European Parliament resolution on the Commission White Paper on reforming the Commission (aspects concerning the Committee on Constitutional Affairs) (COM(2000) 200 — C5-0448/2000 — 2000/2218(COS))
Date: 2000-11-30
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, action programme, constitutional court, governance, institutional reform

13.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 228/211

Thursday 30 November 2000

17. Commission reform: constitutional aspects

A5-0328/2000

European Parliament resolution on the Commission White Paper on reforming the Commission
(aspects concerning the Committee on Constitutional Affairs) (COM(2000) 200 % C5-0448/2000
% 2000/2218(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the White Paper on reforming the Commission (COM(2000) 200 (cid:1) C5-0448/2000),

(cid:1) having regard to Article 213(2) of the EC Treaty,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 13 January 1999 on the institutional implications of the approval by
the European Parliament of the President of the Commission and the independence of the members of
the Commission (1),

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 23 March 1999 on the resignation of the Commission and the

appointment of a new Commission (2),

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2000 containing its observations on action to be taken
on the second report of the Committee of Independent Experts on the reform of the Commission (3),

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 17 February 2000 on the agreement between the European Parlia-
ment and the Commission on procedures for implementing Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June
1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commis-
sion (4),

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 13 April 2000 containing the European Parliament’s proposals for

the Intergovernmental Conference (5),

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:1) having regard to its other resolutions of 30 November 2000 on the White Paper on reforming the

Commission (6),

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (A5-0328/2000),

A. whereas the enlarged European Union will more than ever need a strong and independent Commis-
sion, with the responsibility for defining and defending the common interest, ensuring respect for the
Treaties and European law and holding the right of legislative initiative,

B. whereas the guidelines laid down by the Commission in its White Paper go well beyond a simple

answer to the malfunctions found by the Committee of Independent Experts,

C. whereas there is an urgent need to establish clearer lines of accountability and service to the public,

D. whereas in general the White Paper contains proposals for substantially improving management and
administrative procedures within the Commission but without laying down any general political fra-
mework for action, the strategic choice in favour of concentrating on the Commission’s core tasks
being linked to the aim of ensuring an independent, strong and efficient Commission,

E. whereas the proposals in the White Paper barely touch on the Commission’s legislative role,

(1) OJ C 104, 14.4.1999, p. 59.
(2) OJ C 177, 22.6.1999, p. 19.
(3) OJ C 304, 24.10.2000, p. 135.
(4)
‘Texts Adopted’, Item 11.
(5)
‘Texts Adopted’, Item 7.
(6)
‘Texts Adopted’, Items 14, 15 and 16.

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F. whereas the implementation of the Treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam has clearly shown the pro-
blems in carrying out decisions made by the European Council or the Council of Ministers in fields
outside traditional Community policy areas, and it therefore became apparent that the Commission
was the only institution able to ensure the coordinated implementation of Union policies,

G. whereas, on the other hand, the actual management of the Union’s policies and of the majority of
Community appropriations must continue to be a matter for the Member States’ administrations or
bodies approved by the Commission and by them, in order to reap the benefits of decentralised man-
agement and avoid bureaucratic duplication of effort,

H. having regard to the role the Treaties assigned Parliament as opposed to the Commission,

1.
Repeats its attachment to the principle of a strong, independent, effective, transparent and politically
answerable Commission which inspires confidence in citizens, and hopes that it will have the financial,
human and political resources to perform the institutional tasks and duties conferred on it by the Treaties;

Points out that the independence guaranteed Commissioners from governments and private interests

2.
must apply also in respect of the members of their private offices and their composition;

3. Welcomes the reforms that have already been implemented by the Commission (cid:1) notably the new
structure of directorates-general, new rules on Commissioners’ private offices, the end of national flags on
senior posts and new presidential powers for the dismissal of Commissioners;

4.

