Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

No C 311/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12.90

Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the second phase of the Tedis programme (Trade

Electronic Data Interchange Systems)

_COM(90) 475 final_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 22 November 1990)_

(90/C 311/09)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235
thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European
Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,

Whereas one of the Community's tasks is, by establishing
a common market and gradually reducing the gap
between the economic policies of the Member States, to
promote the harmonious development of economic activities throughout the Community and closer relations
between the Member States;

Whereas the Commission White Paper on the
completion of the internal market stresses the importance
of the future development of new transfrontier services
and the contribution made by telecommunications
networks based on common standards towards the

creation of a market free of barriers at Community level;

Whereas the exchange of computerized data (EDI) can
contribute increasingly towards the competitiveness of
European undertakings in the production and services

sectors;

Whereas there is rapid growth at present in public and
private initiatives for putting into service within a
company or group of companies or sector of activity, at
national and international level, electronic data interchange systems which are not compatible with each
other;

Whereas, as regards electronic data interchange, the
diversity and fragmentation of initiatives taken at
national level or more generally by a company, group of
companies or sector of activity may lead to the creation
of incompatible and non-communicating systems, and to

preventing suppliers of equipment and services, and
users, from deriving maximum benefit from the
advantages created by the growth in electronic data
interchange;

Whereas, in line with the Council Resolution of
22 January 1990 on trans-European networks (*) and the
conclusions of the Strasbourg and Dublin European
Councils, the smooth running of the internal market
depends on undertakings and authorities involved in it
being able to exchange data as part of their activities by
making use of compatible systems which enable genuine
pan-European data interchange networks to be
developed;

Whereas the work already initiated in the field of electronic data interchange (EDI) during the first phase of
the Tedis programme, (1988-89) established by Council
Decision 87/499/EEC ( [2] ) makes it possible to envisage
the establishment of such pan-European networks,
provided that this work is continued and expanded by
instituting a second phase to the programme;

Whereas by Decision 89/241/EEC ( [3] ) the Council of
Ministers amended the initial Decision on the Tedis

programme to allow non-member countries, in particular
member states of the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA), to be associated with the Tedis programme and,
in accordance with Article 228 of the Treaty, authorized
the Commission to negotiate agreements with the EFTA
member states;

Whereas by Decisions 89/689/EEC ( [4] ), 89/690/EEC ( [s] ),
89/691/EEC ( [4] ), 89/692/EECO, 89/693/EEC ( [8] ) and
89/694/EEC ( [9] ) the European Economic Community
concluded agreements on systems for the electronic
transfer of data for commercial use with respectively
Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland;

(') OJ No C _27,_ 6. _2._ 1990, p. 8.
O OJ No L 285, 8. 10. 1987, p. 35.
( [3] ) OJ No L 97, 11. 4. 1989, p. 46.
O OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 1.
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 6.
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 11.
O OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 16.
(•) OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 21.
(') OJ No L 400, 30. 12. 1989, p. 26.

12. 12.90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 311/7

Whereas the Treaty does not provide powers, other than
those of Article 235, to undertake the action concerned,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

_Article 1_

The second phase of the Tedis (Trade Electronic Data
Interchange Systems) Community programme
concerning the exchange of electronic data (EDI) in
trade, industry and administration, hereinafter called the
'programme', is hereby set up. The programme shall be
implemented according to the conditions set out below
for a period of 36 months starting from the date on
which this Decision takes effect.

_Article 2_

The objectives of the programme are to ensure that electronic data interchange systems are established to the
best effect, in view of the socio-economic importance of
such systems, and to mobilize the necessary resources to
achieve this end at Community level.

_Article 3_

In order to achieve the objectives defined in Article 2,
measures will be taken and continued in the following

areas:

— standardization,

— interconnection of EDI services,

— legal aspects of EDI,

— security of messages,

— multi-sector and Europe-wide projects,

— analysis of the impact of EDI on company

management,

_Article 4_

The implementation of the programme shall be coordinated with existing or planned Community policies and
activities concerning telecommunications, the information market, security of information systems and standardization, and in particular with the Caddia
programme and the CD project, so as to ensure the
necessary interaction with the specific requirements of
the exchange of electronic data.

_Article_ 5

Contracts arising from the programme shall be
concluded with undertakings, including small and
medium-sized businesses, research establishments and
other bodies established in the Community, in the
member countries of the European Free Trade Association or in a third country with which the Community
has concluded an agreement associating that country
with the programme.

_Article 6_

1. The Community shall contribute to the programme
within the limits of the appropriations entered each year
for that purpose in the general budget of the European
Communities.

2. The appropriations to be entered into the general
budget of the European Communities shall be decided
annually by the Budget Authority.

_Article 7_

The Commission shall see to it that the programme is
carried out satisfactorily and shall take the appropriate
implementing measures.

_Article 8_

At the end of the Tedis programme, the Commission
shall present to the Council, the European Parliament
and the Economic and Social Committee a final report
containing an assessment by independent experts of the
progress made towards each of the objectives set under
the programme on the basis of the criteria and indicators
annexed to this Decision.

_Article 9_

— information campaigns. This Decision shall take effect on 1 July 1991.

No C 311/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 12. 90

_ANNEX_

Guidelines for assessing progress made towards the objectives of the Tedis programme

In order to achieve the objectives defined in Article 2, several measures, referred to in Article 3, will be
taken and continued. The progress thereby achieved will then be assessed.

1. For standardization, this will mean assessing the influence of the Tedis programme on:

(a) the development and use of the Edifact standard in Western Europe;

(b) the availability and use of conversion software and its conformity to the international Edifact
standard.

2. _Interconnection_ _of EDI_ _services:_ assessment of the Tedis programme's impact on the capacity of data
networks to operate together and the availability of Europe-wide EDI services.

3. _Legal_ _aspects:_ examination of how the measures taken under the Tedis programme have helped ensure
the legal validity of EDI data interchange in each Member State and how they have encouraged the
introduction of 'paperless trading'.

4. _Security_ _of_ _messages:_ examination of how the Tedis programme has helped protect the EDI message itself
and the security of EDI messages in an interlinked business environment.

5. _Multi-sector_ _and_ _Europe-wide_ _projects:_ measuring how far support for the launching of multi-sectoral
pilot projects has contributed towards the sectoral and geographical integration of EDI projects.

6. _Management:_ assessment of the value of studies and analyses carried out under the TEDIS programme
to assess the impact of EDI on company management and its economic and social impact.

7. _Information_ _campaigns:_ assessment of the impact of measures taken under the Tedis programme on the
use of EDI in Western Europe.

Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of a Protocol extending the first
stage of the Agreement establishing an association between the European Economic Community

and Malta

_COM(90) 558 final_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 26 November 1990)_

(90/C 311/10)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in
particular Article 238 thereof,

Having regard to the recommendation from the Commission,

Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament,