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9901
|
Reiterates that a successful conclusion of the negotiations must deliver on the commitment towards concrete development benefits in all negotiating areas, notably in the interests of the LDCs, and must contribute to achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, the eradication of poverty, fairer distribution of the benefits of globalisation, better market access for developing countries and the economic diversification of developing countries, without weakening the most fragile economic sectors in those countries;
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9902
|
Whereas a considerable number of recommendations formulated in the Parliament's last three resolutions on the broad economic policy guidelines (BEPGs) have not been taken on board; whereas new and significant factors have arisen since the adoption of the Parliament's latest resolution; whereas many of the previously identified long-term challenges have acquired a new urgency; whereas the EU's economy continues to experience slower growth and seems less well prepared for globalisation than those of its main competitors,
| |
9903
|
Welcomes the merger in the Integrated Guidelines of the BEPGs and the employment guidelines but considers that the Commission's APR on the Lisbon process and other documents linked to the Open Method of Coordination should also be combined and debated together; believes that the BEPGs must be given the same legislative status as the employment guidelines and that the roles of the Parliament and the Commission in this respect need to be redefined;
| |
9904
|
Regrets that the December 2005 European Council agreement on the Financial Perspective is less ambitious than was Parliament's proposal, particularly as it focuses on traditional policies and pays insufficient regard to policies that provide added value to citizens; deplores the reduction in commitments for research and science as well as competitiveness and growth, SMEs, citizenship, freedom, justice and external actions; asks the Council to renegotiate with Parliament an agreement that reinforces the EU's prosperity, competitiveness, employment and cohesion;
| |
9905
|
Prize On the basis of the report issued by the monitoring and advisory panel after its second meeting eight months before the event as referred to in Article 10(4), a prize in honour of Melina Mercouri shall be awarded to the designated cities by the Commission provided that they meet the criteria laid down in Article 4 and have implemented the recommendations made by the selection as well as the monitoring and advisory panels. The prize shall be monetary and shall be awarded in full at the latest three months before the start of the relevant year.
| |
9906
|
Pursuant to Article 3(1) of the 2003 Act of Accession, the Member States which acceded to the Union on 1 May 2004 are required from that date to subject to a visa obligation nationals of the third countries listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those nationals who are exempt from that requirement.
| |
9907
|
The holders of documents issued by Member States fully implementing the Schengen acquis and new Member States do not represent any risk for the new Member States as they have been subject to all necessary controls by other Member States. In order to avoid imposing unjustified additional administrative burdens on the new Member States, common rules should be adopted authorising the new Member States unilaterally to recognise those documents as equivalent to their national visas and to establish a simplified regime for the controls of persons at the external borders based on that unilateral equivalence.
| |
9908
|
This Decision introduces a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders whereby the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (hereinafter referred to as the new Member States) may recognise unilaterally as equivalent to their national visas for the purpose of transit the documents referred to in Article 2(1) and those referred to in Article 3 issued by other new Member States to third-country nationals subject to a visa obligation pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001.
| |
9909
|
whereas the demonstrators, foreign sympathisers and journalists present at the rallies have been defamed and tried, without due respect for the right to defence, under allegations of provoking illegal rallies and vandalism; whereas on 27 March 2006 Belarusian courts handed down jail terms of up to 15 days to the protesters who had been arrested for participating in an unauthorised demonstration; whereas politically motivated investigations have been launched against the opposition leaders, including Aleksandr Milinkievič, the main presidential candidate for the opposition,
| |
9910
|
Invites the Members of the OECD to consider the possibility of admitting Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta as full participants in the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, which would allow them to sign and ratify the 1997 OECD Convention and invites these countries, in the meantime, to seek wider participation in the Revised Recommendation of the OECD Ministerial Council of 23 May 1997 on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions;
| |
9911
|
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ban public purchasing or procurement contracts with companies whose employees have been involved in corrupt activities with government ministers or officials or in any other way within a developing country, if those employees are not subject to disciplinary proceedings; further calls on the Member States to refer such cases to the appropriate prosecution authorities, so that such people will be investigated and brought to trial, if they have a case to answer;
| |
9912
|
whereas it has been decided that Dr Nour's appeal will be considered by the Court of Cassation on 18 May 2006; whereas it is concerned, however, by the fact that the judge who was chosen to head this tribunal is the same one who was chosen to question the Egyptian judges who testified against the government and confirmed the forgery of the election process last November; whereas it proposes that, should Dr Nour remain in prison following the court hearing, an ad hoc delegation from Parliament visit him in prison,
| |
9913
|
Two-wheel vehicles or three-wheel vehicles with a maximum design speed of not more than 45 km/h, as defined in Article 1(2)(a) of Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 March 2002 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles and repealing Council Directive 92/61/EEC (excluding those with a maximum design speed under or equal to 25 km/h), and light quadricycles as defined in Article 1(3)(a) of Directive 2002/24/EC,
| |
9914
|
A category C vehicle with a maximum authorised mass of at least 12000 kg, a length of at least 8 m, a width of at least 2,40 m and capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h; fitted with anti-lock brakes, equipped with a gearbox having at least eight forward ratios and recording equipment as defined by Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85; the cargo compartment shall consist of a closed box body which is at least as wide and as high as the cab; the vehicle shall be presented with a minimum of 10000 kg real total mass;
| |
9915
|
Member States must provide that each examiner is subject to yearly supervision making use of quality assurance arrangements listed in point 4.1.2. Moreover, the Member States must provide that each examiner is observed conducting tests once every 5 years, for a minimum period cumulatively of at least half a day, allowing the observation of several tests. When issues are identified corrective action should be put in place. The person undertaking the supervision must be a person authorised by the Member State for that purpose.
