Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

No C 159/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 6. 91

Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision setting up a programme for an information

services market (^

(91/C 159/06)

On 13 February 1991 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the
abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 3 April 1991. The Rapporteur
was Mr Nierhaus.

At its 286th plenary session (meeting of 24 April 1991), the Economic and Social Committee
unanimously adopted the following Opinion.

1. Introduction

1.1. The Commission proposal for a Council
Decision setting up a programme for an information
services market (Impact. 2 programme) is a direct follow-up to the Council Decision of 26 July 1988 on the
implementation of a two-year action plan in this field
(Impact. 1) and, as such, represents the continuation of
Community policy on the establishment of a common
information services market, which was initiated in the
early 1970s by a Council Resolution on increasing the
availability and use of information services through
coordinated action at Community and national levels.

1.2. Between 1975 and 1983, three successive action
plans provided basic support for the creation of a
network, the development of data banks and the
removal of language barriers. The subsequent five-year
programme (1984-1988) concerned the development
and promotion of the European information services
market, greater availability and accessibility of information and promotion of the use of new technologies
for the creation and application of information products and services.

1.3. The Committee has repeatedly commented on
this issue, and voiced its fundamental approval of the
Community's goals and action in the Opinions of
March 1984 and June 1986. The basic position outlined
there remains valid and forms the background to the
following observations.

2. General comments

2.1. The Committee strongly supports the present
Commission proposal for a new Community programme, since it regards an efficient information ser

(!) OJ No C 53, 28. 2. 1991, p. 65.

vices market as crucial to the maintenance and improvement of the Community's international competitiveness, particularly in the context of the completion
of the internal market. This is true, as regards both the
competitiveness of the information market itself, and
the importance of information for virtually all sectors
of the economy.

It is also clear, as the Commission proposal notes, that
almost all sections of society depend on information
services.

2.2. Community action is particularly necessary
because:

— the volume of information services produced in
Europe is still smaller than in the USA, even if the
gap has narrowed slightly,

— the Japanese information services market is also
expanding rapidly and could threaten Europe's position unless special efforts are made,

— the fragmentation created by linguistic, legal and
technical barriers puts the European economic area
at a particularly serious disadvantage which, in the
final analysis, can be overcome only by the combined efforts of all the Member States,

— the marked North-South gap created by imbalances
between advanced and disadvantaged Community
regions must be eliminated, and whilst this will
essentially entail national action, the Community
must also play a part.

3. Specific comments

3.1. The Committee particularly welcomes the
increase in funding from Community resources (to ECU
100 millions) by comparison with Impact. 1. In conjunction with the cost-sharing contributions of individual
project participants, this produces a programme total
of approximately ECU 225 millions. In the light of

17. 6. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159/17

the programme's ambitious objectives and the need
to spread this amount over five years, however, the
proposed aid appears rather modest.

3.2. Experience gained under Impact.1 indicates that
a reasonable balance must be struck between the level

of assistance provided and the administrative expenses
incurred by project participants. In the case of Impact.
2, too, it seems unlikely that all acceptable applications
can be approved; consultation aimed at precluding
administrative expenditure should therefore precede the
application procedure where, in particular, projects
have little prospect of success. Some reimbursement
of expenses incurred under the application procedure
would also be particularly beneficial for small and
medium-sized enterprises and other eligible nongovernmental organizations.

3.3. Since the Committee regards the work of the
European Information Market Observatory (IMO) as
extremely important and valuable, it welcomes the continuation of its activities under Action Line 1. At the

same time, its results must be far more efficiently disseminated. The extension of the national correspondents' network and closer relations with relevant Euro
pean and national associations should facilitate this
task. In this connection, it is absolutely essential to
ensure that the annual IMO report is sent to the ESC
as well as to the Council and Parliament.

3.4. The Committee also regards the removal of
legal and administrative barriers (Action Line 2) as
an extremely important task, for which cooperation
between the relevant Community and national bodies
is indispensable. The retention of the Legal Advisory
Board is therefore to be welcomed. Its terms of reference

should, however, be extended beyond the provision of
documentation on legal issues and general developments and the elaboration of contract guidelines; they
should cover the drafting of amendments to the regulatory framework as a means of promoting the harmonization of national and European legislation, in order to
eliminate barriers to the development of an efficient
Community information services market. At the same
time, priority must be given to such broader considerations as the protection of personal data and of intellectual property rights.

With a view to even more efficient use of the LAB's

results, its modification to involve public bodies and
important market operators is also welcomed.

3.5. The user-friendly development of information
systems is a major component of an overall Community

strategy to promote the information market. The Committee thinks that, in addition to the Impact Programme, priority must be given to:

— the development of a Community-wide integrated
services digital network (ISDN),

— the standardization of interfaces and terminals with

a view to the provision of uniform equipment for
the maximum number of services,

— the simplification of access to information by the
development of ergonomically optimum software
which will enable non-experts to make direct use
of existing data sources,

— the simplification of settlement procedures, particularly for small-scale users, for example using Kiosk
information services,

— the extension of existing videotex systems and the
harmonization of standards, in particular to ensure
inexpensive access to electronic data bases by small
and medium-sized businesses (SMB) and by individuals,

— the provision of facilities designed to remove language barriers in particular linguistic areas (e.g.
multi-lingual glossaries, machine translation systems, etc.).

_3.6._ The Committee also welcomes the special
importance attached to initial and further training in
the electronic supply of information under Action Line
3. Inexpensive access to data bases for target groups
such as teachers, instructors, students and schoolchildren, together with written teaching and information
materials, would help to increase demand and users'
skills. Appropriate financial assistance from Community funds, possibly in conjunction with other Community aid programmes, should be made available for
this purpose.

3.7. Experience gained under Impact. 1 suggests that
the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses

and non-governmental organizations (e.g. employers'
and workers' organization, consumer organizations and
associations representing the handicapped) should
receive greater support. This could take the form, in
particular, of quicker processing and more advice and
assistance in connection with the preparation of proposals and the search for project partners.

In this connection, the Committee would confirm its
approval of the impact statements.

3.8. The Committee notes with regret that the present programme, like its predecessors, fails to define a
coherent overall Community strategy approved by the
Member States with regard to the status and creation
of a Community information services market.

3.9. The Committee also regrets the failure to take
greater account of such broader questions as the protection of personal data, the growing dependency of information services (e.g. in the event of breakdown), the

No C 159/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 6. 91

effect of different data-collection procedures on education and training and the relative social importance
of the different information services (provided for by
Action Line 4 and aimed, for example, at employers'
and workers' organizations, consumer associations and
associations representing the handicapped), which the

Done at Brussels, 24 April 1991.

1984 Opinion identified as crucial to the definition of
assistance priorities.

3.10. The Economic and Social Committee expects
the Commission to take due account of these comments

when taking further action.

_The_ _Chairman_

_of the Economic and Social_ _Committee_

Francois STAEDELIN

Opinion on the modification of the Proposal for a Council Directive on the Charging of
Transport Infrastructure Costs to heavy goods vehicles

(91 /C 159/07)

On 13 March 1991, the Council asked, under Article 198 of the Treaty, the Economic and
Social Committee for an Opinion on the abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for the preparatory
work, adopted its Opinion on 10 April 1991. The Rapporteur was Mr. Moreland.

At its 286th plenary session (meeting of 24 April 1991), the Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following Opinion by a majority vote, with 3 abstentions.

1. Introduction

1.1. In 1986 the Commission put forward a document (*), concerning the elimination of distortions in
competition in goods transport: Survey of vehicle taxes,
fuel taxes and road tolls. The Economic and Social
Committee ( [2] ) agreed in principle to the objectives of
the Commission with regard to the future taxation of
goods vehicles such as:

— elimination of distortions in competition within and
among modes of transport,

— charging of the overall economic infrastructure
costs to the user,

(!) COM(86) 750 final.
( [2] ) OJ No C 232, 2. 7. 1987, p. 87.

— sufficient tax yield for Member States,

— free flow of goods and passengers within the Community,

— acceptable transit agreements with Non-Member
States.

In its report, unanimously passed, the Committee
emphasized _inter alia_ that:

— distortions in competition must be eliminated by
1992,

— in this context an agreement on tax structures must
be reached, covering at least the marginal costs,