CELEX: 51995PC0253
Language: en
Date: 1995-06-08
Title: Amended proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION relating to a multi-annual programme (1994-96) of work for cooperatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations in the Community

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                               Brussels, 08.06.1995
                                               C()M(95) 253 final
                                               94/ 0028 (SYN)
                          Amended proposal for a
                           COUNCIL DECISION
         relating to a multi-annual programme (1994-96) of work for
cooperatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations in the Community
        (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2)
                              of the EC-Treaty)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---     MULTI-ANNUAL PROGRAMME (1994-96) OF WORK FOR COOPERATIVES, MUTUAL
            SOCIETIES, ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY
                                   EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
At its session of 17 March 1995 (EP A4-0119/95) the Parliament adopted a series of amendments to the
above-mentioned Multi-annual Programme.
The Commission accepted ten out of the eleven amendments approved (1,2, 4-9, 13, 14), either exactly as
worded or subject to re-wording. The purpose of the amendments to Articles 1 and 2 and to the annex is
to clarify who is entitled to benefit from the programme (definition of an commercial association) and
what the guidelines for intervention should be. In addition, improvements to the Commission's text are
proposed via other amendments, such as:
    that concerning the establishment of an observatory comparable to that for SMEs;
-    those designed to allow the appropriations available for these actions to be scheduled on the basis of
    information supplied via an updated financial statement;
-    that intended to simplify procedures by replacing the Management Committee provided for in Article
    4 by an Advisory Committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by the
    representative of the Commission;
The Commission accepts the above amendments.
However, the Commission cannot accept Amendment 3, since the consultation structure it proposes is too
far removed from the procedures adopted by the sector itself.
                                                       yi
 ---pagebreak---               COM(93) 650 FINAL
                      Article 1                                             Article 1
                                                                   (new second paragraph)
                                                     'Enterprise in the form of an association' shall
                                                     mean any non-profit-making association which
                                                     provides goods or services to the public for a fixed
                                                     price, whatever the cost-to-price ratio and
                                                     regardless of whether the price is paid by the
                                                     beneficiary or by a third organization
                                                                      Amendment N°14
             Article 2, first paragraph                            Article 2, first paragraph
The measures embraced by this programme must The measures embraced by this programme must
give the players in the sector easier access to give each of the enterprises and organisations in
Community resources.                                 the form of cooperatives, mutual societies and
                                                     associations easier access to the Community
                                                     resources.
                                                                       Amendment n° 2
       Article 2, Part I, Point A, first indent              Article 2, Part 1, Point A, first indent
     conducting studies on the development ol             conducting studies on the development of the
     the sector in the community                          sector in the Community, particularly by
                                                          establishing an observatory along the lines of
                                                          the observatory set up for SMEs to monitor
                                                          the performance and operation of the sector in
                                                          the single market
                                                                       Amendment n° 4
              Article 2, paragraph I ,                               Article 2, paragraph I,
                letter B, first indent                                letter B, first indent
        encouraging           opportunities      for         encouraging opportunities for transnational
transnational cooperation, especially SMEs in         cooperation,     especially       in    the     smaller
the cooperatives, mutuals and associations            cooperatives, mutuals and associations sector, and
sector, and the quest for new fields of activity by   the quest for new fields of activity by groups of
groups of partners; :                                 partners;:
                                                          2-
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    Amendment N° 13
      Article 2, Para 1, Point B, First Indent           Article 2, Para 1, Point B, First Indent
encouraging opportunities for transnational       encouraging opportunities for            transnational
cooperation, especially for SME's cooperatives,   cooperation, especially for SME's cooperatives,
mutuals and associations sector, and the quest    mutuals and associations sector, and the quest for
for new fields of activity by groups of partners, new fields of activity by groups of partners,
                                                  without prejudice, however, to the effects resulting
                                                  from adoption of the proposals for European
                                                  Parliament and Council Regulations on the Statute
                                                  for a European association, the Statute for a
                                                  European cooperative society, and the Statute for a
                                                  European mutual society:
                                                                Amendment n° 5 and 9
          Article 2, paragraph 1, letter B          Article 2, paragraph I, letter B, indent 4, (a), (b)
                                                                       and (c) (new)
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives,
mutuals, associations and foundations as
vehicles of Community policies
                                                  - creating     better   opportunities    for   women
                                                  employers:
                                                  - giving small businesses and associations the
                                                  opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in
                                                  receipt of public support:
                                                  - supporting, coordinating and supplementing the
                                                  member States and their players in the mutually-
                                                  supportive and 'économie sociale' sector in
                                                  developing new forms of employment and new
                                                  services:
                                                                    Amendment n° 6
      Article 3, paragraph. 2, second indent              Article 3, paragraph 2, second indent
        the content and timetable of. and                 the content and timetable of measures and
financial assistance for, measures and calls for calls for proposals.
