85/13/EEC: Commission Decision of 19 December 1984 relating to the setting up of a Joint Committee on Railways

COMMISSION  DECISION
of 19 December 1984
relating to the setting up of a Joint Committee on Railways
(85/13/EEC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Whereas the Heads of State or Government stated in their declaration of 21 October 1972 that the first aim of economic expansion should be to enable disparities in living conditions to be reduced and that this aim should express itself in better quality and higher standard of living;
Whereas in this connection they considered it indispensable that both employers and employees should be increasingly involved in the economic and social decisions of the Community;
Whereas amongst the priority matters contained in the Community's 'Social Action Programme' the Commission has recommended that dialogue and cooperation between employers and employees be promoted at Community level; whereas the Council in its resolution of 21 January 1974 concerning a social action programme (1) named increased involvement of management and labour in the economic and social decisions of the Community as one of the priority measures to be taken;
Whereas the European Parliament in its resolution of 13 June 1972 (2) has stated that the participation of employers and employees in the formulation of a Community social policy should be achieved during the first stage of economic and monetary union;
Whereas the Economic and Social Committee in its opinion of 24 November 1971 expressed a similar view;
Whereas the Council stresses in its conclusions of 22 June 1984 concerning a Community medium-term social action programme, that the European social dialogue must be strengthened and its procedures adapted in order to involve the social partners more effectively in the economic and social decisions of the Community (3);
Whereas the situation in the various Member States clearly demonstrates the need for the two sides of the railways industry to participate actively in the improvement and harmonization of living and working conditions in railways; whereas a joint committee attached to the Commission is the most appropriate means of ensuring such participation by creating at Community level a representative forum for the socio-economic interests involved;
Whereas Commission Decision 72/172/EEC of 24 April 1972 relating to the setting-up of a Joint Advisory Committee for Social Problems in Railways (4) is no longer in accord with the developments in social policy advocated by the Community institutions,