title: Commission recommendation on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes

eurovoc_concepts:
access to the courts
civil proceedings
consumer protection
consumption
mediator

text: COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES CORRIGENDUM Rediffusion du document SEC(l998) 576 final du 30. 03. 1998 car la cote de ce document doit se lire COM(1998) 198 final. (concerne toutes les versions linguistiques) Brussels, 30. 03. 1998 COM(1998) 198 final Communication from the Commission "the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes" on and t?*: P Commission recommendation on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out- of-court settlement of consumer disputes SUMMARY This Communication is part of a series of Community initiatives in the field of consumer access to justice that have been developed over the years. The urgent need for Community action in regard to the settlement of consumer disputes was highlighted and confirmed in the consultations on the Green Paper (1993) and the Action Plan on "consumer access to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the single market" (1996). The outcome of these discussions shows that one of the paramount goals is to facilitate the settlement of consumer disputes by resolving the problems arising from the disparity between the economic value at stake and the cost of its judicial settlement. In order to satisfy this objective, this Communication contains two features designed to improve access to justice for individual consumers!: - a claim form designed to facilitate communication between consumers and professionals and, should an amicable solution prove impossible, facilitate access to out-of-court procedures and - a Recommendation laying down the principles applicable to out-of-court procedures for the settlement of consumer disputes2. î -) For the purposes of this communication "consumer access to justice" means the opportunity to exercise one's rights in practice, not access to justice in the stricter sense, i. e. to the courts. The first Community initiatives in the field of consumer access to justice date from the 1980s. A first Commission Communication on consumer redress was transmitted to the Council in the form of a memorandum on 4 January 1985 (COM(84) 692 final), followed by a supplementary Communication dated 7 May 1987 (COM(87) 210 final. The European Parliament adopted a Resolution on the subject on 13 March 1987 (OJ No C 99, 13. 4. 1987, p. 203). The Council's reaction was to adopt a Resolution on 25 June 1987 devoted solely to consumer redress (87/C 176/02, OJ No C 176, 4. 7. 1987, p. 2), in which it invited the Commission to supplement its analysis in view of the enlargement of the Community. The Community dimension of the problem of consumers' access to the law was also referred to in the European Parliament's Resolution of 11 March 1992 (OJ No C 94, 13. 4. 1992, p. 217) and the Council Resolution of 13 July 1992 on future priorities for the development of consumer protection policy (OJ No C 186, 23. 7. 1992, p. 1). On 21-23 May 1992, under the aegis of the Council Presidency and the Commission, the third European Conference on consumer access to justice was held in Lisbon and was attended by some 300 experts from the 12 Member States of the European Community and certain EFTA countries. The conclusions of the meeting confirmed the concerns expressed in the course of the above-mentioned initiatives. In its Green Paper on "Access of consumers to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the single market" (COM(93) 576 final of 16 November 1993), the Commission set out a number of proposals aimed at resolving individual and collective cross-border disputes. The aspects mentioned in the proposals included the free movement of actions for an injunction and the simplified settlement of disputes. Following the Green Paper, the Commission tabled a proposal for a Directive on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests, which is in the process of being adopted (common position of the Council on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests (EC No 48/97 of 30 October 1997, OJ No C 389, 22. 12. 1997, p. 51) as well as a Communication on an action plan on consumer access 2 CONTENTS 1. THE PROBLEM OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS 2. THREE APPROACHES TO A SOLUTION: a) b) The simplification and improvement of court procedures improvement of communication between consumers and The professionals c) The creation of out-of-court procedures I. THE CONTENT OF THE PROPOSED ACTION 1. 1 Encouragement of amicable settlement of consumer problems 1. 2. Providing appropriate safeguards in connection with the creation and operation of out-of-court bodies responsible for resolving consumer disputes H. A EUROPEAN COMPLAINT FORM FOR CONSUMERS HI. COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION ON THE PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO THE BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT OF CONSUMER DISPUTES ANNEX. INFORMATION FORM ON THE OUT-OF-COURT BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR RESOLVING CONSUMER DISPUTES to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the internal market (COM(96) 13 final of 14 February 1996). In its Resolution on this Communication (A4-0355/96, OJ No C 362, 2. 12. 1996, p. 275) the European Parliament gave its support to the objectives set out in the action plan and called on the Commission to undertake further work on the subject. INTRODUCTION l. THE PROBLEM OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS When it adopted the first programme for a consumer protection and information policy in 19753, the Council of the European Communities enunciated five fundamental rights4. Since then, Community law has made substantial progress in this area. There are now several Community texts that endow consumers with a set of concrete rights which can be relied on in all the Member States. Product liability, consumer credit, doorstep selling, package holidays, overbooking in air transport, liability for air traffic accidents5, unfair terms, contracts negotiated at a distance, and timeshares - all are now addressed in EC law. Other texts have been proposed and are currently under discussion in such areas as the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees. Thanks to the adoption of these rights at Community level, consumers can make the most of the large internal market, which was the objective underlying the Member States' decision to accept the Action Plan for a Single Market presented by the Commission to the Amsterdam European Council (strategic objective 4, CSE(97) 1 final of 4 June 1997). The Member States, who are primarily responsible for consumer protection, have also adopted on their own initiative a multiplicity of laws providing for specific rights in consumers both in domains not covered by the Community texts and in harmonised domains covered by Community provisions allowing Member States to ensure a higher level of consumer protection. Moreover, in their relations with professionals - even in the absence of specific legislation - consumers enjoy the protection granted by the general rules of civil law. However, if substantial rights are granted people without providing mechanisms to ensure their effective exercise, these rights have no practical value6. Hence, in order to ensure OJ No C 92, 25. 4. 1975, pp. 1-16. 'The right to protection of health and safety, the right to protection of economic interests, the right to information and education, the right to representation, the right to fair compensation for damages in the form of rapid, effective and affordable procedures". Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 of 9 October 1997 on air carrier liability in the event of accidents, OJ No L 285, 17. 10. 1997. Access to justice, as far as consumers are concerned, constitutes a corollary of the substantial rights conferred by the Community legal order. Although, in the absence of Community regulations, Member States have the power to establish the procedures for access to justice which are necessary to ensure that these rights are fully safeguarded, Community law nevertheless imposes limits to that power. For example, legislation of this type may not discriminate against persons whom Community law entitles to equal treatment, and they may not restrict the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Treaty. Since Community law guarantees free movement of goods and services in the common market, it is a corollary of those freedoms that operators, including consumers, must be able, in order to resolve any disputes arising from their economic activities, to bring actions in the courts of a Member State in the same way as nationals of that State (judgment of 26 September 1996, Data Delecta and Forsberg, C-43/95, ECR 96 /I-4661; judgment of 20 March 1997, Hayes, C-323/95, ECR 1-171). that reality is in step with the consumer protection framework designed by the Community and national legislators, consumers must be able to assert their rights, whenever they are infringed, through access to simple, swift, effective and inexpensive legal channels. The specific problems encountered by consumers in exercising their rights have already been addressed in several position statements issued by the competent institutions. In real life there are a certain number of obstacles facing consumers who are seeking justice in the courts. Firstly, there is the cost of legal consultation and representation, court fees and the cost of expert opinions (particularly as modern economies are characterised by increasingly complex products and services, sometimes beyond the judge's knowledge). Secondly, in certain countries plaintiffs may have to pay the defendant's costs if they lose their case, and in other countries they have to pay their own costs even if they win. Finally, because of the backlog of cases pending in certain Member States, long delays may arise before a case is judged. Besides these material factors, there are also barriers of a psychological order due to the complexity and formalism associated with court procedures. * And consumers are often reluctant to sue because of their unfamiliarity with legal language and the hermetic rituals characteristic of judicial proceedings. If things are complex enough in national disputes, they are even more complicated when more than one country is involved. The risk of getting involved in a cross-border dispute7 has been increasing with the proliferation of cross-border consumer transactions and the development of new selling techniques and services. In view of the above it is fair to say that, in most consumer disputes - both national and cross-border - the proceedings are too long drawn out and their cost excessive8 when compared, with the limited value of the dispute. In these circumstances many consumers do not even try to assert their rights and simply allow them to be infringed. 