Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on:the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 as regards the budgetary and financial rules applicable to the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network and access to the Agency's documents,the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 as regards the budgetary and financial rules applicable to the European Food Safety Agency and access to the Agency's documents,the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning common rules in the field of civil aviation and creation of a European Aviation Safety Agency, andthe Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a European Maritime Safety Agency(COM(2002) 406 final — 2002/0169 (COD) — 2002/0179 (COD) — 2002/0181 (COD) — 2002/0182 (COD))
Date: 2002-12-11
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU office or agency, European Environment Agency, access to information, air safety, approximation of laws, civil aviation, financial legislation, food inspection, information network, maritime safety

C 85/64

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

8.4.2003

(Council decision 74/122/EEC, 18.2.1974) and the Employ-
ment Committee (Article 130). In order to ensure the requisite
transparency [and thus prevent the emergence of an opaque,
uncontrolled focus of power], the Treaty should limit itself

here to providing a simple framework and, for the detailed
provisions, should refer to secondary legislation which, as in
Article 99(5), could be adopted under the procedure referred
to in Article 252.

Brussels, 12 December 2002.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on:

— the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending
Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 as regards the budgetary and financial rules applicable to the
European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Obser-
vation Network and access to the Agency’s documents’,

— the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 as regards the budgetary and financial rules applicable to the
European Food Safety Agency and access to the Agency’s documents’,

— the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending
Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning
common rules in the field of civil aviation and creation of a European Aviation Safety
Agency’, and

— the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a
European Maritime Safety Agency’

(COM(2002) 406 final — 2002/0169 (COD) — 2002/0179 (COD) — 2002/0181 (COD) — 2002/
0182 (COD))

(2003/C 85/17)

On 23 September 2002 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 157 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposals.

At its 395th plenary session of 11 and 12 December 2002 (meeting of 11 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Chagas as rapporteur-general and adopted the following
opinion by 54 votes for with one abstention.

1.
The new Financial Regulation applicable to the general
budget of the EC (1) will enter into force on 1 January 2003. It
presents a new approach concerning the budgetary and
financial status of the decentralised Community agencies.

2.
The entry into force of this regulation requires amend-
ments to the legal acts establishing the agencies, which include:

— the European Environment Agency (Copenhagen) (2);

( 1) Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June
2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget
of the European Communities (OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1) —
EESC opinion: OJ C 260, 17.9.2001, p. 42).

(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the
establishment of the European Environment Agency and the
European Environment Information and Observation Network
(OJ L 120, 11.5.1990, p. 1) — EESC opinion: OJ C 56, 7.3.1990,
p. 20.

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 85/65

— the European Food Safety Authority (1);

— the European Maritime Safety Agency (3).

— the European Aviation Safety Agency (2);

( 1) Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 28 June 2002 laying down the general principles
and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food
Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food
safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1) — EESC opinion: OJ C 155,
29.5.2001, p. 32.

( 2) Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council on establishing common rules in the field of civil
aviation and creating a European Aviation Safety Agency (OJ
L 240, 7.9.2002, p. 1) — EESC opinion: OJ C 221, 7.8.2001,
p. 38.

Amending the legal acts establishing these agencies
3.
involves consulting the European Economic and Social Com-
mittee.

The European Economic and Social Committee wel-

4.
comes the Commission’s proposals.

(3) Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency
(OJ L 208, 5.8.2002, p. 1) — EESC opinion: OJ C 221, 7.8.2002,
p. 54.

Brussels, 11 December 2002.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Economic and social
consequences of enlargement in the candidate countries’

(2003/C 85/18)

On 16 and 17 January 2002, the European Economic and Social Committee decided, under Rule 23 of
its Rules of Procedure, to draw up an opinion on the ‘Economic and social consequences of enlargement
in the candidate countries’.

The Section for External Relations, which was responsible for drawing up the Committee’s work on the
subject, adopted its opinion on 7 November 2002. The rapporteur was Mr Dimitriadis and the co-
rapporteur was Mrs Belabed.

At its 395th plenary session (meeting of 11 December 2002), the European Economic and Social
Committee adopted the following opinion by 98 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions.

Summary

The present opinion clearly demonstrates the special interest
taken by the EESC in the completion of
the accession
negotiations for the candidate countries in the current enlarge-
ment exercise, even if certain important parameters remain to
be decided. The enlargement presents the EU with its most
demanding test since it was set up, but at the same time poses
the great challenge of achieving the Lisbon Council’s objective
of making the EU the most competitive economy in the world.

The EESC supports enlargement in every way and shares
the view of the Danish Presidency that the timetable for
enlargement must be respected, taking account of the progress
achieved by each candidate state individually.

The EESC offers various kinds of support to the enlargement
process, and in particular in the development of cooperation
with and support for the socio-occupational organisations, the
in the candidate
social partners and specialised NGOs
countries, so that (a) they can operate productively at national
(b) they organise more effectively by acquiring the
level,