| |
9916
|
In the light of improving road safety and to make an equation between mobility and safety, the three institutions reached agreement on the principle of progressive access to motorcycles and on the age for mutual recognition of licences. The three institutions also decided to introduce a special category for mopeds (category AM), for which a licence can be obtained at the age of 16 years after having passed a theory test. Member States may impose further requirements and may decide to integrate category AM into the philosophy of progressive access if they wish.
| |
9917
|
When tabling its proposal for a Council Directive implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services, the Commission noted that the portrayal of the sexes in the media and in advertising raises important questions about the protection of the dignity of men and women, but concluded that, in the light of other fundamental rights, including the freedom and pluralism of the media, it would not be appropriate to address these questions in that proposal but that it should take stock of these questions.
| |
9918
|
Cooperation with the relevant authorities of the Member States and relevant statistical bodies, in particular Eurostat, is essential to promote the collection of comparable and reliable data at European level. Given that information on equality between men and women is relevant to all levels within the Community — local, regional, national and Community — it would be useful for such information to be available to Member States' authorities in order to help them formulate policies and measures at local, regional and national level in their spheres of competence.
| |
9919
|
In pursuing its activities, the Institute shall, in order to avoid duplication and to ensure the best possible use of resources, take account of existing information from whatever source and in particular of activities already carried out by the Community institutions and by other institutions, bodies and competent national and international organisations and work closely with the competent Commission services, including Eurostat. The Institute shall ensure appropriate coordination with all relevant Community agencies and Union bodies to be determined in a memorandum of understanding where appropriate.
| |
9920
|
In reaching a general approach in June 2005, the Council did not accept the Commission's original proposal for a restricted Management Board, preferring a fully representative Board of 25 members, accompanied by a small Bureau composed of six members (Article 11). In this scenario, the Commission would have three representatives on the Board and there would be three non-voting members representing an appropriate non-governmental organisation at Community level and the social partners.
| |
9921
|
It is also worthwhile pursuing the action begun by the European Union in the context of Decision No 792/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level in the field of culture for the preservation and commemoration of the main sites and archives associated with deportations. An awareness of the full dimensions and tragic consequences of the second world war may thus be maintained and universal remembrance promoted, as a means of moving beyond the past and building the future.
| |
9922
|
This measure is aimed at activities that involve or promote direct exchanges between European citizens through their participation in town-twinning activities. These may be one-off or pilot activities, or take the form of structured, multi-annual, multi-partner agreements following a more programmed approach and comprising a set of activities ranging from citizens' meetings to specific conferences or seminars on subjects of common interest, along with related publications, organised in the context of town-twinning activities. This measure will actively contribute to strengthening mutual knowledge and understanding between citizens and between cultures.
| |
9923
|
Supports the Commission's proposals for stepping up and focusing political dialogue, but repeats that a stronger political and security partnership must be built in addition on a Euro-Latin American Charter for Peace and Security, to enable practical expression to be given, under the terms of the United Nations Charter, to policy, strategy, and security proposals of interest to the two regions, on the work of a biregional conflict prevention centre and on new institutional machinery, including
| |
9924
|
Supports the Commission's proposal that the stronger EU-LAC strategic partnership should be deemed to encompass the entire body of relations by which the Caribbean countries are linked to the Union and to their Central and South American partners under the series of Lomé Conventions and the successor Cotonou Agreement, and in particular through Cariforum (the Forum of Caribbean States) and by virtue both of the fact that Caricom (the Caribbean Common Market) belongs to the Rio Group and of their attendance at the EU-LAC summits; urges the Commission to explore this avenue further in its forthcoming communication;
| |
9925
|
Applauds the Commission's proposal that an EU-LAC common area of higher education be established as a matter of priority, but regards as insufficiently ambitious the aim of welcoming no more than about 4000 Latin American students and teachers to European universities in the period from 2007 to 2013; maintains that, to produce a real impact on the cultural and political mores of such a vast region, the above figure should be at least trebled; stresses that special attention must also be paid to basic education, in order to meet the needs of the poorest sectors of Latin American society;
| |
9926
|
Supports, therefore, the Commission's recommendations for a specific dialogue to be established on social cohesion; for social cohesion to be treated as a priority in development cooperation; for cooperation with international institutions to be intensified; for the different stakeholders involved to be encouraged to participate; and, in particular, for a forum for social cohesion to be held every two years and attended by government authorities, civil society, the private sector, and international organisations, with a view to addressing, among other things, the high degree of urban sprawl and the related social and security problems;
| |
9927
|
Considers migration and human interaction to be a key area of the Union's relations with its Latin American partners; maintains that the approach to be adopted should be balanced, comprehensive and coherent, encompassing policies to combat illegal migration and at the same time, in collaboration with the countries concerned, emphasising the advantages of legal migration, and that it should arise from dialogue and fair-minded cooperation suited to the circumstances of each country involved and be backed by sufficient budgetary resources, in keeping with the conclusions reached at the Brussels European Council of 15 and 16 December 2005;
| |
9928
|
Considers that the Commission should ensure a sound policy (avoiding excessively generous advances and excessively long delays for closing programmes and projects) as regards pre-financing in order to limit the financial importance of unused amounts and/or amounts not yet finally accepted as eligible expenditure; calls on the Commission to put forward a proposal to Parliament's responsible committee on how it plans in future to manage pre-financing in line with the above comments;
| |
9929
|
Draws attention to the fact that the level of a possible signature at Member State level is not mainly a matter of form but first and foremost a signal showing the expected quality of the supervisory and control systems operating under the signature; recalls its resolution of 2 February 2006 on national management declarations which recognised that in practice these national declarations might comprise several declarations within a national framework, rather than one alone, in order to acknowledge the federal and decentralised political systems in existence in some Member States;
| |
9930
|
Welcomes the fact that some progress has been made in the implementation of the budget for an area of freedom, security and justice; deeply deplores, however, the still very low level of implementation of payments (83,8 % according to the Court, in comparison to 68 % in 2003), which leads to a considerable increase of outstanding commitments (reste à liquider — RAL) from EUR 160000000 to 238000000; calls on the Directorate-General Justice, Freedom and Security further to improve the implementation of the budget and to reduce RAL;
| |
9931
|
Recalls that the 2004 accounts of the ECA were audited by an external firm, KPMG, which concluded that [i]n our opinion the (...) accounting data and financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with the Financial Regulation, the implementing rules, generally accepted accounting principles and the European Court of Auditor's Internal Rules, of the assets and the financial position of the European Court of Auditors at 31 December 2004 and of the economic result and the revenue and expenditure for the financial year then ended.;
| |
9932
|
Recalls that, following an investigation by OLAF, legal proceedings against a former Member of the ECA have been pending before the courts of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg for some considerable time; regrets that all too often final case reports forwarded by OLAF to the Member States' authorities are simply filed without further action; believes that judicial delay is not an acceptable response to a potentially embarrassing dossier; will follow attentively the Luxembourg judicial authorities' hearing of the above case.
| |
9933
|
Notes the risks of the process of devolution to the Commission delegations in ACP countries, such as difficulties in finding appropriate staff and the possibility of incoherent interpretation of rules between Commission delegations; underlines the need to improve the rules and to find a balance between reinforced control mechanisms and the need for reporting on one hand, and efficient and speedy decision-making locating the main decisions on projects in the delegations on the other;
| |
9934
|
Notes that the Commission completed the inventory of Stabex funds in 2004, showing that some ACP states do not supply the required financial statements and that, as a result, an unknown portion of the declared bank balance of EUR 832 million has not been certified by the Commission on the basis of reliable supporting documents; reiterates the request it made to the Commission last year to work with the beneficiary countries to enhance monitoring and ensure that the outstanding funds are committed as rapidly as possible;
| |
9935
|
Notes the Court of Auditors' finding that contracts concluded with banks have been in force for over five years, in contravention of the Agency's financial regulation implementing rules, which require a new invitation to tender at least every five years; notes the Agency's reply explaining the reasons for the delay in launching a call for tender and setting out the benefits achieved through direct negotiation with the bank and will bear this in mind when considering revisions to the Financial Regulation;
| |
9936
|
Calls on the Commission to continue to monitor the situation with regard to non-UCITS investments and to inform the Parliament in the very near future of the advantages and other effects of regulation for suitable investors in such investments, including consideration of the following measures: on the one hand, the creation of a pan-European private placement regime and a study concerning the mechanism for making such products eligible for retail investment when this becomes desirable, and, on the other, the establishment of a pan-European framework for indirect investments in real estate;
