2001/546/EC: Commission Decision of 11 July 2001 setting up a consultative committee, to be known as the "European Energy and Transport Forum" (notified under document number C(2001) 1843)
Date: 2001-07-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), common transport policy, energy policy

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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setting up a consultative committee, to be known as the ‘European Energy and Transport Forum’

COMMISSION DECISION

of 11 July 2001

(notified under document number C(2001) 1843)

(2001/546/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Whereas:

2.
The Forum shall be made up of qualified individuals
competent to consider matters relating to energy and transport
as well as the interaction between these two policies. It shall
and
include
managers of networks and infrastructures, transport users and
energy consumers, trade unions, environmental protection and
safety associations and the academic world.

representatives of operators, manufacturers

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

The conclusions of
the Transport Council of 20
September 2000 (1) called for the Commission to submit
a proposal without delay for setting up a European
forum at the Commission consisting of representatives
the factors
of
affecting the
transport and to
consider adjustments to the structures in this sector. The
proposal should have due regard for social, environ-
mental and safety objectives.

the sector concerned to examine all

competitiveness of

The mandate of the Energy Consultative Committee set
up under Commission Decision No 96/642 (2) of 8
November 1996 lapsed in February 2001.

In view of its need for a consultative discussion body
individuals qualified to examine a wide
made up of
range of issues to do with energy and transport policy,
the Commission proposes to set up a European Energy
and Transport Forum.

Considering the interdependence of energy and trans-
port policies and the need to bring them into line with
each other, it is useful and appropriate to bring repre-
sentatives of the energy and transport industries together
within a single body.

This dialogue should enable the Commission to gather
opinions on any Commission initiative in the area of
energy and transport policy and to benefit from the
expert opinion of a monitoring centre.

This forum should be set up, its mandate defined and its
administration organised,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1.
A consultative committee, to be known as the ‘European
Energy and Transport Forum’, hereinafter referred to as the
‘Forum’, shall be set up at the Commission.

(1) SI (2000) 816 of 21.9.2000.
(2) OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 34 to 36 and Decision No 98/134/EC of
3 February 1998 appointing the members of that body, OJ L 36,
10.2.1998, p. 14.

Article 2

Mission

The Commission can consult the Forum on any matter

1.
relating to EU energy and transport policy.

The Forum shall act as monitoring centre for energy and
2.
transport policy, particularly on competitiveness and structural
adjustments in these sectors, while having due regard for envir-
onmental, social and safety concerns. It will also be required, if
interest which
necessary, to examine any matters of topical
may arise in the areas of energy and transport.

3.
The Forum shall provide the Commission with opinions
or reports at the request of the Commission or on its own
initiative. The deliberations of the Forum shall not be subject to
any vote. The Commission may set a deadline for the submis-
sion of any opinion or report that it requests from the Forum.

Article 3

Composition, nomination

1.

2.

The Forum shall have 34 full members.

The distribution of members shall be as follows:

— nine members representing operators (energy producers
freight carriers, manufacturing

sea and air

and land,
industry),

— five members representing networks and infrastructures
(gas, electricity, rail, road, ports, airports, air traffic control),

— seven members representing users and consumers (trans-
port users, energy consumers, demand management),

— six members representing unions,

— five members representing environmental organisations and
organisations responsible for safety particularly in the field
of transport,

— two members from the academic world or from think

tanks,

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One alternate member shall be appointed for every full
3.
member. The alternate member shall attend meetings of the
Forum or a working group only if the full member is absent or
unable to attend.

The full and alternate members of the forum shall be
4.
appointed individually by the Commission on the basis of
objective criteria of proven competence and experience. They
shall be required to give the Commission and independent
opinion, free from outside influence. They shall have a two-
year renewable mandate.

5. When their mandate lapses, full members of the forum,
and the corresponding alternate members, shall remain in
office until such time as they are replaced or their mandate
renewed.

6.
A member's mandate shall lapse before expiry thereof in
the event of resignation or death. In such case, the member
shall be replaced for the remaining term of the mandate.

7.

There shall be no remuneration for the duties performed.

A call

8.
for applications for the membership positions
defined in Article 3(2) will be published in the Official Journal of
the European Communities, except for members under the fourth
indent,
in whose case the Commission will call upon the
European Trade Union Confederation to appoint its representa-
tives in the fields of energy and transport. The Commission
shall select members on the basis of the applications received
following this call. The selection criteria will take account of
the candidates' competence and experience, their representa-
tiveness and their ability to contribute to strategic discussions,
and will promote a balance in terms of specialists from the
various areas of activity, in terms of gender and in terms of
geographical origin.

9.
The Commission will publish the list of full and alternate
members for information in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

Article 4

Working parties

In fulfilment of its mission as set out in Article 2, the

1.
Forum may set up ad hoc working parties.

2.

The working parties shall comprise 11 members at most.

Article 5

Experts

The Forum may invite to participate in its work any person
with a specific competence for an item on the agenda. Such
experts shall participate only in the discussions of the item for
which they were invited.

Article 6

Forum Presidency and Bureau

and the environment or safety, respectively. Elections shall be
carried by a majority of two thirds of the members present.

2.
The President and the Vice-Presidents whose mandates
have lapsed shall remain in office until such time as they are
replaced or their mandate renewed.

3.
If the mandate of the President or one of the Vice-Presi-
dents lapses, a replacement shall be provided for the remainder
of their term of office, in accordance with the procedure given
in paragraph 1.

The Bureau shall be made up of the President and the

4.
Vice-Presidents.

The Bureau shall prepare and organise the work of the

5.
Forum.

The Bureau may invite rapporteurs from any working

6.
party to take part in its meetings.

Article 7

Secretarial services

The Commission shall provide secretariat services for the
Forum, the Bureau and the working parties.

Representatives of interested Commission services can take part
in the meetings of the Forum, the Bureau and the working
parties.

Article 8

Opinions and reports

its opinions and reports to the
The Forum shall submit
Commission. If the requested opinion or report meets with the
unanimous agreement of the forum, the Forum shall draw up
joint conclusions, which shall be appended to the minutes of
meetings. If the requested opinions or report does not meet
with the unanimous approval of the forum, the forum shall
forward the divergent views of its members to the Commis-
sion. The Commission can publish on the Internet any reports,
opinions and proceedings of the Forum that are not confiden-
tial

in nature.

Article 9

Meetings

The Forum shall meet at the Commission headquarters

1.
on invitation by the Commission.

The Bureau shall be convened on the initiative of the

2.
President in agreement with the Commission.

3.
Forum members and any experts invited under Article 5
shall be reimbursed their travel and subsistence expenses in
accordance with the provisions in force within the Commis-
sion.

1.
For a term of office of two years, the Forum shall elect
from among its members one President and four Vice-Presi-
dents representing operators, users or consumers, trade unions

4. Meetings of the Forum and,
if applicable, the working
parties shall be organised subject to prior budgetary author-
isation by the Commission.

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Article 10

Article 12

Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 287 of the EC
Treaty, the members of the forum shall not divulge any infor-
mation they obtain through their work in the forum or its
working groups, where the Commission informs them that a
particular opinion or matter is confidential. In such a case, only
members of the forum and Commission representatives may
attend the meetings.

Article 11

Revision

The Commission reserves the right to amend the terms of this
Decision in the light of experience.

Decision No 96/642/EC and therefore also Decision 98/134/EC
are hereby repealed.

Article 13

Entry into force

This Decision shall take effect on the day of its publication in
the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Done at Brussels, 11 July 2001.

For the Commission

Loyola DE PALACIO

Vice-President