2. THREE APPROACHES TO A SOLUTION: There are three possible ways of improving consumer access to justice: simplification and improvement of legal procedures, improvement of communication between professionals and consumers, and out-of-court procedures to settle consumer disputes. Far from being alternatives, these three approaches are fully complementary. However, a fundamental difference distinguishes the first approach from the other two: while the first approach remains within the traditional framework of the judicial settlement 7 For a detailed description of the definition and all the specific or supplementary problems associated with it, see page 72 of the Green Paper. This argument has been verified and borne out in the study on the "Cost of legal barriers for consumers in the single market". This study showed that the average cost (court fees plus lawyer's fees) of the judicial settlement of an intra-Community dispute concerning an amount of ECU 2 000 is approximately ECU 2 500 for the plaintiff even in the best of circumstances. The results of the. study are summarised in the Action Plan on consumer access to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the single market, pages 8-11 (COM(96) 0013). of disputes and aims to improve the existing systems, the two other remove these disputes from the judicial arena wherever possible. a) The simplification and improvement of court procedures Most Member States have mounted initiatives designed to simplify court procedures for "small disputes", either generally or specifically in regard to consumer disputes. The idea common to these initiatives is to dispense with formalised procedures so that the case can be dealt with in a simplified manner, the involvement of a lawyer being optional, or to have the court itself seek to reach a settlement (either mandatory or at the discretion of the court or the parties). Despite some similarities there are many inter-country differences in the simplified procedures, especially in the criteria used to define small disputes and in regard to costs. In its Action Plan of 14 February 1996 the Commission proposed creating a form, designed to simplify consumer access to court procedures. However, the results of the subsequent consultations showed that the Member States had misgivings about the benefits of a single form in the context of simplified court procedures - especially since the possibility of initiating such a procedure simply by dispatching a form would mean changes to the national rules of civil procedure in most countries. However, the work done in this context inspired the Commission to launch one of the initiatives in the out-of-court domain contained in this Communication (see section 1. 1 below). This Communication does not address court procedures and therefore does not contain proposals referring to this primordial domain. Of course, this does not mean the Commission has opted not to encourage progress in the matter of court procedures. On the contrary, it will continue to study the need for common action and the form such action should take with regard to the operation of court procedures in the global framework of the internal market and the European legal area, in which connection its efforts will receive a considerable boost from the Amsterdam Treaty. It has also presented a Communication9 the main intent of which is to improve procedures for the enforcement of court decisions abroad and rules on determination of the courts empowered to hear cross-border disputes. This Communication, which takes account of consumer interests, also opens up a debate on a common EU approach as regards certain aspects of national procedural law. Moreover, a broader debate will be launched on the operation of simplified court procedures (for small disputes) in the context of the European legal area. b) The improvement of communication between consumers and professionals In order to counter the problems of consumer access to justice before the courts, the objective is to help consumers find an amicable solution to their disputes with the professional. Dialogue between the two parties and an amicable settlement of the dispute mean that consumers can avoid all the problems associated with going to court, while putting right the situation created by any infringement of their rights. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament "Towards greater efficiency in obtaining and enforcing judgments in the European Union" (COM(97) 609 final, of 26. 11. 1997). The amicable resolution of disputes is also in the interest of professionals who, for their part, are keen to avoid litigation and to retain their clients. Normally the dialogue takes place at the consumer's own initiative, with or without the involvement of consumer associations or other bodies whose mission is to help consumers. However, fruitful communication is obstructed through lack of consumer information, the problems consumers have in formulating their complaints clearly and, in the case of cross- border disputes, their reluctance to initiate a dialogue with someone in a language other than their own. Obviously, if an amicable solution proves impossible, there is nô alternative but to have recourse to the bodies responsible for resolving consumer disputes. The Commission has also launched an initiative in the field of financial services10, intended to allow the parties concerned, i. e. the financial services industry and consumer organisations, to reach voluntary agreements with a view to improving consumer information and access for consumers to redress procedures. c) The creation of out-of-court procedures Hence numerous initiatives in various Member States have opted for out-of-court solutions for the settlement of consumer disputes. The European Commission has long supported "pilot projects" at national or local level designed to put in place or develop systems of this kind. In addition to court procedures, a whole range of "out-of-court methods" specifically designed to resolve consumer disputes currently exist in Europe. Sometimes these are supplementary or prior procedures, such as mediation or conciliation; sometimes they offer access to alternative mechanisms, such as arbitration. Since a given method may differ from country to country, and in order to avoid confusion as a result of this terminological diversity, it should be made clear that this Communication concerns methods which, no matter what they are called, lead to the settling of a dispute through the active intervention of a third party who proposes or imposes a solution. It does not concern procedures that merely involve an attempt to bring the parties together to convince them to find a solution by common consent. Systems for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes differ greatly as regards their structure, operation and implementation. Out-of-court instruments may be the fruit of initiatives by public authorities both at central level (such as the Consumer Complaints Boards in the Scandinavian countries) and at local level (such as the arbitration courts in Spain); they may also spring from initiatives promoted or organised by individual associations or sectors (e. g. bank and insurance company mediators / ombudsmen) or by professionals or establishments offering mediation or arbitration services as their main activity (e. g. lawyers or private arbitration centres). 10 Communication on "Financial services: enhancing consumer confidence" (COM(97) 309 of 26 June 1997, which constituted a follow-up to the Green Paper on "Financial services: meeting consumers' expectations" (COM(96) 209 of 22 May 1996) Precisely because of this diversity, the status of the decisions adopted by these bodies differs greatly. Some are mere recommendations (as in the case of the Scandinavian Consumer Complaints Boards and most of the private ombudsmen), while others are binding only on the professional (as in the case of most of the bank ombudsmen); others still are binding on both parties (arbitration). However, with an eye to safeguarding the interests of the parties involved, it is necessary to determine the extent to which out-of-court procedures can provide guarantees comparable with those offered by court procedures (notably independence and impartiality), while improving practical access to the settling of disputes. This question is all the more important in that the out-of-court system, despite its unquestionable merits, is not without its weaknesses, such as the flexibility which makes it possible to exclude strict application of the legal rules, the absence of appeal procedures in cases where decisions are binding, or difficulties in implementing a decision, especially in a Member State other than that in which it was made (the 1958 New York Convention on the enforcement of arbitral awards does not apply in all Member States of the European Union11). Providing certain guarantees of "good justice" in out-of-court procedures might reduce their drawbacks and also enhance the credibility of out-of-court systems for consumers, besides reinforcing mutual confidence between the bodies that exist in the different Member States. 11 Portugal, for example, has not subscribed to this Convention (judgment of 25 July 1991, Rich, C-l90/89, ECR 1-3855). This means that the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards are not guaranteed throughout the European Union. I. THE CONTENT OF THE PROPOSED ACTION With this Communication the Commission is launching two initiatives designed to improve consumer access to justice. The Commission's aim is to supplement the policy of the Member States in this area with a view to realising a "high level of consumer protection" in compliance with Article 129a of the Treaty; in keeping with the principle of subsidiarity (Article 3b of the Treaty), the content of the action is limited to what is necessary to achieve the objective, and the idea is that the proposed initiative will be implemented on a voluntary basis. 