| |
9937
|
Asks the national supervisory authorities to cooperate more closely, in particular to ensure access to information for supervisory authorities from other Member States and draws attention to the importance of regulatory arbitrage; notes that this is of considerable importance, particularly because of the anticipated growth in cross-border sales of fund products to non-professional investors, the expansion of electronic marketing and advisory channels and the interest expressed by the fund industry and its financial partners in the banking and insurance sectors in a pan-EU management company passport;
| |
9938
|
Welcomes the Commission's open consultation and encourages the continuation of dialogue in order to clarify all points before finalisation of the new framework, which should be implemented as soon as possible; considers, that the objective of innovation is multidimensional and complex and that very restrictive definitions and arrangements should be avoided; recommends an interim deadline for revising the framework in the event of the need for improvement; notes, moreover, that the revision of the Oslo Manual, which lays down the methodological framework for measuring innovation, should be taken into account;
| |
9939
|
Insists that State aid for innovation should be temporary, granted according to transparent and rational criteria, proportionate, strictly and effectively controlled, and subject to periodic impact assessments through ex post analyses conducted by the Member States and the Commission; insists also that State aid should take into account remoteness from the market, in other words, the non-commercial phase of the innovation process; stresses that the increasing importance of innovation must not be a pretext for granting State aid to companies;
| |
9940
|
Questions the distinction between technological and non-technological innovation; notes the importance of non-technological innovation, particularly in the acquisition of competitive advantages by SMEs; favours, instead, a definition of innovation distinguishing between the regular day-to-day operations of companies and their activities relating to innovation; proposes that projects eligible for State aid should be those that provide additional or new client benefits, entail risk, are intentional, have transferable benefits, and create positive externalities;
| |
9941
|
Recalls that a majority of Member States have been slow in encouraging the use of the single European emergency number 112; calls on the Commission to evaluate the implementation by the Member States of Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services in relation to the appropriate answering and handling of calls to the single European emergency call number, including the caller location;
| |
9942
|
Shares the Commission's view that in the initial phase this indicator should be used to assess linguistic proficiency in the five most widely taught languages in the Union's education and training systems (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish); calls on the Commission and the Council, however, to take the necessary measures to extend these tests to a wider range of official Union languages without however undermining standards of teaching and development in respect of other languages not assessed by the indicator;
| |
9943
|
General labelling provisions are contained in Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs. Directive 2000/13/EC generally prohibits the use of information that would mislead the purchaser or attribute medicinal properties to food. This Regulation should complement the general principles in Directive 2000/13/EC and lay down specific provisions concerning the use of nutrition and health claims concerning foods to be delivered as such to the consumer.
| |
9944
|
Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to ensure the effective functioning of the internal market as regards nutrition and health claims whilst providing a high level of consumer protection, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.
| |
9945
|
In the case of non-prepackaged foodstuffs (including fresh products such as fruit, vegetables or bread) put up for sale to the final consumer or to mass caterers and foodstuffs packed at the point of sale at the request of the purchaser or pre-packaged with a view to immediate sale, Article 7 and Article 10(2)(a) and (b) shall not apply. National provisions may apply until the eventual adoption of Community measures in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 25(2).
| |
9946
|
Reduction of disease risk claims and claims referring to children's development and health Notwithstanding Article 2(1)(b) of Directive 2000/13/EC, reduction of disease risk claims and claims referring to children's development and health may be made where they have been authorised in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 15, 16, 17 and 19 of this Regulation for inclusion in a Community list of such permitted claims together with all the necessary conditions for the use of these claims.
| |
9947
|
A claim that a food is low in energy, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product does not contain more than 40 kcal (170 k J)/100 g for solids or more than 20 kcal (80 k J)/100 ml for liquids. For table-top sweeteners the limit of 4 kcal (17 k J)/portion, with equivalent sweetening properties to 6 g of sucrose (approximately 1 teaspoon of sucrose), applies.
| |
9948
|
A claim that a food is a source of vitamins and/or minerals, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product contains at least a significant amount as defined in the Annex to Directive 90/496/EEC or an amount provided for by derogations granted according to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No …/… [of the European Parliament and of the Council of … on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods].
| |
9949
|
A claim stating that the content in one or more nutrients has been reduced, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the reduction in content is at least 30 % compared to a similar product, except for micronutrients, where a 10 % difference in the reference values as set in Directive 90/496/EEC shall be acceptable, and for sodium, or the equivalent value for salt, where a 25 % difference shall be acceptable.
| |
9950
|
General labelling provisions and definitions are contained in Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs. This Regulation should therefore be confined to the necessary additional provisions. Those additional provisions should also apply without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No …/… of the European Parliament and of the Council of …. [on nutrition and health claims made on foods].
| |
9951
|
Substances prohibited, restricted or under Community scrutiny The procedure provided for in this Article shall be followed where a substance other than vitamins or minerals, or an ingredient containing a substance other than vitamins or minerals, is added to foods or used in the manufacture of foods under conditions that would result in the ingestion of amounts of this substance greatly exceeding those reasonably expected to be ingested under normal conditions of consumption of a balanced and varied diet and/or would otherwise represent a potential risk to consumers.