Urges that the principle of an independent and impartial European civil service be maintained;

5.
Regrets to note that the first stage of the reform of the Commission was not preceded by any in-
depth consideration of the problems of European governance and reserves the right to scrutinise this first
stage for consistency with the subsequent stages stemming in particular from the White Paper on govern-
ance to be adopted by the Commission during the first half of 2001;

6. Welcomes the Commission’s desire to improve the coordination of budgetary and legislative priori-
ties and needs throughout the planning cycle and to define the resources needed in the light of the objec-
tives;

7. Welcomes the first decisions taken by the Commission with a view to establishing appropriate and
higher-quality standards for its own work on the basis of the principle of transparency and in particular
the codes of conduct recently drawn up; hopes that the Commission will extend this codification exercise
to administrative procedures;

8.
Insists that the Commission must be given the main role in the preparation for and follow-up to
meetings of the European Council and of the Council of Ministers in all its forms and calls upon the
Council and the Member States to abide scrupulously by this principle;

9.
Urges the Council and Member States to associate the Commission fully with the work which takes
place on police and judicial cooperation in the sphere of criminal law within the Coordination Committee
pursuant to Article 36(2) of the EU Treaty;

10.
Calls on the Commission to apply the principles of good governance to the preparation of its leg-
islative proposals, by devising an internal procedure which will ensure that the subsidiarity principle is
respected before any proposal for new regulatory measures is drawn up, and by keeping a chronological
record of procedures in order to reduce the time they take;

11.
Is pleased that the Commission intends to improve relations with the social partners and other
outside interlocutors and sees the discussion paper ‘The Commission and non-governmental organisations:
building a stronger partnership’ (COM(2000) 11) as a first step in that direction; expects further initiatives
in the context of the White Paper on European governance;

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Thursday 30 November 2000

12.
Calls on the Commission, in the context of the White Paper on European governance, and in accor-
dance with the undertakings already given by the Commission President, to ascertain whether the alloca-
tion of the responsibilities for implementation with the Member States is in keeping with the subsidiarity
principle, taking into account the specific features of the operational sector and Member States involved,
and ensuring that the Commission does as little management as possible in order to concentrate on initia-
tion, coordination and control;

13.
Insists that Member States recognise their responsibilities to assist the Commission in decentralising
the management of Union policies, including willingness to expose their own public administration to
proper scrutiny by the European and national parliaments and to accept sanctions when they fail to man-
age Union policies correctly;

14.
Hopes also that the deliberations on governance will provide an opportunity for the three institu-
tions to establish a common doctrine for externalisation, the establishment of independent agencies being
justified whenever a scientific opinion or technique is required or decentralised management seems better,
but avoiding any dismembering of the Commission’s political responsibility and ensuring that the latter has
the legal means to account to Parliament and the Council for the way in which the agencies perform their
tasks;

15.
Urges that the principle whereby responsibility for decision-making continues to be political and
rest with the Commission is not watered down in the course of the present Intergovernmental Conference;

Urges support for the role of the Commission as the think-tank and institutional memory of the

16.
Union, and calls for an enhancement of its policy analysis and planning functions;

17.
Is pleased that, in the context of the Cotonou Agreement with the ACP States and the Commission
decision of 16 May 2000 on the reform of the management of external assistance, steps have been taken
towards ensuring decentralised and coordinated external assistance and calls also on the Commission to
conduct an overall study into the problem of the Union’s external representation both in international
negotiations, in international bodies and in dealing with non-Community countries, and to promote the
establishment of a common diplomatic service which is subordinate to it;

18.
Notes that the appointment of a High Representative for the CFSP and the subsequent setting-up of
defence policy bodies is leading to the creation of European authorities that compete unnecessarily with
each other, without the problem of coordinating Member States’ own actions being resolved in an efficient
manner; takes the view that the office of High Representative must in the long run be incorporated into
the Commission;

Calls on the Commission to ensure that the machinery for coordination between Parliament, the

19.
Commission and the Council is in general use to ensure the consistency of decision-making;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-

20.
ments of the Member States.

18. Relations between EU and developing countries

A5-0337/2000

European Parliament resolution on the reform of the Commission and its implications for the
effectiveness of the European Union’s relations with developing countries (2000/2051(INI))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the White Paper on reforming the Commission (COM(2000) 200),

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission communications of 24 April 2000 (COM(2000) 212) on the Eur-
opean Community’s development policy and of 16 May 2000 (SEC(2000) 814) on the reform of the
management of external aid,