CELEX: 51995PC0438
Language: en
Date: 1995-09-22
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ON THE COMMUNITY POSITION IN RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO BE DECIDED ON BY THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED BY THE EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND HUNGARY

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                           Brussels, 22.09.1995
                                           COM(95) 438 final
   PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ON THE COMMUNITY POSITION IN
 RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
  TO BE DECIDED ON BY THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED BY THE
EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND HUNGARY
                      (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                            EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. The Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and
   their Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Hungary, on the other hand,
   which entered into force on 1 February 1994, provides, in the Article 109 thereof, that the
   Association Council may decide to set up any other special committee or body that can assist
   it in carrying out its duties.
2. Though the establishment of a consultative mechanism for dialogue between the social and
   economic interest groups of the two Parties is not explicitly provided for in the
   aforementioned Europe Agreement, the Commission proposes that a Joint Consultative
   Committee representing the social and economic interest groups of both parties be set up by
   the Association Council in support of the keen interest expressed, in this respect, by the social
   partners from both sides, represented by the Economic and Social Committee, on the part of
   the Community, and by the National Council for the Reconciliation of Interests, on the part
   of Hungary. The Commission recalls that the possibility to set up such a mechanism is
   provided for in certain Europe Agreements with other Central and Eastern European countries
   which were signed later than the Agreement with Hungary.
3. The proposed Joint Consultative Committee is intended to constitute a forum for dialogue
   between the social partners of both sides which would be equally beneficial to the Hungarian
   social partners, who will familiarize themselves with the process of consultation taking place
   within the Economic and Social Committee and with the dialogue between the social partners
   in the European Union in general, and to the social partners of the European Union who will
   familiarize themselves with the social dimension of the reforms of the economic and social
   structures taking place in Hungary. The Association Council may also consult the proposed
   Joint Consultative Committee before taking decisions in areas of obvious social interest.
   Consultation of the committee remains, however, at the discretion of the Association Council.
4. The establishment of the proposed Joint Consultative Committee does not have any financial
   impact on the Community budget, the Hungarian participants being responsible for their own
   expenses and the expenses on the Community side being covered by the budget of the
   Economic and Social Committee.
5. The text of the proposal for a Council decision on the position to be taken by the Community
   in the Association Council, as provided for by Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission
   decision of 13.12.1993 on the conclusion of the aforementioned Europe Agreement, is
   attached hereto. The Council is asked to adopt this text.
                                            x
 ---pagebreak---      PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ON THE COMMUNITY POSITION IN
 RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
    TO BE DECIDED ON BY THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED BY THE
EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND HUNGARY
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to         the Treaty establishing a European Community, the Treaty establishing a
                         European Coal and Steel Community and the Treaty establishing a European
                         Atomic Energy Community (Euratom),
Having regard to         Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission Decision of 13.12.1993 on
                         conclusion of the Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the
                         European Communities and their Member States, on the one hand, and the
                         Republic of Hungary, on the other hand,
Having regard to         the Commission proposal,
Whereas          Article 109 of the said Europe Agreement provides that the Association Council may
                 decide to set up any special committee or body that can assist it in carrying out its
                 duties,
Whereas          dialogue and co-operation between economic and social interest groups in the
                 European Union and Hungary can make a major contribution to the full
                 implementation of the Europe Agreement, '
Whereas          it seems appropriate that such co-operation should be between the members of the
                 Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities and Hungary's
                 National Council for the Reconciliation of Interests,
HEREBY DECIDES AS FOLLOWS:
The position to be adopted by the Community within the Association Council established by Article
104 of the Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and
their Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Hungary, on the other hand, in relation
to the establishment of a Joint Consultative Committee shall be based on the draft decision of the said
Association Council which is annexed to the present decision.
Done at Brussels,
 ---pagebreak--- EU-Hungary Europe Agreement
Association Council
                                              DRAFT
                                       DECISION N° .../
                                    of the Association Council
                                       on the setting-up of a
                                 Joint Consultative Committee
The Association Council
having regard to        the Europe Agreement of 16 December 1991, and in particular Article 109
                        thereof,
whereas         dialogue and cooperation between economic and social interest groups in the
                European Union and Hungary can make a major contribution to the development of
                EU/Hungary relations,
whereas         it seems appropriate that such cooperation should be between the members of the
                Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities and Hungary's
                National Council for the Reconciliation of Interests,
has adopted the following decision:
                                              Article 1
A Joint Consultative Committee is hereby established with the task of promoting dialogue and
cooperation between the economic and social interest groups in the European Union and Hungary.
Such dialogue and cooperation shall encompass all economic and social aspects of relations between
the European Union and Hungary, as they arise in the context of implementation of the Europe
Agreement. The Joint Consultative Committee shall express its views on questions arising in these
areas.
                                              Article 2
The Joint Consultative Committee shall comprise six representatives of the Economic and Social
Committee of the European Communities and six representatives of economic and social interest
groups within Hungary's National Council for the Reconciliation of Interests.
The Joint Consultative Committee shall carry out its activities on the basis of consultation by the
Association Council or on its own initiative.
Members shall be chosen to ensure that the Joint Consultative Committee is as faithful a reflection
as possible of the various economic and social interest groups in both the European Union and
Hungary.
The Joint Consultative Committee shall be co-chaired by a member of the Economic and Social
Committee of the European Communities and a Hungarian member.
The Joint Consultative Committee shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.
                                                  4-
 ---pagebreak---                                                 Article 3
The Economie and Social Committee of the European Communities, on the one hand, and the
economic and social interest groups within Hungary's National Council for the Reconciliation of
Interests, on the other hand, shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their participation
in the meetings of the Committee and of its working groups with regard to staff, travel and
subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure.
Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, translation and reproduction of documents
shall be borne by the Economic and Social Committee, with the exception of expenditure in
connection with interpreting or translation into or from Hungarian, which shall be borne by the
economic and social interest groups within Hungary's National Council for the Reconciliation of
Interests.
Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which
hosts the meetings.
                                          Done at Brussels,
The secretaries                           The Chairman
for the European Union
foe the Republic of Hungary
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                     ISSN 0254-1475
                                                             COM(95) 438 final
                                               DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                              11
                                     Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-479-EN-C
                                                              ISBN 92-77-93713-0
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
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