| |
9952
|
Monitoring To facilitate efficient monitoring of foods to which vitamins and minerals have been added, and of foods containing substances listed in Annex III, Parts B and C, Member States may require the manufacturer or the person placing such foods on the market in their territory to notify the competent authority of that placing on the market by providing a model of the label used for the product. In such cases, information on the withdrawal of the product from the market may also be required.
| |
9953
|
whereas the Commission's annual reports establish the state of transposition of directives by the Member States in order to ensure that the application of legislation is efficiently monitored; whereas according to the 21st report, 3927 infringement cases were ongoing on 31 December 2003, including 1855 cases for which proceedings had commenced, 999 cases for which a reasoned opinion had been issued, 411 cases which had been referred to the Court of Justice and only 69 cases (of which 40 concerned the environmental sector) for which proceedings under Article 228 of the EC Treaty had begun,
| |
9954
|
Urges the Commission to re-evaluate cooperation with the Member States within the meaning of Article 10 of the EC Treaty, in light of the fact that most Member States are not prepared to do much to improve the implementation of Community law as was confirmed during the negotiations on the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2003 on better law-making, when the Council refused to make any commitment in matters concerning transposition and implementation; declares its support for re-opening negotiations with the Council on this issue, with a view to amending the Interinstitutional Agreement;
| |
9955
|
Urges the Commission to respect the principles stated in that Communication to the effect that all complaints likely to denounce a real violation of Community law that are received by the Commission should be registered, without any selection, unless they fall within the exceptional circumstances referred to in point 3 of the Annex to the Communication; notes that the European Ombudsman has recently received specific complaints denouncing the non-registration of complaints and is currently investigating them; calls on the Commission to submit a regular report to Parliament on cases of non-registration of complaints in line with the above-mentioned Communication;
| |
9956
|
Notes that, since their inception, proceedings under Article 228 of the EC Treaty have led to judgments of the Court of Justice in only three cases; welcomes the Commission's Communication on the Application of Article 228 of the EC Treaty (SEC (2005)1658), which clarifies and develops the policy of the Commission in asking the Court of Justice to impose a periodic payment order and a lump sum payment order on a Member State which fails to comply with the judgment of the Court;
| |
9957
|
Welcomes the increased involvement of national parliaments in the work programme of the Commission, but warns against random cherry-picking of proposals on the basis of subsidiarity and proportionality; asks that all new proposals contain a summary of existing legislation in the relevant field and an explanation as to how the new legislation is to fit into the scheme; asks for different options to be proposed to the Council and Parliament, with a sound analysis of their respective implications as regards citizens' expectations, the three Lisbon pillars, costs, and the administrative burden, especially for SMEs;
| |
9958
|
Insists that Parliament be provided with a list of policy measures in which the Commission has used alternative means of regulation that includes an evaluation of the failure or success of such means of regulation, their impact on the situation in practice — and more specifically on employees' and consumers' rights, social cohesion, fair competition, the stimulation of growth and the EU's competitive position — and on best practice, and lessons learned from the process; insists that this information be incorporated in the Commission annual report on better law-making;
| |
9959
|
Considers that the institutions might usefully determine whether a third type of operation might be provided for, alongside codification and recasting, so as to afford the most appropriate means of simplifying Community legal acts; considers, however, that to date, in those cases in which the Commission has drawn up generic simplification proposals which cannot be classified as involving repeal, codification or recasting, the European Parliament cannot embark on any procedure other than the customary one and that therefore, in such cases, point 36 of the Interinstitutional Agreement on better law-making cannot be applied;
| |
9960
|
whenever a common position is adopted after the first reading, the third indent of the second subparagraph of Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty only allows the Commission to inform Parliament of its own position and if the common position is subsequently amended by Parliament, point (c) of the third subparagraph of Article 251(2) only allows the Commission to deliver an opinion, thus making it clear that the Commission is no longer the owner of its proposals,
| |
9961
|
the Commission may, in principle, withdraw or modify a legislative proposal at any time during the procedures leading to its adoption as long as the Council has not acted. This means that in codecision and cooperation procedures the Commission may no longer do so after the adoption of the common position by the Council unless, in its decision on the common position, the Council has exceeded its powers to amend the Commission proposal, so that the decision in reality constitutes a legislative initiative by the Council itself, for which the Treaty does not provide,
| |
9962
|
Welcomes the decision of the European Council to invite the Commission to undertake a full, wide-ranging review of all aspects of EU spending and resources; insists that, as the budgetary partner of the Council, it intends to participate in this review with the aim of reaching agreement on a new, comprehensive financial system which is fair, buoyant, progressive and transparent and which equips the Union with the ability to match its aspirations with own resources rather than contributions by the Member States;
| |
9963
|
without prejudice to paragraph (a), if it appears in the course of the budgetary procedure that completion of the procedure might require agreement on the setting of a new rate of increase for non-compulsory expenditure to apply to appropriations for payments and/or a new rate to apply to appropriations for commitments (the latter rate may be at a level different from the former), the institutions will endeavour to secure agreement between the two arms of the budgetary authority by means of the conciliation procedure provided for in Annex II, Part C.