proposals.
                                                     3
 ---pagebreak---                                                                     Amendment ]
                      Article 4                                          Article 4
A committee shall be set up, attached to the      The Commission shall be assisted by a
Commission, composed of the representatives of    consultative committee composed of
the Member States and chaired by the              representatives of the Member States and chaired
representative of the Commission.                 by the representative of the Commission
The representative of the Commission shall        The representative of the Commission shall submit
submit to the committee a draft of the measures   to the committee a draft of the measures to be
to be taken. The committee shall deliver its      taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on
opinion on the draft within a time limit which    the draft within a time limit which the chairman
the chairman may lay down according to the        may lay down according to the urgency of the
urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be       matter, proceeding where necessary to a vote.
delivered by the majority stipulated in Article
148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions     The opinion shall be entered in the minutes. In
which the Council is required to adopt on a       addition, each Member State shall have the right to
proposal from the Commission. The votes of the    ask for its position to be included in the minutes
representatives of the Member States within the
committee shall be weighted in the manner set     The Commission shall take full account of the
out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote. committee's opinion. It shall inform the
                                                  committee of the form in which the opinion has
The Commission shall adopt measures which         been taken account of.
shall apply immediately. However, if these
measures are not in accordance with the opinion
of the committee, they shall be communicated
by Uic.Commission to the Council forthwith. Jn
that event, the Commission shall defer
application of the measures which it has decided
for a period of two months from the date of
communication.
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may
take a different decision within the time limit
referred to in the previous paragraph.
                                                                     Amendment n° 8
               Article 6, paragraph 2                             Article 6, paragraph 2
2.       The budgetary authority shall determine  2.       The budgetary authority shall determine
 the appropriations available for each financial  the appropriations available for each financial year
 year in accordance with the principles of good    in accordance with the principles of good
 management referred to in Article 2 of the        management referred to in Article 2 of the
 Financial Regulation applicable to the general    Financial Regulation applicable to the general
 budget of the European Communities.               budget of the European Communities and on the
                                                   basis of the information contained in the updated
                                                   financial statement.
                                                      M
 ---pagebreak---                                                                   Amendment n° 2
     Annex, part II, point 1, letter A, indent         Annex, part II, point 1, letter A, indentl
- conducting studies on the development of the           conducting studies on the development of
sector in the Community,                         the sector in the Community, particularly by
                                                 establishing an observatory along the lines of the
                                                 observatory set up for SMEs to monitor the
                                                 performance and operation of the sector in the
                                                 single market
                                                                  Amendment n° 9
     Annex, part II, point I, letter B, indent 4   Annex, part II, point I, letter B, indent 4, a, b, c,
                                                                         (new)
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives,
mutuals, associations and foundations as
vehicles of Community policies
                                                 - creating    better    opportunities     for   women
                                                 employers
                                                 - giving small businesses and associations the
                                                 opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in
                                                 receipt of public support:
                                                 - supporting, coordinating and supplementing the
                                                 Members States and their players in the mutually-
                                                 supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in
                                                 developing new forms of employment and new
                                                 services
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    Amendment n° 2
              Annex Part II, A.l. a)                             Annex Part II, A. 1. a)
A programme of studies and forecasts will         A programme of studies and forecasts will provide
provide the necessary information to identify the the necessary information to identify the major
major trends in the development of cooperatives,  trends in the development of cooperatives,
mutuals, associations and foundations, both in    mutuals, associations and foundations, both in
general terms and with regard to individual       general terms and with regard to individual
activities.                                       activities particularly by establishing an
                                                  observatory along the lines of the observatory set
                                                  up for SMEs to monitor the performance and
                                                  operation of the sector in the single market.