1. 1 Encouragement of amicable settlement of consumer problems In this context the Communication's paramount goal is to encourage and facilitate the settling of consumer conflicts at an early stage so that the parties can avoid the inconvenience of initiating proceedings (in court or, for that matter, out of court). To this end the Communication presents a "European claim form for consumers", designed to improve communication between consumers and professionals with a view to settling their disputes amicably. If the dialogue between the consumer and professional does not lead to a solution, this form could be used to initiate an out-of-court procedure. Ideally the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes should agree to open a procedure coming within their remit on the basis of simple lodgement of the European form, so as to make the most of the possibilities offered by this form. This claim form may be used at both national and cross-border level, independently of the value of the claim or the type of consumer dispute in question. It is for the parties ' themselves to decide to what extent their problem through use of the form. As regards financial services in particular, the ongoing "dialogue" between the financial services industry and consumers is currently examining the appropriateness of this form for disputes concerning financial services. The form will be available on the Internet for all interested persons and organisations (hup ://europa. eu. int/comm/dg24) in all the languages of the European Union. The form as such cannot be altered, but the organisations (firms, associations of firms, consumer organisations, consumer information centres, etc. ) that propose its use to consumers may "personalise" it by printing their logo in the top right-hand corner. The "consumer claim form", whose current wording is based on numerous consultations with the parties concerned and the Member States, has been designed with a view to "guiding" and orientating consumers in formulating their claims. It proposes a choice of multiple responses to help consumers indicate their problems and describe their claim, while leaving enough space for users to add supplementary details or to describe particular cases not covered by the form's lists. The combination of a multiple-choice system and free text will considerably facilitate translation in the case of cross-border disputes where the parties speak different languages. The Commission will make any technical changes to the form which may prove desirable. This Commission initiative is a pilot project. After two years the Commission will evaluate the pertinence and impact of the form on the basis of the experience gained. Providing appropriate safeguards in connection with the creation and 1. 2. operation of out-of-court bodies responsible for resolving consumer disputes. The second strand of the Commission's initiative takes the form of a Recommendation designed to establish a series of principles applicable to the operation of out-of-court bodies (existing or yet to be created) for resolving consumer disputes. The out-of-court procedures concerned by this Recommendation are those which, whatever their "legal nature" (decision, recommendation or settlement proposal), involve the mediation of a third party whose role is not confined to persuading the parties to reach agreement but who express a firm position concerning settlement of the dispute. Respect for certain principles - such as independence, transparency and effectiveness - should contribute to a higher level of protection of consumer rights. In parallel, provision of these safeguards will make for greater reliability and confidence. This confidence must be built up at two levels: firstly, consumers - aware of the guarantees provided by the out- of-court procedures available to them - will be able to make the most of the out-of-court system in their own country, or that of another Member State in the event of cross-border disputes, without misgivings or reservations; secondly, the bodies responsible for the out- of-court settlement of consumer disputes in the different EU countries will have more confidence in each other, in connection with cross-border disputes. Mutual confidence will enable them to cooperate effectively in improving the processing of consumer disputes of a cross-border nature. The Commission will facilitate the networking of these bodies so as to promote their active collaboration in resolving specific cases. Ultimately, consumers should be able to refer cross-border disputes to the competent out-of-court body in the foreign country via the corresponding out-of-court body in their own country. To this end, the existing out-of-court bodies in the Member States should respect the principles set out in this Recommendation. Consumer associations and trade associations - both individually and jointly - have a key role to play in realising this objective. These principles may also make it easier for parties providing out-of-court settlement services established in one Member State to offer their services in other Member States. In order to ensure a level of transparency and dissemination of information on out-of- court procedures in line with the principles set out in the Recommendation and to facilitate networking, the Commission intends to create a database of the out-of-court bodies responsible for resolving consumer disputes that offer these safeguards. In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, the database will contain particulars communicated to the Commission by the Member States that wish to participate in this initiative. To ensure standardised information and to simplify the transmission of these data, the Commission is providing the Member States with a standard information form, annexed to this Communication. Likewise, with an eye to transparency and the provision of information, each Member State could appoint a single contact point on its territory responsible for directing all interested parties to the bodies they should consult with a view to the out-of-court settlement of a specific consumer dispute. The Commission will evaluate the implementation of this Recommendation in two years' time. 10 H. A EUROPEAN CLAIM FORM FOR CONSUMERS 11 Where appropriate, the seal of the body proposing use of this form to consumers CONSUMER CLAIM FORM This form has been drawn up by the European Commission 'sservices and should not be changed by users. It is intended to improve communication between consumers and professionals in order, as far as possible, to reach an amicable solution to the problems which they may encounter in their various transactions. The form is available in all the official languages of the European Union (http://europa. eu. int/comm/dg24). Under no circumstances should it be sent to the European Commission, which has no power to intervene in this type of dispute!. DETAHS OF THE PARTIES Complaint submitted by: Against: N° Name: Address, street: Town, post code: Country: Tel: Fax: Email: On behalf of: * Name: Address, street: Town, post code: Country: Tel: Fax: Email: Other particulars: N° * To be filled in only if the consumer's complaint is presented by a third party and not by himself. In this case, the consumer should put his signature under his name. INSTRUCTIONS • • In order to identify your problem and your claim, the form offers a choice of answers to each question. Please choose the answers (one or more) most appropriate to your case and, where appropriate, provide additional particulars in the space reserved for this purpose. It is recommended that this form be accompanied by copies of supporting documents and be sent by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt or any other means making it possible to establish proof of dispatch and receipt. A copy should be kept. • The claimant should give the professional an appropriate amount of time to reply (at least two weeks). The professional's reply must be communicated to the claimant by returning the entire form. The consumer must then send him the reply coupon (page 4). WARNING: Most national laws stipulate a time limit after which persons may no longer seek redress through the courts. Sometimes this limitation period is relatively short, particularly in the case of purchases of goods. Whether or not the use of this form suspends this time limit is determined by the legislation applicable to the dispute. 12 CONSUMER COMPLAINT I. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED: Date on which problem(s) was (were) encountered (day/month/year): Indicate whether the problem has arisen for the first time or not: Problem connected with: I Q Product not delivered 2D Service not provided 3 0 Delay in delivering product 4D Delay in providing service Duration of delay 5 0 Defective product 6 0 Poor service Details 7 D Product not in conformity with order 8 D Products/services not ordered 9 D Damage suffered 10 0 Refusal to honour the guarantee II 0 Refusal to sell 12 0 Refusal to provide service 13 0 Fraud 140 Incorrect information 33 0 Additional information 15 0 Inadequate information 160 Payment arrangements 170 Price paid 180 Price increase 19 0 Supplementary charges 20 0 Unjustified costs/billing 210 Terms of contract 22 0 Coverage of contract 23 0 Assessment of damage 24 0 Refusal to pay compensation 25 0 Inadequate compensation 26 0 Modification of contract 27 0 Poor performance of contract 28 0 Rescission / cancellation of contract 29 0 Cancellation of service 30 0 Loan reimbursement 31 0 Interest demanded 32 0 Failure to honour commitments 340 Other type of problem * n. THE CIRCUMSTANCES: (Indicate the date and place of purchase or signature of the contract, describe the product or service as well as the price, payment arrangements or any other information which may be useful in assessing your complaint: 45 0 Correction of assessment of damage 46 0 Payment of an indemnification in the sum of 47 0 Reimbursement of a down payment in the amount of 48 0 Reimbursement of other payments effected in the amount of 49 0 Price rebate in the amount of 50 0 Payment of damages in the amount of III. REQUEST BY THE CONSUMER To obtain: 35 0 Delivery of product or provision of the service 36 0 Repair of the product or service 37 0 Exchange of the product 38 0 Cancellation of sale 39 0 Performance of the guarantee 40 0 Honouring of commitments 41 0 Conclusion of a contract 42 0 Rescission / cancellation of contract 43 0 Cancellation of invoice 44 0 Information 51 0 Other particulars: 52 0 Other type of request IV. ADDITIONAL EXPLANATIONS (OPTIONAL) 13 V. LEGAL BASIS (OPTIONAL) VI. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (if possible please attach to this form one COPY of the supporting documents in your possession, e. g. invoice, contract, receipt, etc. ) List of documents attached: 1 2 3 4 If an amicable settlement is not reached or in the absence of a reply within complaint, I reserve the right to refer the matter to any competent body days from despatch of this Done at. Signature: 14 m. REPLY FROM THE COMPANY/PROFES$IONALJ Reference (to be given by the professional): 53 01 accede in full and I undertake 54 0 I accede in part and I propose 55 0 I do not accept the grounds for your complaint but agree, in the spirit of fair trading, to undertake to: within 56 0 I reject your complaint Grounds:. within. 57 0 I propose that the case be brought before the body referred to below, responsible for the out-of-court settlement of this type of consumer disputes: Done at Signature: -X- TO BE RETURNED TO THE PROFESSIONAL BY THE CONSUMER Reference given by the professional: Claim submitted by: On behalf of: Against: 58 0 I am satisfied and accept your proposal for resolving the dispute 59 0 I do not accept your proposal because 60 0 Following your proposal, I wish to inform you that I will submit the dispute to the body you have proposed Done at Signature: , 15 m. COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION No. /. /EC ON THE PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO THE BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT OF CONSUMER DISPUTES THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and in particular Article 155 thereof, Whereas the Council, in its conclusions approved by the Consumer Affairs Council of 25 November 1996, emphasised the need to boost consumer confidence in the functioning of the internal market and consumers' scope for taking full advantage of the possibilities offered by the internal market, including the possibility for consumers to settle disputes in an efficient and appropriate manner through out-of-court or other comparable procedures; Whereas the European Parliament, in its Resolution of 14 November 199612, stressed the need for such procedures to meet minimum criteria guaranteeing the impartiality of the body, the efficiency of the procedure and the publicising and transparency of proceedings and called on the Commission to draft proposals on this matter; Whereas most consumer disputes, by their nature, are characterised by a disproportion between the economic value at stake and the cost of its judicial settlement; whereas the difficulties that court procedures may involve may, notably in the case of cross-border conflicts, discourage consumers from exercising their rights in practice; Whereas the "Green Paper on the access of consumers to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the single market"13 was the subject of wide-ranging consultations whose results have confirmed the urgent need for Community action with a view to improving the current situation; Whereas the experience gained by several Member States shows that alternative mechanisms for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes - provided certain essential principles are respected - have had good results, both for consumers and firms, by reducing the cost of settling consumer disputes and the duration of the procedure; level would facilitate the Whereas the adoption of such principles at European implementation of out-of-court procedures for settling consumer disputes; whereas, in the case of cross-border conflicts, this would enhance mutual confidence between existing out-of-court bodies in the different Member States and strengthen consumer confidence in the existing national procedures; whereas these criteria will make it easier for parties providing out-of-court settlement services established in one Member State to offer their services in other Member States; 12 European Parliament Resolution on the Commission Communication "Action plan on consumer access to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the internal market" of 14 November 1996, OJ No C 362, 2. 12. 1996, p. 275. 13 COM(93) 576 final of 16. 11. 1993. 16 Whereas one of the conclusions of the Green Paper concerned the adoption of a Commission Recommendation with a view to improving the functioning of the ombudsman systems responsible for handling consumer disputes; Whereas the need for such a Recommendation was stressed during the consultations on the Green Paper and was confirmed during the consultation on the "Action Plan" Communication14 by a very large majority of the parties concerned; Whereas this Recommendation must be limited to procedures which, no matter what they are called, lead to the settling of a dispute through the active intervention of a third party, who proposes or imposes a solution; whereas, therefore, it does not concern procedures that merely involve an attempt to bring the parties together to convince them to find a solution by common consent; Whereas the decisions taken by out-of-court bodies may be binding on the parties, may be mere recommendations or may constitute settlement proposals which have to be accepted by the parties; whereas for the purposes of this Recommendation these various cases are covered by the term "decision"; Whereas the decision-making body's impartiality and objectivity are essential for safeguarding the protection of consumer rights and for strengthening consumer confidence in alternative mechanisms for resolving consumer disputes; Whereas a body can only be impartial if, in exercising its functions, it is not subject to pressures that might sway its decision; whereas, therefore, its independence must be guaranteed without this implying the need for guarantees that are as strict as those designed to ensure the independence of judges in the judicial system; Whereas, when the decision is taken by an individual, the decision-maker's impartiality can only be assured if he can demonstrate that he possesses the necessary independence and qualifications and works in an environment which allows him to decide on an autonomous basis; whereas this requires the person to be granted a mandate of sufficient duration, in the course of which he cannot be relieved of his duties without just cause; Whereas, when the decision is taken by a group, equal participation of representatives of consumers and professionals is an appropriate way of ensuring this independence; Whereas, in order to ensure that the persons concerned receive the information they need, the transparency of the procedure and of the activities of the bodies responsible for resolving the disputes must be guaranteed; whereas the absence of transparency may adversely affect the rights of the parties and cause misgivings as to out-of-court procedures for resolving consumer disputes; Whereas certain interests of the parties can only be safeguarded if the procedure allows them to express their viewpoints before the competent body and to acquaint themselves with the facts presented by the opposing party and, where applicable, the experts' statements; whereas this does not necessarily necessitate oral hearings of the parties; 14 Action Plan on consumer access to justice and the settlement of consumer disputes in the internal market, COM(96) 13 final of 14. 2. 1996. 17 Whereas out-of-court procedures are designed to facilitate consumer access to justice; whereas, therefore, if they are to be effective, they must remedy certain problems associated with court procedures, such as high fees, long delays and cumbersome procedures; Whereas, in order to enhance the effectiveness and equity of the procedure, the competent body must play an active role which allows it to take into consideration any element useful in resolving the dispute; whereas this active role is all the more important when, in the framework of out-of-court procedures, the parties in many cases do not have the benefit of legal advice; Whereas the out-of-court bodies may decide not only on the basis of legal rules but also in equity and on the basis of codes of conduct; whereas, however, this flexibility as regards the grounds for their decisions should not lead to a reduction in the level of consumer protection by comparison with the protection consumers would enjoy, under Community law, through the application of the law by the courts; Whereas the parties are entitled to be informed of the decisions handed down and of grounds for these decisions; whereas the grounds for decisions are a prerequisite for transparency and the parties' confidence in the operation of out-of-court procedures; Whereas in accordance with Article 6 of the European Human Rights Convention, access to the courts is a fundamental right that knows no exceptions; whereas since Community law guarantees free movement of goods and services in the common market, it is a corollary of those freedoms that operators, including consumers, must be able, in order to resolve any disputes arising from their economic activities, to bring actions in the courts of a Member State in the same way as nationals of that State; whereas out-of-court procedures cannot be designed to replace court procedures; whereas, therefore, use of the out-of-court alternative may not deprive consumers of their right to bring the matter before the courts unless they expressly agree to do so, in full awareness of the facts and only after the dispute has materialised; Whereas in some cases, and independently of the subject and value of the dispute, the parties and in particular the consumer, as the party who is regarded as economically weaker and less experienced in legal matters than the other party to the contract, may require the legal advice of