| |
9964
|
The budgetary authority and the Commission, when it draws up the preliminary draft budget, undertake not to depart by more than 5 % from that amount for the entire duration of the programme concerned, unless new, objective, long-term circumstances arise for which explicit and precise reasons are given, with account being taken of the results obtained from implementing the programme, in particular on the basis of assessments. Any increase resulting from such variation must remain within the existing ceiling for the heading concerned, without prejudice to the use of instruments mentioned in this Agreement.
| |
9965
|
The institutions agree that this Agreement and the budget will be implemented in a context of sound financial management based on the principles of economy, efficiency, effectiveness, protection of financial interests, proportionality of administrative costs, and user-friendly procedures. The institutions will take appropriate measures, in particular in the Financial Regulation, that should be adopted in accordance with the conciliation procedure established by the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 4 March 1975, in the spirit which enabled agreement in 2002.
| |
9966
|
The European Parliament expresses its concern about the conclusions of the European Council of December 2005 relating to the reduction of the rural development expenditure of the Common Agricultural Policy and its consequences on Community co-financing of Natura 2000. It invites the Commission to evaluate the consequences of these provisions before making new proposals. It considers that appropriate priority should be given to the integration of Natura 2000 in Structural Funds and Rural Development. As part of the legislative authority, it currently reserves it position on the outcome of the procedure.
| |
9967
|
The feeding to non-ruminants of certain processed animal proteins originating from non-ruminants should be allowed taking into account the prohibition on intra-species recycling as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 October 2002 laying down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption and the control aspects in particular linked to the differentiation of processed animal proteins specific to certain species as laid down in the Communication on the TSE Road map adopted by the Commission on 15 July 2005.
| |
9968
|
Member States, and third countries wishing to be retained on the list of third countries approved for the export to the Community of the live animals or of the products covered by this Regulation, shall submit to the Commission an application for their BSE status to be determined, accompanied by the relevant information on the criteria set out in Annex II, Chapter A, and on the potential risk factors specified in Annex II, Chapter B, and their development over time.;
| |
9969
|
Takes the view that the strategic guidelines should not restrict the scope of the regulations on the individual funds, but only clarify the EU's strategic priorities and points in this connection to the need to ensure that the regions have sufficient flexibility to be able to react specifically to requirements in the regions, since there are many ways and means of achieving successful sustainable development, particularly where the regions' and local authorities' experiences concerning their own development potential are fully incorporated into regional strategies;
| |
9970
|
Policy priorities for thematic programmes, global initiatives or geographical programmes at regional or continental level shall be established by separate regulations, each of which shall be specific to a broad thematic programme and/or global initiative, or to a geographical programme at regional or continental level. Each regulation shall set down details of the policy to be applied for the broad thematic programme and/or global initiative or geographical programme to which it relates. Each regulation shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty.
| |
9971
|
In establishing geographical programmes, the Commission shall determine the multiannual indicative financial allocations to be used for financing cooperation with each partner country or region within each programme. These allocations shall be coherent with the global allocations set out in the multiannual financial framework and shall be determined using standard, objective and transparent criteria, based on the needs and performance of the partner country or region concerned and taking into account the particular difficulties faced by countries or regions in, or having just emerged from, crisis or conflict.
| |
9972
|
In line with the principle of subsidiarity, action under this Regulation should be confined to major disasters. These should be defined depending on the field. In cases of terrorist attack, the Community should react to events even where the material damage does not reach the threshold for mobilisation of the Fund but the consequences of the attack are so serious that Community solidarity becomes imperative. Consideration should be given to the specific situation of remote and isolated regions, such as the insular and outermost regions, in the context of a reinforced partnership.
| |
9973
|
Experience acquired in the first years following the establishment of the previous Fund has highlighted the difficulty of applying it to slowly-evolving disasters. This Regulation therefore needs to include a clear definition of the time from which a request is eligible. It is also necessary, as a matter of urgency, to adapt the eligibility rules to the characteristics, intensity and duration of the event at the root of the problem, in particular by ensuring financial coverage for the specific measures adopted to tackle disasters of this type.
| |
9974
|
Welcomes the efforts and commitment of the Luxembourg and UK Presidencies to develop a methodology and criteria for more effective implementation of the EU guidelines, including demarches to third countries regarding individual cases, public statements and declarations; and emphasises the importance of setting up a special mechanism for a systematic compilation of practices at local level by the heads of EU missions and Commission delegations, in order to identify examples of best and bad practices of implementation on the ground, which could permit an assessment of local implementation;
| |
9975
|
Therefore asks the Council and the Commission to develop, together with Parliament, a confidential system whereby selected Members of the European Parliament can be kept informed of the demarches of Member States, the Presidency, the High Representative for CFSP, the Personal Representative on Human Rights, the Special Representatives or the Commission regarding individual human rights cases or situations raised in resolutions of the European Parliament; suggests that such a system could be modelled on the system for informing selected MEPs about classified material regarding security and defence;
| |
9976
|
Calls on the Commission to apply objective criteria when granting GSP+ benefits to countries which have shown serious flaws in the implementation of the eight ILO conventions relating to Core Labour Standards, and in particular to monitor implementation of the commitments made by Venezuela, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia in advance of the Commission decision of December 2005; in general, calls on the Commission regularly to review the implementation of those conventions and, if necessary, to apply the safeguards provisions contemplated in the Regulation.
| |
9977
|
Notes the Commission's strategic objectives as set out in its APS document Boosting trust through action; although sharing its analysis, strongly criticises the Commission for its complacency and laid back attitude in setting out the nature of the challenges facing the European Union; believes, for example, that insufficient attention has been given by the Commission to the vast and very rapid changes underway in the global economy, notably in emerging economies such as China and India;
| |
9978
|
Intends to make the best possible use of resources a fundamental issue for the 2007 budget, taking into account the coherence between various actions, their effectiveness and their added value for citizens; believes that the three main strands of the 2007 budget should be setting policy priorities; ensuring qualitative value for money; and beginning preparations for the review in 2008/2009, this because the 2007 budget and its implementation will enable the effectiveness of the new MFF to be assessed;
| |
9979
|
Stresses that developments in the Middle East and particularly Palestine should be carefully assessed during the budget procedure and draws particular attention to the likelihood of chaos that would follow a collapse of the Palestinian Authority and the need for sound financial and fiscal management concerning EU aid, whether disbursed directly or through the trust funds established; wishes to make absolutely clear that the budgetary authority must be consulted in advance before any substantial financial commitments can be entered into;
| |
9980
|
Shares the Council's assessment of the importance of good collaboration between the two arms of the budgetary authority and the Commission; agrees with the Council in particular that all appropriations need to be reviewed in detail for each policy sector and in this context reaffirms the importance of reallocation in order to allow the budgetary authority to make the necessary financial adaptations to meet present and future needs; supports the necessity of having high-quality activity statements and financial information on spending proposals in good time;
| |
9981
|
having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 994/98 of 7 May 1998 on the application of Articles 92 and 93 of the Treaty establishing the European Community to certain categories of horizontal State aid, supplemented by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products, and the Community guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector,
| |
9982
|
Believes that rural development policy could play a useful role in the prevention of natural disasters; underlines that the drastic reduction in resources for rural development hinders the drafting of action plans to prevent and repair damage caused by natural disasters; recommends, however, that national and regional rural development plans give priority to measures aimed at the causes of the disasters (inter alia, the fight against erosion, the repopulation of woodland with appropriate species, the preservation of firebreaks, hydraulic projects, the maintenance of woodland, and water-saving agro-environmental action);
| |
9983
|
whereas the European Union's prevention measures to tackle all types of natural disaster need to be enhanced by establishing, where necessary, joint strategic guidelines to ensure better coordination between the Member States, as well as greater operability of and coordination between the various Community instruments (Structural Funds, the future European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the future financial instrument for the environment (LIFE +) and the future rapid response and preparedness instrument for major emergencies),
| |
9984
|
Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 58/97 of 20 December 1996 concerning structural business statistics and Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-terms statistics established a common framework for the collection, compilation, transmission and evaluation of Community statistics on the structure, activity, competitiveness and performance of businesses in the Community. Business registers for statistical purposes represent a basic element of such a common framework, making it possible to organise and coordinate statistical surveys by providing a harmonised sampling frame.
| |
9985
|
In line with the Commission Communication of 11 March 2003 entitled Innovation policy: updating the Union's approach in the context of the Lisbon strategy and in the light of the OECD Oslo Manual, innovation is understood as comprising the renewal and enlargement of a range of products and services and their associated markets; the establishment of new methods of design, production, supply and distribution; the introduction of changes in management, work organisation, and working conditions and skills of the workforce; and covers technological, non-technological and organisational innovation.
| |
9986
|
A legislative framework has been defined by Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases, Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society and Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the re-use of public sector information to deal with the challenges of digital content in the information society.
| |
9987
|
Protection of the Communities' financial interests The Commission shall ensure that, when actions financed under this Decision are implemented, the financial interests of the Community are protected by the application of measures to prevent fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by effective checks and by the recovery of amounts unduly paid and, if irregularities are detected, by effective, proportional and dissuasive penalties, in accordance with Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95, Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96, and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999.
| |
9988
|
Innovation and eco-innovation pilot and market replication projects The Community shall provide support to projects concerned with the first applications or market replication of innovative or eco-innovative techniques, products or practices of Community relevance, which have already been technically demonstrated with success but which, owing to residual risk, have not yet significantly penetrated the market. These shall be designed to promote broader utilisation of such techniques, products or practices within the participating countries and facilitate their market uptake.
| |
9989
|
Projects of common interest: procurement based on technical specifications determined in coordination with Member States Where it is necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the ICT Policy Support Programme, and where there is a clear common interest of Member States as concerns European-level deployment of products, services, core service components or building blocks, the Commission may establish projects of common interest comprising necessary technical and organisational tasks. Existing initiatives shall be taken into consideration in order to avoid the duplication of efforts.
| |
9990
|
boost investment across Member States in new and best performing technologies in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and energy diversification, including in transport, by bridging the gap between the successful demonstration of innovative technologies and their effective, broad market uptake in order to attain leverage of public and private sector investment, promote key strategic technologies, bring down costs, increase market experience and contribute to reducing the financial risks and other perceived risks and barriers that hinder this type of investment;
| |
9991
|
Within 30 days following receipt of a request for re-examination pursuant to paragraph 2, the Paediatric Committee, having appointed a new rapporteur, shall issue a new opinion confirming or revising its previous opinion. The rapporteur shall be able to question the applicant directly. The applicant may also offer to be questioned. The rapporteur shall inform the Paediatric Committee without delay in writing about details of contacts with the applicant. The opinion shall be duly reasoned and a statement of reasons for the conclusion reached shall be annexed to the new opinion, which shall become definitive.
| |
9992
|
Welcomes the first meeting since the Israeli elections between the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Tsipi Livni, held on 20 May 2006 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, which constitutes an encouraging sign paving the way for the planned meeting between Mr Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert; hopes that these contacts will eventually lead to the resumption of peace negotiations, pushing forward the long-stalled peace process;
| |
9993
|
Strongly regrets, therefore, the mistrust due to suspected violation of human rights and international law involved in the so-called extraordinary renditions in Europe; in this connection, refers to the formal inquiries by the Council of Europe pursuant to Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights and by the European Parliament's temporary committee referred to in its resolution of 15 December 2005 and established by its decision of 18 January 2006; calls on all parties involved, including the United States, to cooperate fully with the temporary committee;
| |
9994
|
Stresses the need to put an end to the current legal limbo in which the detainees held in Camp Delta, Guantánamo Bay Naval Base have been placed since their arrival there, to guarantee them immediate access to justice and to ensure that those charged with war crimes receive a fair trial in accordance with international humanitarian law and in full compliance with international human rights instruments; stresses that this issue should be on the agenda at the next EU-US Summit; reiterates its call for the immediate closure of the Guantánamo detention centre;
| |
9995
|
States that the EU-US relationship is overshadowed to a considerable extent by political conflict and is quite often characterised by rhetoric and trade disputes; notes that on both sides of the Atlantic there is a neglect of how deep and integrated the transatlantic economy has become; warns therefore against the risks inherent in taking this unique relationship for granted, treating it with benign neglect rather than with the degree of political engagement and attention required;
| |
9996
|
Calls on the transatlantic partnership, which accounts for roughly 57 % of world gross domestic product and remains the twin engine of the world economy, to exercise global leadership in a context marked by growing inter-dependence, the emergence of new economic powers and an increasing number of global challenges that cut across national boundaries; recommends in this respect more in-depth and systematic consultations on common economic issues with other major economic players (including India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Russia and China);
| |
9997
|
Welcomes the fact that the commitment to establish a high-level Regulatory Cooperation Forum, a key element of the June 2005 Summit Declaration, has finally been set in motion with the proposal to organise at least two meetings in 2006; recommends a swift and full implementation of the 2005 Roadmap for EU-US Regulatory Co-operation; warns that without a sufficient and timely involvement and the support of the various stakeholders and agencies, regulatory cooperation will not achieve the expected results;
| |
9998
|
Emphasises that the WTO dispute settlement system is a central element in providing security and predictability to the multilateral trading system; expresses its concern that in some cases the US has adopted an approach inconsistent with its international obligations by applying or refusing to repeal laws which are in breach of WTO obligations and result in serious damage to the EU and third countries' industries; calls, therefore, on the US Congress to improve its record of compliance with WTO dispute settlement findings;
| |
9999
|
whereas according to a study based on the data of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the UN, trade liberalisation has cost sub-Saharan Africa USD 272 billion over the past 20 years; whereas mass poverty reinforces the tendency towards economic stagnation and many countries in the region are undertaking very ambitious economic reforms in order to lift themselves out of such poverty; whereas the expertise and assistance of the international community is essential in this regard,
| |
10000
|
whereas attaining the MDGs and combating global poverty will require a trade environment in which developing countries have real access to the markets of developed countries, more equitable trade practices, strong and enforced rules of protection on the environment and social rights, effective relief of unsustainable debt, and for all donors to increase not so much the amount, but the effectiveness of aid, linking it to programmes to reform economic and social structures and improve democratic governance,
|
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