CELEX: 51983PC0085
Language: en
Date: 1983-02-24
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION implementing Decision empowering the Commission to borrow under the New Community Instrument for the purpose of promoting investment within the Community (submitted by the Commission to the Council)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (83) 085
Vol. 1983/0029
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983,
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit
règlement.
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243,
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF T H E E U R O P E A N                                      COMMUNITIES
                                                             COM(83) 85      final
                                                            Brussels,      24 F e b r u a r y 1983
                                    Proposal for a
                                  COUNCIL DECISION
                implementing           Decision                           empowering
                t h e C o m m i s s i o n t o b o r r o w u n d e r t h e New Community
                Instrument         f o r the purpose of promoting               investment
                              w i t h i n t h e Community
                  (submitted        by t h e C o m m i s s i o n t o t h e  Council)
  COM(83) 85 final
 ---pagebreak--- E x p l a n a t o r y memorandum
On 7 F e b r u a r y 1 9 8 3 , t h e             Council accepted the p r i n c i p l e                     of    continuing
activity           for    t h e New Community I n s t r u m e n t ;                  it     d e f i n e d a set of            joint
g u i d e l i n e s t o be c o m m u n i c a t e d t o P a r l i a m e n t u n d e r t h e c o n c i l i a t i o n               pro­
cedure.
Demand f o r            NCI l o a n s t o        finance e l i g i b l e       investment              h a s been b r i s k      :   con­
tracts         s i g n e d under t h e t r a n c h e a u t h o r i s e d            last      A p r i l now amount t o              almost
600 m i l l i o n        E C U , and i n v i e w o f             the p r o j e c t s    p e n d i n g , whether           already     ap­
p r o v e d or under c o n s i d e r a t i o n , t h i s               tranche w i l l           very      soon be         entirely
 accounted f o r .                  The C o m m i s s i o n i s c o n s e q u e n t l y p r o p o s i n g an            implementing
 Decision, without waiting                            for    t h e outcome o f           the c o n c i l i a t i o n      procedure,
 t o make a f u r t h e r              tranche a v a i l a b l e .         For i t        is   important           t o a v o i d any
 interruption                 i n the a c t i v i t y     o f an i n s t r u m e n t        that      has p r o v e d i t s      value
 in supporting                   investment         at a t i m e when i n v e s t m e n t              i s of    vital        importance.
  In a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e a r r a n g e m e n t s s e t o u t              i n the j o i n t        guidelines,          the
  attached proposal                     l a y s down b r o a d c r i t e r i a       for      the       eligibility          of   pro­
  jects        t o be f i n a n c e d .          In v i e w o f      the economic s i t u a t i o n               and o f      the   ge­
   n e r a l need t o promote                   investment,          and i n t h e         light        of i t s past       experience,
   the Commission f e e l s t h a t                    the f i r s t     tranche         s h o u l d be a v a i l a b l e f o r      pro­
   j e c t s from a l l             the    relevant       f i e l d s of     application.                 H o w e v e r , t h e Commis­
   s i o n would          l i k e t o c o n c e n t r a t e on c e r t a i n        types of             investment          within
   these f i e l d s ,            i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h the g u i d e l i n e s announced l a s t                    October
    in    its      c o m m u n i c a t i o n on i n i t i a t i v e s     for   promoting              investment              .   The
    t y p e s of       investment            concerned are            :
         (i)     i n the f i e l d          of   energy,        investment         to encourage the e f f i c i e n t                 use
                 of    e n e r g y , one o f         the p r i o r i t i e s   of    Community             policy;
      (1)     C0MC82) 641 f i n a l               of    14 O c t o b e r 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                                     2.
 (ii)    i n the       field       of     infrastructures,                those a s s o c i a t e d with   the
         development of p r o d u c t i v e                  activities         so a s t o     contribute
         more d i r e c t l y        to     r a i s i n g the rate of           productive         investment;
         also,       in    l i n e with the Commission's t r a d i t i o n a l                    objectives,
         those that             contribute             to  r e g i o n a l development or promote             the
         i n t e r e s t s of      t h e Community a s s u c h ;
(iii)    i n the f i e l d         of     industry         and t h e p r o d u c t i v e  sectors,       investment,
         m a i n l y by s m a l l and m e d i u m - s i z e d u n d e r t a k i n g s , t h a t w i l l       contri­
         bute d i r e c t l y        or     indirectly           to c r e a t i n g  new j o b s , and t o t h e   dis­
         s e m i n a t i o n of       i n n o v a t i o n and new t e c h n i q u e s .
In t h e    light      of     e x p e r i e n c e , and i n v i e w o f          the present        economic    situation,
the Commission c a l c u l a t e s t h a t                 a tranche of            1 500 m i l l i o n ECU w i l l enable
it  t o make a r a p i d and s i g n i f i c a n t                  contribution        to promoting        investment,
in  response to the request of                            the European C o u n c i l .
 ---pagebreak---                                           Proposal for           a
                                          COUNCIL DECISION
implementing.                  Decision                              empowering           the
Commission t o borrow under t h e New Community I n s t r u m e n t
 f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f p r o m o t i n g i n v e s t m e n t w i t h i n t h e Community
  THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
   Having r e g a r d to the T r e a t y e s t a b l i s h i n g the                 European Economic
   Community,
   Having regard to                 Council Decision                  /..../EEC         of
   empowering t h e             Commission to borrow                u n d e r t h e New Community          Instrument
    tor    the purpose of promoting                     investment          w i t h i n t h e Community         , and    in
    particular          Article 2          thereof,
    Having r e g a r d to the p r o p o s a l from t h e                   Commission           ,
     Having regard to the o p i n i o n of                    the European P a r l i a m e n t
     Having regard t o the o p i n i o n of                   t h e E c o n o m i c and S o c i a l     Committee
     Whereas t h e p u r p o s e o f         the Community's a c t i o n                i s to   implement       investment
     projects         c o n s i s t e n t with the       Community's p r i o r i t y o b j e c t i v e s     i n the     fields
     of    energy,        infrastructure              and i n v e s t m e n t     projects,      mainly    those of      small
      and m e d i u m - s i z e d u n d e r t a k i n g s ,  in    industry         and t h e o t h e r  productive      sec­
      tors;
      Whereas t h e         Community has s e t             itself       the o b j e c t i v e  of   stimulating       econo­
      mic a c t i v i t y     and o f      supporting        common p o l i c i e s by Community m e a s u r e s ,           in
      particular           by m a k i n g optimum use o f              the    Community's f i n a n c i a l       instruments,
      w h i c h combine i n a c o - o r d i n a t e d p o l i c y t o p r o m o t e            investment      and combat
       unemployment,             t h e need f o r      such a p o l i c y h a v i n g b e e n s t r e s s e d by      the
       E u r o p e a n C o u n c i l i n B r u s s e l s on 30 March 1 9 8 2 ;
       (1) 0J
       (2) 0J
        (3) 0J
        (4) 0J
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas p a r t i c u l a r           a t t e n t i o n s h o u l d be d i r e c t e d t o i n v e s t m e n t         which
contributes             t o t h e more e f f i c i e n t               use o f     e n e r g y and t o      investment        which
contributes             to the development of                            infrastructures;
Whereas a g r e a t e r             effort          of    i n v e s t m e n t must       be made i n t h e        productive
s e c t o r s , and w h e r e a s p r i o r i t y              in this       a r e a i s t o be g i v e n m a i n l y        to
investment            by s m a l l and m e d i u m - s i z e d u n d e r t a k i n g s              in    industry     and     the
other         productive          s e c t o r s , w i t h a view              in p a r t i c u l a r    to encouraging           the
d i s s e m i n a t i o n of      i n n o v a t i o n and new t e c h n i q u e s ;
Whereas Community a c t i o n                       in those f i e l d s            will      make a        special       contri­
bution         to the achievement of                         the Community's o b j e c t i v e s of               reducing
 regional d i s p a r i t i e s ,             r a i s i n g growth r a t e s , a d j u s t i n g           production         struc­
t u r e s and p e r m a n e n t l y           s o l v i n g t h e employment                problem,
 HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :
                                                  Article          1
 An i n i t i a l      tranche of borrowings                           i s hereby a u t h o r i z e d for        an amount          which
 s h a l l not       exceed the             equivalent              of    1 500 m i l l i o n      ECU i n     principal.
                                                   Article 2
 The p r o c e e d s of t h e b o r r o w i n g s r e f e r r e d t o i n A r t i c l e 1 s h a l l be l e n t t o f i n a n c e
  i n v e s t m e n t p r o j e c t s c a r r i e d out on Communi t y t e r r i t o r y w h i c h h e l p a t t a i n t h e Comuu
  nity's        priority objectives                       i n t h e e n e r g y and i n f r a s t r u c t u r e      s e c t o r s , and
  analogous           investment             projects,               mainly      t h o s e c a r r i e d out    by s m a l l and
  medium-sized undertakings,                                 in    industry        and t h e o t h e r      productive         sectors.
  To t h i s       end, p r i o r i t y         s h a l l be g i v e n t o          financing         :
  a)     the e f f i c i e n t       use o f        energy,           the replacement of                oil   by o t h e r   sources
         of    energy i n a l l             s e c t o r s and i n f r a s t r u c t u r e       projects        facilitating
         such      replacement;
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                              6.
b)   infrastructure            projects       whi eh a r e a s s o c i a t e d wi t h t h e     development         o.f pro­
     ductive     activités,          which      contribute..to          regional        development           or which    are
     of   Community i n t e r e s t ,       including         transport,         telecommunications
     and i n f o r m a t i o n    technology,         and t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n o f      energy;
 c)   investment         projects,       m a i n l y t h o s e of    s m a l l and m e d i u m - s i z e d
      undertakings,            in industry          and t h e o t h e r   productive            sectors,
      designed in p a r t i c u l a r        t o promote        t h e d i s s e m i n a t i o n of    innovation
      and new t e c h n i q u e s .
                                        Article        3
  The C o m m i s s i o n s h a l l d e c i d e w h e t h e r  or not       projects          are e l i g i b l e  in
  accordance with the               following         guidelines        :
  - the p r o v i s i o n s     of  Article         2 in order       t o meet t h e          Community's
      principal        economic       problems;
   - t h e p r o v i s i o n s of    the    Treaty      and of s e c o n d a r y     legislation,           in    particular
      those    relating          to  competition,           and Community           rules       and p o l i c i e s
       applicable         i n the    fields        in  question.
    Done at
                                                                                   For t h e      Counci I
                                                                                     The P r e s i d e n t