according to the type of project proposed.
The period referred to in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/
468/EC shall be three months.

(Amendment 12)

Article 8(1)

1.
LIFE shall be implemented in phases. The third phase
shall start on 1 January 2000 and shall end on 31 December
2004. The financial framework for the implementation of the
third phase for
the period 2000-2004 is hereby set at
€ 613 million.

1.
LIFE shall be implemented in phases. The third phase
shall start on 1 January 2000 and shall end on 31 December
2004. The financial framework for the implementation of the
third phase for
the period 2000-2004 is hereby set at
€ 850 million.

29.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 339/127

COMMON POSITION
OF THE COUNCIL

Wednesday 16 February 2000

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Committee

LIFE Committee

(Amendment 13)
Article 11

The Commission shall be assisted by a regulatory commit-

1.
tee.

2. Where reference is made to this Article, the regulatory procedure
set out in Article 5 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having
regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/

3.
EC shall be set at three months.

For the sections LIFE-Environment and LIFE-Third
1.
Countries the Commission shall be assisted by a committee
consisting of representatives of the Member States and
chaired by the Commission representative, hereinafter
referred to as ‘LIFE Committee’.

Management procedure

2.
The Commission representative shall submit to the
LIFE Committee a draft of measures to be taken concern-
ing projects to which it is intended to grant financial sup-
port pursuant to Article 4(2)(a) and (b) and Article 5(2)(a).

3.
The LIFE Committee shall deliver its opinion on this
draft and the Commission shall adopt the envisaged mea-
sures in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of
Decision 1999/468/EC, having due regard for the provi-
sions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of the Decision

3a.
shall be three months.

Advisory procedure

The Commission representative shall submit to the
3b.
LIFE Committee a draft of measures to be taken concern-
ing:

(a)

the guidelines to be established pursuant to Article
4(4),

(b) the calls for expressions of interest concerning the
projects to be financed pursuant to Article 4(2)(b)
and the accompanying measures referred to in Article
4(2)(c)(i),

(c) any other question concerning the implementation of

this programme.

The LIFE Committee shall deliver its opinion in
3c.
accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of Decision
1999/468/EC.

(Amendment 14)
Article 12(1)

1.
Not later than 30 September 2003, the Commission shall
submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on
the implementation of this Regulation, its contribution to the
development of Community environmental policy and the use
made of the appropriations, and shall, where appropriate, make
proposals for any adjustments to be made with a view to con-
tinuing the action beyond the third phase.

Not later than 30 September 2003, the Commission shall

1.
submit to the European Parliament and the Council:
(a) a report on the implementation of this Regulation, its con-
tribution to the development of Community environmen-
tal policy and the use made of the appropriations, and
shall, where appropriate, make proposals for any adjust-
ments to be made with a view to continuing the action
beyond the third phase;

(b) proposals concerning a fourth phase for the LIFE pro-

gramme.