2000/323/EC: Commission Decision of 4 May 2000 setting up a Consumer Committee (notified under document number C(2000) 408)
Date: 2000-05-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: consumer information, consumer movement, consumer protection

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

L 111/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9.5.2000

COMMISSION DECISION

of 4 May 2000

setting up a Consumer Committee

(notified under document number C(2000) 408)

(2000/323/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

The

European

4.
those
fulfilling the criteria laid down in Article 5 of the Decision No
283/1999/EC.

organisations

consumer

are

Whereas:

Article 2

is appropriate

It
the Commission to consult
consumers on problems concerning the protection of
consumer interests at Community level.

for

The Committee may be consulted by the Commission on all
problems relating to the protection of consumer interests at
Community level.

A Consumer Committee was set up by Decision 95/
260/EC (1) to enable the Commission to hear the view of
organisations representing consumers.

Article 3

Decision No 283/1999/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 25 January 1999 establishing a
general framework for Community activities in favour of
consumers (2)
European
the
consumer organisations.

financing of

enables

Experience with the operation of this Committee shows
its functioning should be improved as regards
that
representativity so that the new Committee would be
representative of consumers in all Member States of the
European Community, whether they be organised at
national or European level.

This Consumer Committee should be accorded a statute
based on experience gained.

The Commission will aim to have a satisfactory gender
balance on this Committee,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Commission

1.
Committee, hereinafter called ‘the Committee’.

establishes

hereby

a Consumer

The Committee shall be composed of representatives of
2.
national consumer organisations and of European consumer
organisations.

3.
National consumer organisations must be representative
in terms of their number of members, have as their sole or
main objective the defence of consumer interests and must be
independent from business circles.

(1) OJ L 162, 13.7.1995, p. 37.
(2) OJ L 34, 9.2.1999, p. 1.

The Committee shall be composed of:

— 15 members representative of national consumer organ-

isations, one from each Member State,

— one member from each European consumer organisation

defined under Article 1(4).

The members of
the Committee representative of national
consumer organisations must inform and consult the associa-
tions they are representing on the Committee.

Article 4

1.
The members of the Committee representative of national
consumer organisations shall be appointed by the Commission
on the proposal of the national bodies coordinating consumer
associations established by Member States, where they exist.

Should the national body coordinating the consumer associa-
tions be unable to put forward a single proposal,
it should
present to the Commission a short list, with a maximum of
three candidates, from which the Commission shall appoint the
member.

Where such bodies do not exist, the Commission will appoint
the member after having convened the national consumer
organisations and having asked them to indicate a candidate. In
case of disagreement, they should submit a short list, with a
maximum of three candidates, from which the Commission
shall appoint the member.

2.
The members of the European consumer organisations
shall be appointed by the Commission on the proposal of the
European consumer organisations fulfilling the criteria laid
down in the Decision No 283/1999/EC.

An equal number of

3.
the members
mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be appointed under the
same conditions as the members. The alternate shall automati-
cally replace a member who is absent or indisposed.

alternates of

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 111/31

Article 5

Article 9

The term of office of the members shall be three years

1.
and shall be renewable.

The Committee shall meet at the seat of the Commission,
which shall convene meetings, normally four times a year.

At the end of the three-year period, the members shall remain
in office until a replacement is provided or until their term of
office is renewed.

The term of office of the members shall lapse before the end of
the three-year period in the event of their retirement or on
their death. Their term of office may also be terminated should
the organisations that proposed them request their replace-
ment. They shall be replaced for the remainder of the three-
year period in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 4(1).

2.
The Committee can invite as an expert any person having
special expertise on a point on the agenda to participate in its
work.

Membership shall not confer entitlement to payment.

Article 6

Article 7

The Commission shall publish the list of members and alter-
nates in the Official Journal of the European Communities, for
information purposes.

Article 8

The meetings of the Committee shall be chaired by a Commis-
sion representative. The Commission shall provide secretarial
services for the Committee and organise its work.

Article 10

The discussions in the Committee are based on the requests for
opinion made by the Commission. When requesting an
opinion, the Commission can fix the deadline within which the
opinion should be delivered. The positions taken by the
members will appear
transmitted to the
Commission. The opinions adopted will be annexed to the
minutes.

in the minutes

Article 11

Without prejudice to Article 287 of the Treaty, the members
and alternates of the Committee are required not to divulge any
information obtained from their work in the Committee, in
cases where the Commission informs them that the opinion
requested or question raised is of a confidential nature.

Article 12

Decision 95/260/EC is hereby repealed.

Done at Brussels, 4 May 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission