CELEX: 51996PC0534
Language: en
Date: 1996-11-19
Title: Re-examined proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION establishing a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution within the Member States

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                      Brussels, 19.11.1996
                                      COM(96) 534 final
                                      94/0194 (SYN)
                 Re-examined proposal for a
                   COUNCIL DECISION
                         establishing
a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks
   and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution
                  within the Member States
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 c (d)
                     of the EC Treaty)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                               EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
 The Commission adopted a "Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a reciprocal
 exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring
 ambient air pollution within the Member States" on.7 September 1994.1
The Economic and Social Committee delivered its opinion on 22 February 1995.2
The European Parliament delivered its opinion at first reading on 16 June 1995.3
On 29 November 1995 the Commission adopted an amended proposal in accordance with
Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty. The proposal included - in full, in part or in principle -
  10 of the 11 amendments proposed.4
On 26 February 1996 the Council adopted a common position on the Commission's
amended proposal.5
Parliament examined the Council's common position at second reading on 18 September
1996 and approved it subject to four proposed amendments.6
The Commission has examined the amendments proposed by Parliament at second
reading and included all of them in its re-examined proposal.
Amendment No 1
This simplifies the title of the proposal. The proposed wording still covers the objective
of the Decision, but is easier to use in practice. It is acceptable on those grounds.
Amendments Nos 2 and 3
These concern the availability to the public, upon request, of the information gathered
within the framework of the Decision. They are in line with the Commission's policy on
transparency and public access to information. However, instead of setting up a complex
and costly system the Commission wishes to use existing means to achieve this end.
Accordingly, it deems it appropriate to use the network developed by the European
Environment Agency to disseminate the information, as well as the channels of
dissemination developed in and by the Member States themselves.
        OJ €281,7.10.1994.
        OJC 110, 2.5.1995.
        OJ C 166, 3.7.1995, p. 177.
        OJC 30, 3.2.1996, p. 8.
         OJC 219, 27.7.1996, p. 1.
         Provisional minutes of the session of 18.9.1996, doc. PE252.049, Part 2, pages 3-4.
 ---pagebreak--- Amendment No 4
This concerns the preparation by the Commission of a general report on the information
gathered and on trends in air quality in Europe. Such a publication is clearly necessary
and useful for informing the public and providing a better understanding of the problems
in this area, which is why it is being accepted.
 ---pagebreak---                  Re-examined proposal for a
                   COUNCIL DECISION
                         establishing
a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks
   and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution
                  within the Member States
 ---pagebreak---                 Original text                               Amended text
                                (Amendment No 1)
                                        Title
Proposal for a Council Decision             Proposal for a Council Decision
establishing a reciprocal exchange of concerning the measurement and
information and data from networks and exchange of information on ambient air
individual stations measuring ambient air pollution.
pollution within the Member States.
                                (Amendment No 2)
                                    Article 4(3)
3. Six months after the entry into force    3. Six months after the entry into force
of this Decision at the latest, the         of this Decision at the latest, the
Commission will make available to the       Commission will make available to the
Member States the existing database         Member States the existing database
containing the information already          containing the information already
collected by its services on the subject,   collected by its services on the subject,
and software enabling it to be used and     and software enabling it to be used and
updated.       The Member States shall      updated.       The Member States shall
correct, amend and/or supplement that       correct, amend and/or supplement that
information. The updated computer files     information. The updated computer files
shall be sent to the Commission during      shall be sent to the Commission during
the second year following the entry into    the second year following the entry into
force of this Decision and by 1 October     force of this Decision and by 1 October
at the latest.                              at the latest.
                                            This information will be accessible to the
                                            public via the information system set up
                                            on the Internet by the European
                                            Environment Agency: it may also be
                                            supplied by the Agency or bv the
                                            Member States upon request.
 ---pagebreak---                                 (Amendment No 3)
                                     Article S(Q
6. The Commission shall include the          6. The Commission shall include the
transmitted data in its database and         transmitted data in its database and
prepare each year a technical report on      prepare each year a technical report on
the information collected and shall make     the information collected and shall make
available to the Member States the           available to the Member States the
updated "results" database. This report      updated "results" database.
will only be based on validated data.        The information will be accessible to the
                                             public via the informatipn system set up
                                             OJ2 the Internet bv the European
                                             Environment Agency; it may also be
                                             supplied by the Agency upon request.
                                             The information, whether accessible.
                                             supplied or included in the report, will be
                                             based only on validated data.
                                (Amendment No 4)
                                            ?â) (new)
                                             The Commission shall prepare a general
                                             report for the public, summarising the
                                             collected data and outlining the.
                                             underlying trends in air quality in the
                                             European Union.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                           COM(96) 534 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                        14   15
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-539-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-10631-3
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
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