                                                                   Amendment n° 9
                Annex, II, A 2.d.                      Annex, II, A 2.d. Indent 4, a, b c, d (new)
The "cooperatives" unit seeks to identify
innovative projects, to publicise them and to
stimulate cooperation between them.
                                                  Furthermore, special support will be given to:
                                                  - establishing favourable conditions and assessing
                                                  the impact of Community policies:
                                                  - creating     better  opportunities     for  women
                                                  employers
                                                  - giving small businesses and associations the
                                                  opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in
                                                  receipt of public support:
                                                  - supporting, coordinating and supplementing the
                                                  Members States and their players in the mutually-
                                                  supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in
                                                  developing new forms of employment and new
                                                  services
                                                       é
 ---pagebreak---                                                                   Amendment n° 9
   Financial Statement, 4.1, point 2, 5th indent     Financial Statement, 4.1, point 2, 5th indent
                                                                     a,b,c,d (new)
- Strengthening the role of cooperatives,
mutuals, associations and foundations as
vehicles of Community policies                   - establishing favourable conditions and assessing
                                                 the impact of Community policies:
                                                 - creating     better   opportunities   for   women
                                                 employers
                                                 - giving small businesses and associations the
                                                 opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in
                                                 receipt of public support:
                                                 - supporting, coordinating and supplementing the
                                                 Members States and their players in the mutually-
                                                 supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in
                                                 developing new forms of employment and new
                                                 services
                                                                  Amendment n° 2
  Financial Statement, 7.2, A.l, 3rd paragraph       Financial Statement, 7.2, A.l, 3rd paragraph
Implementation of studies on the development of Implementation of studies on the development of
the sector within the Community                  the sector within the Community including an
                                                 observatory
                                                                  Amendment n° 9
           Financial Statement, 7.2, A.2         Financial Statement, 7.2, A.2, indents 6,7,8, (new)
Strengthening the role of cooperatives, mutuals,
associations and foundations as vehicles of
Community policies
                                                 - creating     better   opportunities   for   women
                                                 employers
                                                 - giving small businesses and associations the
                                                 opportunity to create jobs by employing persons in
                                                 receipt of public support:
                                                 - supporting, coordinating and supplementing the
                                                 Members States and their players in the mutual ly-
                                                 supportuve and 'économie sociale' sector in
                                                 developing new forms of employment and new
                                                 services
                                                      ?
 ---pagebreak---                                                                  Amendment n°2
             Financing Plan, A. 1., a)                        Financing Plan, A.L, a)
Studies on the development of the sector within Studies on the development of the sector within
the Community                                   the Community including an observatory
                                                                 Amendment n° 9
              Financing Plan, A.2.                Financing Plan, A.2.e), A.2.f) and A.2.g)(new)
A.2.d Strengthening the role of cooperatives,
mutuals, associations and foundations as
vehicles of Community policies
                                                A.2.e - creating better opportunities for women
                                                employers
                                                A.2.f - giving small businesses and associations
                                                the opportunity to create jobs by employing
                                                persons in receipt of public support:
                                                A.2.g-      supporting.       coordinating    and
                                                supplementing the Members States and their
                                                players in the mutually-supportuve and 'économie
                                                sociale' sector in developing new forms of
                                                employment and new services
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                   ISSN 0254-1475
                                                          • COM(95) 253 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                       08 10
                                     Catalogue number : CB-C0-95-278-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-77-89898-4
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