a third party to defend and protect their rights more effectively; Whereas, in order to ensure a level of transparency and dissemination of information on out-of-court procedures in line with the principles set out in the Recommendation and to facilitate networking, the Commission intends to create a database of the out-of-court bodies responsible for resolving consumer disputes that offer these safeguards; whereas the database will contain particulars communicated to the Commission by the Member States that wish to participate in this initiative; whereas, to ensure standardised information and to simplify the transmission of these data, a standard information form will be made available to the Member States; Whereas, finally, the establishment of minimum principles governing the creation and operation of out-of-court procedures for resolving consumer disputes seems, in these circumstances, necessary at Community level to support and supplement, in an essential area, the initiatives taken by the Member States in order to realise, in accordance with Article 129a of the Treaty, a high level of consumer protection; whereas it does not go 18 beyond what is necessary to ensure the smooth operation of out-of-court procedures; whereas it is therefore consistent with the principle of subsidiarity, RECOMMENDS that all existing bodies and bodies to be created with responsibility for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes respect the following principles: I Principle of independence The independence of the decision-making body is ensured in order to guarantee the impartiality of its actions. When the decision is taken by an individual, this independence is in particular guaranteed by the following measures: - the person appointed possesses the abilities, experience and competence, particulariy in the field of law, required to carry out his function; - the person appointed is granted a period of office of sufficient duration to ensure the independence of his action and shall not liable to be relieved of his duties without just cause; if the person concerned is appointed or remunerated by a professional association or an - enterprise, he must not, during the three years prior to assuming his present function, have worked for this professional association or for one of its members or for the enterprise concerned. When the decision is taken by a collegiate body, the independence of the body responsible for taking the decision must be ensured by giving equal representation to consumers and professionals or by complying with the criteria set out above. II Principle of transparency Appropriate measures are taken to ensure the transparency of the procedure. These include: 1. Provision of the following information, in writing or any other suitable form, to any persons requesting it: - a precise description of the types of dispute which may be referred to the body concerned, as well as any existing restrictions in regard to territorial coverage and the value of the dispute; - the rules governing the referral of the matter to the body, including any preliminary requirements that the consumer may have to meet, as well as other procedural rules, notably those concerning the written or oral nature of the procedure, attendance in person and the languages of the procedure; 19 - the possible cost of the procedure for the parties, including rules on the award of costs at the end of the procedure; - the type of rules serving as the basis for the body's decisions (legal provisions, considerations of equity, codes of conduct, etc. ); - the decision-making arrangements within the body; - the legal force of the decision taken, whereby it shall be stated clearly whether it is binding on the professional or on both parties. If the decision is binding, the penalties to be imposed in the event of non-compliance shall be stated, as shall the means of obtaining redress available to the losing party. 2. Publication by the competent body of an annual report setting out the decisions taken, enabling the results obtained to be assessed and the nature of the disputes referred to it to be identified. III. Adversarial principle The procedure to be followed allows all the parties concerned to present their viewpoint before the competent body and to hear the arguments and facts put forward by the other party, and any experts' statements. IV. Principle of effectiveness The effectiveness of the procedure is ensured through measures guaranteeing: - that the consumer has access to the procedure without being obliged to use a legal representative; - that the procedure is free of charges or of moderate costs; - that only short periods elapse between the referral of a matter and the decision; - that the competent body is given an active role, thus enabling it to take into consideration any factors conducive to a settlement of the dispute. V. Principle of legality The decision taken by the body may not result in the consumer being deprived of the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions of the law of the State in whose territory the body is established. In the case of cross-border disputes, the decision taken by the 20 body may not result in the consumer being deprived of the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions applying under the law of the Member State in which he is normally resident in the instances provided for under Article 5 of the Rome Convention of 19 June 1980 on the law applicable to contractual obligations. All decisions are communicated to the parties concerned as soon as possible, in writing or any other suitable form, stating the grounds on which they are based. VI. Principle of liberty The decision taken by the body concerned may be binding on the parties only if they were informed of its binding nature in advance and specifically accepted this. The consumer's recourse to the out-of-court procedure may not be the result-of a commitment prior to the materialisation of the dispute, where such commitment has the effect of depriving the consumer of his right to bring an action before the courts for the settlement of the dispute. VII. Principle of representation The procedure does not deprive the parties of the right to be represented or assisted by a third party at all stages of the procedure. THIS RECOMMENDATION is addressed to the bodies responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, to any natural or legal person responsible for the creation or operation of such bodies, as well as to the Member States, to the extent that they are involved. 21 ANNEX INFORMATION FORM ON THE OUT-OF-COURT BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR RESOLVING CONSUMER DISPUTES PARTICULARS OF THE BODY: (Indicate the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and any other details making it easier for interested persons to contact the body) STRUCTURE: (Describe the composition of the body, stating whether it consists of an individual or whether it is a collegiate body, the duration of its mandate and the rules governing appointment and dismissal of the persons responsible for decision-making) POWERS: (Describe the type of disputes treated, the geographical coverage and any existing thresholds as regards the value of the dispute) PROCEDURE: (Describe the rules governing referral, notably any prior steps which must be taken by the consumer, the time limits within which consumers must take action, stating whether or not consumers must attend the proceedings in person, and whether the procedure is written or oral) COSTS (Indicate the possible cost of the procedure and any rules on the sharing of fees at the end of the procedure) NATURE OF THE DECISION: (Indicate whether the procedure culminates in a binding decision for one of the two parties, a mere recommendation or a settlement proposal) ENFORCEMENT: (When the procedure leads to a binding decision, indicate how this decision is enforced) 22 ISSN 0254-1475 COM(98) 198 final DOCUMENTS EN 10 06 01 Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-307-EN-C ISBN 92-78-36010-4 Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg 23


title: SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG nr. 942/98 van Allan MACARTNEY aan de Commissie. "Ship shaped" productiefaciliteiten voor olie- exploratie

eurovoc_concepts:
EU aid
OECD
agreement (EU)
export credit
extraction of oil
offshore drilling
offshore oil structure

formats: html pdf print

text: 11. 12. 98 NL Publicatieblad van de Europese Gemeenschappen C 386/61 (98/C 386/078) SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG E-0941/98 van Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) aan de Commissie (30 maart 1998) Betreft: Hoge belasting op gebruikte vrachtauto(cid:146)s in Griekenland De Griekse autoriteiten zijn van plan een zeer hoge belasting te gaan heffen op de invoer van gebruikte vrachtwagens, zelfs voor modellen waarvan de motoren tot het type Euro II behoren. De voorgenomen regelingen houden een bovenmatige stijging van de kosten voor gebruikte vrachtwagens in doordat een nieuwe hoge belasting ((cid:132)bijzondere classificatiebelasting(cid:148)) wordt opgelegd, waardoor vrachtwagens van meer dan 3,5 ton buitensporig duur worden. Bovendien bepaalt de Griekse overheid de waarde van de ingevoerde vrachtwagen niet aan de hand van de invoerfactuur, maar op grond van de detailhandelsprijs van de nieuwe vrachtwagen, waarbij er per jaar een aftrek wordt toegepast die in het zesde jaar 52 % bedraagt. Kan de Commissie haar officiºle standpunt over de kwestie van de nieuwe hoge belasting op gebruikte vrachtwagens meedelen, alsmede over het feit dat de Griekse autoriteiten niet bereid lijken de invoerfacturen van de vrachtwagens te accepteren (die in de Gemeenschap niet anders dan officieel erkende fiscale gegevens vormen) en in plaats daarvan de detailhandelsprijs voor nieuwe vrachtwagens als uitgangspunt willen nemen? Antwoord van de heer Monti namens de Commissie (29 mei 1998) De Commissie stelt op het ogenblik bij de betrokken Lid-Staat een onderzoek in naar de door het geachte parlementslid genoemde feiten. Zij zal het geachte parlementslid in kennis stellen van het resultaat van dit onderzoek. (98/C 386/079) SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG E-0942/98 van Allan Macartney (ARE) aan de Commissie (30 maart 1998) Betreft: (cid:132)Ship shaped(cid:148) productiefaciliteiten voor olie-exploratie Is richtlijn van de Raad van 17 september 1990 betreffende de procedures voor het plaatsen van opdrachten in de sectoren water- en energievoorziening, vervoer en telecommunicatie ook van toepassing op productiefaciliteiten voor olie-exploratie in de vorm van schepen? Zouden dergelijke drijvende installaties, gezien de herziene OESO-overeenkomst inzake exportkredieten voor schepen, in aanmerking voor EU-subsidies komen? Antwoord van de heer Monti namens de Commissie (5 juni 1998) De Commissie gaat momenteel over tot een grondig onderzoek van het door het geachte parlementslid aan de orde gestelde probleem; zij zal zo spoedig mogelijk nadere mededelingen ter zake doen


title: 98/261/EY: Neuvoston päätös, tehty 30 päivänä maaliskuuta 1998, Romanian liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden periaatteista, ensisijaisista tavoitteista, välitavoitteista ja edellytyksistä

eurovoc_concepts:
EU programme
Romania
accession to the European Union
cooperation policy

text: 23. 4. 98 FI Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti L 121/11 NEUVOSTON PÄÄTÖS, tehty 30 päivänä maaliskuuta 1998, Romanian liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden periaatteista, ensisijaisista tavoitteista, välitavoitteista ja edellytyksistä (98/261/EY) EUROOPAN UNIONIN NEUVOSTO, joka ottaa huomioon Euroopan yhteisön perustamissopimuk- sen, ottaa huomioon Euroopan unionin jäsenyyttä hakeneille valtioille osana liittymistä edeltävää strategiaa annetta- vasta avusta ja erityisesti liittymiskumppanuusjärjestel- män perustamisesta 16 päivänä maaliskuuta 1998 anne- tun neuvoston asetuksen (EY) N:o 622/98 (1) ja erityisesti sen 2 artiklan, ottaa huomioon komission ehdotuksen, sekä katsoo, että Luxemburgissa kokoontunut Eurooppa-neuvosto totesi, että liittymistä valmisteleva kumppanuus on uusi väline ja vahvistetun liittymistä valmistelevan strategian tärkein osa, asetuksessa (EY) N:o 622/98 säädetään, että neuvosto päättää komission ehdotuksesta määräenemmistöllä kuta- kin liittymistä valmistelevaa kumppanuutta koskevista periaatteista, ensisijaisista tavoitteista, välitavoitteista ja edellytyksistä sellaisina kuin ne esitetään kullekin hakija- maalle sekä niitä koskevista myöhemmistä merkittävistä mukautuksista, yhteisön avun saamisen edellytyksenä on olennaisten edellytysten täyttäminen ja erityisesti Eurooppa-sopimuk- siin sisältyvien sitoumusten noudattaminen ja edistyminen Kööpenhaminan arviointiperusteiden täyttämisessä; jos olennainen edellytys jää täyttymättä, neuvosto voi komis- sion ehdotuksesta määräenemmistöllä toteuttaa asiaan- kuuluvia toimenpiteitä minkä tahansa liittymistä valmis- televan tuen osalta, Luxemburgissa kokoontunut Eurooppa-neuvosto on päättänyt, että liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden toteuttamista ja edistymistä yhteisön säännöstön saatta- misessa osaksi kansallista lainsäädäntöä tarkastellaan Eurooppa-sopimuksen mukaisissa elimissä, (1) EYVL L 85, 20. 3. 1998, s. 1. komission lausunnossa esitettiin puolueeton arviointi Romanian jäsenyysvalmisteluista ja yksilöitiin ensisijaisia alueita valmistelujen jatkamista varten, ja jäsenyyden valmistelemiseksi Romanian olisi laadittava kansallinen ohjelma yhteisön säännöstön saattamiseksi osaksi kansallista lainsäädäntöä; tässä ohjelmassa olisi esitettävä aikataulu liittymistä valmistelevaan kumppa- nuuteen sisältyville ensisijaisille tavoitteille ja välitavoittei- den saavuttamiselle, ON PÄÄTTÄNYT SEURAAVAA: 1 artikla Tämän päätöksen liitteessä, joka on erottamaton osa päätöstä, esitetyt periaatteet, ensisijaiset tavoitteet, välita- voitteet ja edellytykset sisältyvät Romanian liittymistä valmistelevaan kumppanuuteen asetuksen (EY) N:o 622/ 98 2 artiklan mukaisesti. 2 artikla Liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden toteuttamista valvotaan Eurooppa-sopimuksen mukaisissa elimissä sekä asianomaisissa neuvoston elimissä, joille komissio rapor- toi säännöllisesti. 3 artikla Tämä päätös tulee voimaan kolmantena päivänä sen jälkeen, kun se on julkaistu Euroopan yhteisöjen viralli- sessa lehdessä. Tehty Brysselissä 30 päivänä maaliskuuta 1998. Neuvoston puolesta M. BECKETT Puheenjohtaja L 121/12 FI Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti 23. 4. 98 LIITE ROMANIA 1. Tavoitteet Liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden tarkoituksena on luoda yhteinen kehys niille lisätoimia edellyttä- ville ensisijaisille tavoitteille, jotka mainitaan komission lausunnossa Romanian hakemuksesta Euroopan unionin jäseneksi, näiden ensisijaisten tavoitteiden toteuttamisen avustamiseksi Romanialle myönnettävissä oleville rahavaroille sekä kyseiseen apuun liittyville edellytyksille. Liittymistä valmisteleva kumppanuus tarjoaa kehyksen useille politiikan välineille, joita käytetään jäsenyyttä hakeneiden maiden auttamiseksi niiden valmistautuessa jäsenyyteen. Näihin välineisiin kuuluvat muun muassa yhteisön säännöstön hyväksy- mistä koskeva kansallinen ohjelma, joka Romanian on määrä hyväksyä, sekä talouspolitiikan ensisijaisten tavoitteiden yhteinen arviointi, sopimus järjestäytynyttä rikollisuutta vastaan sekä sisämarkkinaohjeistus. Kukin näistä välineistä on luonteeltaan erilainen, ja niitä valmistellaan ja ne toteutetaan erityistä menettelyä noudattaen. Ne eivät ole olennainen osa tätä kumppanuutta, mutta niiden ensisijaiset tavoitteet ovat kumppanuuden mukaisia. 2. Periaatteet Kunkin hakijamaan osalta määritetyt keskeisimmät ensisijaiset tavoitteet liittyvät maiden kykyyn täyttää Kööpenhaminassa vahvistetut edellytykset, joiden mukaan jäsenyys edellyttää, että: — hakijamaassa on vakaat instituutiot, jotka takaavat demokratian, oikeusvaltion, ihmisoikeudet sekä vähemmistöjen kunnioittamisen ja suojelemisen; — hakijamaassa on toimiva markkinatalous, ja se pystyy selviytymään kilpailun paineista ja markkinavoi- mista unionissa; — hakijamaa pystyy vastaamaan jäsenyyden mukanaan tuomista velvoitteista, mukaan lukien poliittisen unionin sekä talous- ja rahaliiton tavoitteiden noudattaminen. Madridissa kokoontunut Eurooppa-neuvosto korosti hakijamaiden tarvetta mukauttaa hallintorakenteensa yhteisön politiikkojen moitteettoman toiminnan varmistamiseksi liittymisen jälkeen, ja Luxemburgissa kokoontunut Eurooppa-neuvosto korosti, että yhteisön säännöstön saattaminen osaksi kansallista lainsää- däntöä on välttämätöntä, mutta yksinään riittämätöntä; on tarpeen varmistaa, että sitä todella sovelle- taan. 3. Ensisijaiset tavoitteet ja välitavoitteet Komission lausunnoissa ja niitä koskevassa neuvoston tarkastelussa on tuotu esiin sellaisten toimien laajuus, jotka hakijamaiden on vielä toteutettava tietyillä aloilla valmistautuakseen unioniin liittymiseen ja katsottu, että mikään näistä maista ei täytä tällä hetkellä kokonaan kaikkia Kööpenhaminassa vahvistettuja edellytyksiä. Tämä tilanne edellyttää välitavoitteiden määrittelemistä ensisijaisille tavoitteille, ja niihin kuhunkin on liityttävä asianomaisten maiden kanssa yhdessä asetetut selkeät tavoitteet, joiden saavuttami- sesta riippuu hakijamaille myönnettävän avun määrä sekä jo joidenkin maiden kanssa käynnissä olevissa neuvotteluissa edistyminen ja muiden hakijamaiden kanssa käytävien neuvottelujen käynnistäminen. Ensisi- jaiset tavoitteet ja välitavoitteet on jaettu kahteen ryhmään eli lyhyen ja keskipitkän aikavälin tavoitteisiin. Lyhyen aikavälin tavoitteiden valinnassa on perusteena käytetty Romanian realistisia mahdollisuuksia toteuttaa tavoitteet tai edistyä niiden toteuttamisessa pitkälle vuoden 1998 loppuun mennessä. Koska aika on lyhyt ja ottaen huomioon ensisijaisten tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi tarvittava hallinnollinen toimintaval- mius, lyhyen aikavälin ensisijaisten tavoitteiden lukumäärä on pieni. Keskipitkän aikavälin ensisijaisiksi tavoitteiksi määriteltyjen tavoitteiden toteuttamisen oletetaan vievän yli vuoden, vaikkakin toteuttaminen voi ja sen olisi alettava jo vuoden 1998 aikana. Romaniaa pyydetään laatimaan maaliskuun loppuun mennessä yhteisön säännöstön hyväksymistä koskeva kansallinen ohjelma, jossa olisi vahvistettava aikataulu näiden ensisijaisten tavoitteiden ja välitavoitteiden toteuttamiseksi sekä mainittava mahdollisuuksien ja tarpeen mukaan tarvittavien henkilöstön ja rahavarojen määrä. 23. 4. 98 FI Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti L 121/13 Liittymistä valmisteleva kumppanuus merkitsee sitä, että Romanian on huolehdittava kaikista lausunnossa mainituista asioista. Yhteisön säännöstön saattaminen osaksi kansallista lainsäädäntöä ei yksinään riitä, vaan on myös tarpeen varmistaa, että sitä todella sovelletaan unionissa voimassa olevien perusteiden mukaisesti. Kaikilla jäljempänä mainituilla aloilla tarvitaan yhteisön säännöstön uskottavaa ja tehokasta voimaan saattamista ja täytäntöönpanoa. Komission lausunnon ja sitä koskevan neuvoston tarkastelun perusteella Romanialle on määritetty jäljem- pänä esitetyt lyhyen ja keskipitkän aikavälin ensisijaiset tavoitteet sekä välitavoitteet. 3. 1 L y h y e n a i k a v ä l i n t a v o i t t e e t ( 1 9 9 8 ) Talouden uudistaminen: keskipitkän aikavälin talouspolitiikan ensisijaisten tavoitteiden vahvistaminen ja yhteinen arviointi Eurooppa-sopimuksen yhteydessä; hallituksen talousuudistusohjelman tyydyttävä edisty- minen, mukaan lukien kahden pankin yksityistämisen, useimpien re´gie autonome -muotoisten yhtiöiden muuttaminen liikelaitoksiksi, ulkomaisten sijoitusten järjestelmän tehokas täytäntöönpano; useiden suurten, valtion omistamien teollisuuslaitosten (esim. hiili- ja teräsalat) ja maatalouslaitosten rakennemuutos/ yksityistäminen (erityisesti tappioita ja maksurästejä pienentämällä); kansainvälisten rahoituslaitosten kanssa tehtyjen sopimusten täytäntöönpanon jatkaminen. Institutionaalisten ja hallinnollisten valmiuksien parantaminen: virkamieslainsäädännön luonnoksen hyväk- syminen ja edistyminen julkishallinnon uudistamisessa; kasviensuojeluun ja eläinlääkintään liittyvät tarkas- tukset erityisesti ulkorajoilla olevilla toimipaikoilla; rahoitusala (pankki- ja rahoituspalvelualojen sekä pääomamarkkinoiden valvontaelinten lujittaminen); tulli; varainhoidon valvonta- ja tilintarkastusjärjestel- mien lujittaminen; kilpailupolitiikka; trustien vastaiset elimet ja valtionavun valvontaelimet; ympäristö; alue- ja rakennepolitiikan edellyttämien rakenteiden luomisen aloittaminen. Sisämarkkinat: mukaan lukien pankkialan ja pääomamarkkinoiden rakennemuutos; yhtiölainsäädännön uudistamisen päätökseen saattaminen, mukaan lukien toimenpiteet yritysten kehittämisen sekä pienten ja keskisuurten yritysten edistämiseksi; ulkomaiset suorat sijoitukset; välillisen verotuksen yhdenmukaistami- nen ja sen soveltamisen tehostaminen; julkisten hankintojen yhdenmukaistaminen, valtionapua koskevan lainsäädännön antaminen ja valtionavun ensimmäisen vaiheen määritys; standardointi- ja vaatimustenmu- kaisuuden arviointilaitosten perustaminen. Oikeus- ja sisäasiat: erityisesti lisätoimet korruption ja järjestäytyneen rikollisuuden torjumista koskevien toimenpiteiden täytäntöönpanemiseksi; rajavalvonnan parantaminen. Ympäristö: puitelainsäädännön saattamisen osaksi kansallista lainsäädäntöä jatkaminen, yksityiskohtaisten lähentämisohjelmien ja yksittäisiin toimiin liittyvien täytäntöönpanostrategioiden laatiminen ja täytäntöön- pano; näiden ohjelmien ja strategioiden suunnittelu ja täytäntöönpanon aloittaminen. 3. 2 K e s k i p i t k ä n a i k a v ä l i n t a v o i t t e e t Poliittiset edellytykset: lastensuojelun uudistusten jatkaminen; lisäpyrkimykset romaniväestön yhtäläisen aseman turvaamiseksi; yksilönvapauden suojaaminen; tuomioistuinten toiminnan parantaminen. Talouden uudistaminen: erityistä huomiota olisi kiinnitettävä perustan luomiseksi tuottavuuden kestävälle kasvulle ja valtionyhtiöiden, mukaan lukien pankit, rakennemuutoksen/yksityistämisen jatkamiseksi. Talouspolitiikka: talouspolitiikan ensisijaisten tavoitteiden yhteisen arvioinnin säännöllinen tarkastelu Eurooppa-sopimuksen yhteydessä, minkä tavoitteena on Kööpenhaminassa vahvistettujen, unionin jäse- nyyttä koskevien edellytysten täyttäminen ja yhteisön säännöstön käyttöönotto talous- ja rahapolitiikan alalla (talouspolitiikan yhteensovittaminen, lähentymisohjelmien laatiminen, liiallisten alijäämien välttämi- nen); vaikka Romanian ei oleteta ottavan käyttöön euroa heti unioniin liityttyään, sen odotetaan harjoittavan politiikkaa, jonka tavoitteena on tosiasiallinen lähentyminen unionin taloudellista ja sosiaalista yhteenkuuluvuutta koskevien tavoitteiden mukaisesti sekä nimellinen lähentyminen, joka mahdollistaa lopullisena tavoitteena euron käyttöönoton. Institutionaalisten ja hallinnollisten valmiuksien parantaminen: erityisesti laaja-alaisen julkishallinnon uudis- tusohjelman täytäntöönpano; huomattavia ponnistuksia julkishallinnon, mukaan lukien kilpailuviran- omaiset, parantamiseksi; sisäisen varainhoidon valvonnan lujittaminen; tuomioistuinjärjestelmän toiminnan parantaminen ja yhteisön lainsäädäntöä ja sen soveltamista koskevan koulutuksen järjestäminen tuomiois- tuimille; oikeus- ja sisäasioiden toimielinten lujittaminen (riittävän ja tarpeeksi koulutetun henkilöstön varmistaminen erityisesti poliisivoimissa, rajavartiostossa, ministeriöissä ja tuomioistuimissa), tulli- ja verohallintojen uudistaminen yhteisön säännöstön soveltamisvalmiuden varmistamiseksi sekä elintarvikeval- vonnan hallinnon lujittaminen; ydinvalvontaviranomaisen lujittaminen. L 121/14 FI Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti 23. 4. 98 Sisämarkkinat: yritysten kehittämisen edistäminen, mukaan lukien pienet ja keskisuuret yritykset; yhdenmu- kaistaminen yhteisön säännöstöön nähden televiestinnän, kuluttajansuojan, sisäisten energiamarkkinoiden ja audiovisuaalista alaa koskevan politiikan aloilla; henkisen omaisuuden säännösten täytäntöönpano; vakuu- tusala; kilpailupolitiikka, erityisesti kilpailulainsäädännön tehokas täytäntöönpano; standardointi- ja vaati- mustenmukaisuuden arviointilaitosten lujittaminen; markkinoiden valvontajärjestelmän perustaminen; teolli- suustuotteiden teknisen lainsäädännön yhdenmukaistaminen. Oikeus- ja sisäasiat: rajavalvontajärjestelmien parantaminen; valmiudet käsitellä turvapaikka- ja siirtolaisasi- oita; viisumipolitiikan yhdenmukaistaminen unionin viisumipolitiikan kanssa ja yhdenmukaistamisen lop- puunsaattaminen kansainvälisten yleissopimusten kanssa, järjestäytyneen rikollisuuden (erityisesti rahanpesu, huumeet ja ihmiskauppa) ja korruption torjunta ottaen erityisesti huomioon Schengenin sopimusten määräykset. Maatalous: mukaan lukien maarekisterin ja toimivien maamarkkinoiden perustaminen; yhdenmukaistami- nen yhteisön maataloussäännöstöön nähden (mukaan lukien eläinlääkintää ja kasviensuojelua koskevat seikat ja erityisesti ulkorajoilla suoritettavat tarkastukset); huomion kiinnittäminen maatalouden ympäristö- asioihin ja biologiseen monimuotoisuuteen; yhteisen maatalouspolitiikan täytäntöönpanovalmiuden kehittä- minen erityisesti hallinon perusjärjestelmien ja hallintorakenteiden osalta maatalouden markkinoiden valvomiseksi sekä rakennetoimenpiteiden ja maaseudun kehittämistoimenpiteiden täytäntöönpanemiseksi; eläinlääkintää ja kasviensuojelua koskevien vaatimusten hyväksyminen ja täytäntöönpano; tiettyjen elintar- vikkeiden jalostuslaitosten sekä testaus- ja analysointilaitosten toiminnan parantaminen; maatalouselintarvi- kealan rakenneuudistus. Kalastus: yhteisen kalastuspolitiikan voimaansaattamis- ja täytäntöönpanovalmiuksien kehittäminen. Liikenne: lisäpyrkimykset yhdenmukaistamisessa yhteisön säännöstöön nähden erityisesti meri-, rautatie- ja maantiekuljetusten (turvallisuussäännöt ja verotus) aloilla sekä tarpeelliset, liikenteen infrastruktuurin suuntautuvat investoinnit erityisesti Euroopan laajuisten verkkojen laajentamiseksi. Työllisyys ja sosiaalikysymykset: sopivien työmarkkinarakenteiden kehittäminen ja työllisyyspolitiikan yhteinen tarkastelu valmistautumiseksi osallistumaan unionin yhteensovittamiseen; työvoima-, työterveys- ja työturvallisuuslainsäädännön yhteensovittaminen sekä täytäntöönpanojärjestelmien kehittäminen; erityisesti työterveyttä ja -turvallisuutta koskevan kehysdirektiivin säännösten hyväksyminen varhaisessa vaiheessa; aktiivisen ja itsenäisen sosiaalisen vuoropuhelun kehittäminen edelleen; sosiaaliturvan kehittäminen edelleen; naisten ja miesten yhtäläisten mahdollisuuksien voimaan saattaminen; sitoutuminen saattamaan kansanter- veyden vaatimukset unionin vaatimusten mukaisiksi. Ympäristö: valvonta- ja täytäntöönpanorakenteiden sekä -valmiuksien kehittäminen; yksittäisiä säädöksiä koskevien lähentämisohjelmien jatkuva suunnittelu ja täytäntöönpano; erityisesti olisi kiinnitettävä huomi- ota ilmaa ja vettä koskeviin aloihin; ympäristönsuojeluvaatimukset ja kestävän kehityksen tarve on otettava huomioon kansallisia alakohtaisia politiikkoja laadittaessa ja täytäntöönpantaessa. Aluepolitiikka ja yhteenkuuluvuus: oikeusperustan käyttöönoton päätökseen saattaminen; hallinnollisten rakenteiden ja budjettimenettelyjen kehittäminen; rahoitusvälineiden ja valvontajärjestelmien lujittaminen, jotta Romania voisi osallistua unionin rakenneohjelmiin siihen liityttyään. 4. Ohjelmointi Vuosille 1995-1997 myönnetyt Phare-ohjelman määrärahat olivat yhteensä 284 miljoonaa ecua. Edellyttäen, että Phare-ohjelman talousarvio hyväksytään jäljellä olevan ajanjakson osalta, komissio vahvistaa määrära- hat vuosille 1998 ja 1999. Romaniaa voidaan lisäksi tukea vuodelle 1998 suunnitellun ns. catch-up -välineen avulla. Rahoitusehdotukset esitetään Phare-ohjelman hallintokomitealle asetuksen (ETY) N:o 3906/89 mukaisesti. Hakijamaiden osallistumista yhteisrahoitukseen edellytetään järjestelmällisesti kaikissa investointihankkeissa. Vuodesta 2000 alkaen annettava rahoitusapu sisältää maataloudelle annettavan avun ja rakennevälineen, joilla asetetaan koheesiorahastoa vastaavat toimenpiteet etusijalle. 5. Ehdollisuus Yhteisön avun edellytyksenä on, että Romania noudattaa Eurooppa-sopimuksen mukaisia sitoumuksiaan, jatkaa toimia Kööpenhaminassa vahvistettujen edellytysten täyttämiseksi ja edistyy tämän liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden täytäntöönpanossa. Näiden yleisten edellytysten noudattamatta jättäminen saattaa johtaa neuvoston päätöksen antamiseen rahoitusavun keskeyttämisestä asetuksen (EY) N:o 622/98 4 artiklan nojalla. 23. 4. 98 FI Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti L 121/15 6. Valvonta Liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden täytäntöönpanoa valvotaan Eurooppa-sopimuksen yhteydessä. Valvominen aloitetaan vuonna 1998, ennen kuin komissio antaa neuvostolle ensimmäisen säännöllisin väliajoin annettavan kertomuksensa, jossa arvioidaan Romanian edistymistä, mukaan lukien liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden täytäntöönpano. Liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden asianomaisia osa-alueita käsitellään osa-alueesta vastaavassa alakomiteassa. Assosiaatiokomitea käsittelee ensisijaisiin tavoitteisiin ja välivaiheen tavoitteisiin liittyvää yleistä kehitystä, edistymistä ja ongelmia sekä alakomiteoiden sille käsiteltäviksi toimittamia erityisiä kysymyksiä. Assosiaatiokomitea raportoi assossiaationeuvostolle liittymistä valmistelevan kumppanuuden täytäntöönpanosta. Phare-ohjelman hallintokomitea varmistaa, että rahoituspäätökset ovat liittymistä valmistelevan kumppa- nuuden mukaisia. Liittymistä valmistelevaa kumppanuutta muutetaan tarvittaessa asetuksen (EY) N:o 622/98 2 artiklan mukaisesti. Komissio ehdottaa, että tätä kumppanuutta tarkastellaan ennen vuoden 1999 loppua ja säännöllisin väliajoin sen jälkeen, mistä neuvosto tekee muodollisen päätöksen. Näissä tarkasteluissa arvioidaan tarvetta tarkentaa välitavoitteita sen perusteella, kuinka Romania on edistynyt tämän kumppa- nuuden mukaisesti asetettujen tavoitteiden saavuttamisessa


title: 98/268/CE: Décision du Conseil du 30 mars 1998 concernant les principes, priorités, objectifs intermédiaires et conditions du partenariat pour l'adhésion de la République de Slovénie

eurovoc_concepts:
EU programme
Slovenia
accession to the European Union
cooperation policy

text: L 121/46 FR Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes 23. 4. 98 DÉCISION DU CONSEIL du 30 mars 1998 concernant les principes, priorite´s, objectifs interme´diaires et conditions du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion de la Re´publique de Slove´nie (98/268/CE) LE CONSEIL DE L’UNION EUROPÉENNE, vu le traite´ instituant la Communaute´ europe´enne, vu le re`glement (CE) no 622/98 du Conseil du 16 mars 1998 relatif à l’assistance en faveur des États candidats dans le cadre de la strate´gie de pre´adhe´sion et, en particulier, à l’e´tablissement de partenariats pour l’adhe´- sion (1), et notamment son article 2, conside´rant que l’avis de la Commission a pre´sente´ une analyse objective de la pre´paration de la Re´publique de Slove´nie à l’adhe´sion et a identifie´ un certain nombre de domaines prioritaires pour la poursuite des travaux; conside´rant que, dans le cadre de la pre´paration à l’adhe´- sion, la Re´publique de Slove´nie devrait e´laborer un pro- gramme national pour l’adoption de l’acquis; que ce programme devrait comporter un calendrier pour la re´ali- sation des priorite´s et des objectifs interme´diaires du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion, vu la proposition de la Commission, DÉCIDE: conside´rant que le Conseil europe´en de Luxembourg a de´clare´ que le partenariat pour l’adhe´sion e´tait un nouvel instrument qui constituait l’axe essentiel de la strate´gie de pre´adhe´sion renforce´e; conside´rant que le re`glement (CE) no 622/98 dispose que le Conseil, statuant sur proposition de la Commission, de´cide à la majorite´ qualifie´e des principes, des priorite´s, des objectifs interme´diaires et des conditions de chacun des partenariats pour l’adhe´sion tels qu’ils seront pre´sen- te´s aux pays candidats, ainsi que des adaptations signifi- catives ulte´rieures dont ils feront l’objet; conside´rant que l’assistance communautaire est subor- donne´e à certains e´le´ments essentiels, notamment au respect des engagements contenus dans les accords euro- pe´ens et aux progre`s re´alise´s en vue de se conformer aux crite`res de Copenhague; que, lorsqu’un e´le´ment essentiel fait de´faut, le Conseil, statuant à la majorite´ qualifie´e sur proposition de la Commission, peut prendre des mesures approprie´es en ce qui concerne toute aide de pre´adhe´sion; conside´rant que le Conseil europe´en de Luxembourg a de´cide´ que la mise en œuvre des partenariats pour l’adhe´sion et l’e´tat de reprise de l’acquis seraient exami- ne´s dans le cadre des instances des accords europe´ens; (1) JO L 85 du 20. 3. 1998, p. 1. Article premier Conforme´ment à l’article 2 du re`glement (CE) no 622/98, les principes, priorite´s, objectifs interme´diaires et condi- tions du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion de la Re´publique de Slove´nie sont e´nonce´s dans l’annexe, qui fait partie inte´- grante de la pre´sente de´cision. Article 2 La mise en œuvre du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion sera examine´e dans le cadre des instances de l’accord europe´en et par les instances approprie´es du Conseil auxquelles la Commission pre´sentera re´gulie`rement un rapport. Article 3 La pre´sente de´cision entre en vigueur le troisie`me jour suivant celui de sa publication au Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes. Fait à Bruxelles, le 30 mars 1998. Par le Conseil Le pre´sident M. BECKETT 23. 4. 98 FR Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes L 121/47 ANNEXE SLOVÉNIE 1. Objectifs Le partenariat pour l’adhe´sion a pour objectif d’inscrire dans un cadre unique les domaines prioritaires de travail de´finis dans l’avis de la Commission sur la demande d’adhe´sion de la Slove´nie à l’Union europe´enne, les moyens financiers disponibles pour aider la Slove´nie à mettre ces priorite´s en œuvre et les conditions applicables à cette aide. Le partenariat pour l’adhe´sion de´finit un cadre pour une se´rie d’instruments de politique destine´s à e´pauler les pays candidats dans leur pre´paration à l’adhe´sion. Ces instruments sont, entre autres, le programme national d’adoption de l’acquis que la Slove´nie doit approuver, l’e´valuation conjointe des priorite´s en matie`re de politique e´conomique, le pacte contre le crime organise´ et les cartes routie`res du marche´ inte´rieur. Ces instruments sont de nature diffe´rente et chacun sera e´labore´ et mis en œuvre selon des modalite´s spe´cifiques. Ils ne feront pas partie inte´grante du pre´sent partenariat, mais leurs priorite´s seront compatibles avec celui-ci. 2. Principes Les domaines prioritaires constate´s pour chaque pays candidat de´pendent de leur capacite´ à remplir leur obligation de satisfaire aux crite`res de Copenhague, en vertu desquels l’adhe´sion requiert de la part du pays candidat: — qu’il ait des institutions stables garantissant la de´mocratie, la primaute´ du droit, les droits de l’homme, le respect des minorite´s et leur protection, — l’existence d’une e´conomie de marche´ viable ainsi que la capacite´ à faire face à la pression concurren- tielle et aux forces du marche´ à l’inte´rieur de l’Union europe´enne, — qu’il ait la capacite´ d’en assumer les obligations, et notamment de souscrire aux objectifs de l’Union politique, e´conomique et mone´taire. Lors de la re´union de Madrid, le Conseil europe´en a souligne´ la ne´cessite´ pour les pays candidats d’adapter leurs structures administratives afin de garantir le fonctionnement harmonieux des politiques communautai- res apre`s leur adhe´sion et il a insiste´ à Luxembourg sur le fait que la transposition de l’acquis sur le plan le´gislatif est un e´le´ment ne´cessaire, mais non suffisant, car il convient d’en assurer l’application effective. 3. Priorite´s et objectifs interme´diaires Les avis de la Commission et les de´bats du Conseil ont mis en e´vidence l’e´tendue des efforts qui restent à accomplir dans certains domaines par les pays candidats pour pre´parer leur adhe´sion et ont conclu qu’aucun de ces pays ne satisfaisait pleinement à tous les crite`res de Copenhague à l’heure actuelle. Cette situation ne´cessitera la de´finition d’e´tapes interme´diaires sous forme de priorite´s, chacune accompagne´e d’objectifs pre´cis fixe´s en collaboration avec les pays concerne´s et dont la re´alisation conditionnera le niveau de l’assistance accorde´e, l’avancement des ne´gociations en cours avec certains pays et l’ouverture de nouvelles ne´gociations avec d’autres. Les priorite´s et les objectifs interme´diaires ont e´te´ re´partis en deux groupes: à court et à moyen terme. Le premier groupe comprend des questions se´lectionne´es sur la base du fait qu’il est re´aliste d’escompter que la Slove´nie les re`gle ou les fasse progresser suffisamment d’ici à la fin de 1998. Compte tenu du bref laps de temps disponible et des capacite´s administratives ne´cessaires, le nombre des priorite´s retenues à court terme a e´te´ limite´. Le re`glement des questions prioritaires du second groupe devrait prendre plus d’un an bien que celles-ci puissent et devraient e´galement eˆtre aborde´es de`s 1998. La Slove´nie sera invite´e à e´laborer, d’ici la fin du mois de mars, un programme national d’adoption de l’acquis qui devrait fixer un calendrier pour le respect des priorite´s et la re´alisation des objectifs interme´diaires et pre´ciser, le cas e´che´ant et dans la mesure du possible, les ressources humaines et financie`res ne´cessaires à cette fin. Le partenariat pour l’adhe´sion pre´cisera que la Slove´nie devra re´soudre tous les proble`mes recense´s dans l’avis. La transposition de l’acquis sur le plan le´gislatif ne suffit pas en elle-meˆme car il sera e´galement ne´cessaire d’en assurer l’application effective au meˆme niveau que dans l’Union europe´enne. Dans tous les domaines e´nume´re´s ci-dessous, il convient de mettre en œuvre et de faire appliquer l’acquis communautaire de manie`re cre´dible et efficace. L 121/48 FR Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes 23. 4. 98 L’analyse de l’avis de la Commission et l’examen de celui-ci par le Conseil ont permis de de´finir les priorite´s à court et à moyen terme et les objectifs interme´diaires suivants pour la Slove´nie. 3. 1. C o u r t t e r m e ( 1 9 9 8 ) Re´forme e´conomique: de´finition des priorite´s de politique e´conomique à moyen terme et e´valuation conjointe dans le cadre de l’accord inte´rimaire/de coope´ration; mesures facilitant la restructuration dans une logique de marche´ des secteurs de l’entreprise, de la finance et de la banque et pre´paration d’une re´forme des pensions. Renforcement des capacite´s institutionnelles et administratives: notamment adoption d’une loi sur le service public, ame´liorations dans le domaine du pouvoir judiciaire, du cadastre, de l’administration ve´te´rinaire et phytosanitaire, en particulier en ce qui concerne les infrastructures aux frontie`res exte´rieures, du contrôle financier et des fonctions d’audit, renforcement des institutions dans le domaine de l’environnement et mise en place des structures ne´cessaires aux politiques re´gionale et structurelle. inte´rieur: notamment alignement dans les domaines de la fiscalite´ Marche´ indirecte et de la proprie´te´ intellectuelle et industrielle, adoption et pre´paration de l’introduction, en 1999, d’une loi sur la TVA, harmonisation de la normalisation et de la certification (e´valuation de la conformite´), des re`glements techniques ainsi que du droit des socie´te´s et de la libe´ralisation des mouvements de capitaux (en particulier la le´gislation mone´taire), mise en place d’une autorite´ de contrôle des aides d’État, e´tablissement d’un premier inventaire des aides d’État et cre´ation d’un cadre juridique pour leur contrôle, progre`s dans le sens de l’adoption d’une loi antitrust. Droit de la proprie´te´: clarification de la situation en ce qui concerne la le´gislation en matie`re de proprie´te´, notamment le droit, pour les citoyens de l’Union europe´enne, d’acque´rir des biens immobiliers. Environnement: poursuite de la transposition de la le´gislation-cadre, finalisation de programmes de rapprochement de´taille´s et de strate´gies de mise en œuvre ayant trait à divers actes le´gislatifs. Planification et lancement de ces programmes et strate´gies. 3. 2. M o y e n t e r m e Crite`res politiques: poursuite des efforts afin d’acce´le´rer les restitutions de biens. Politique e´conomique: re´examen re´gulier de l’e´valuation conjointe des priorite´s de politique e´conomique dans le cadre de l’accord europe´en, l’accent e´tant mis sur la ne´cessite´ de satisfaire aux crite`res d’adhe´sion à l’Union europe´enne de´finis à Copenhague et d’assimiler l’acquis dans le domaine de la politique e´conomique et mone´taire (coordination des politiques e´conomiques, pre´sentation de programmes de convergence, jugulation des de´ficits). Bien qu’il ne soit pas pre´vu que la Slove´nie adopte l’euro imme´diatement apre`s son adhe´sion, elle devrait poursuivre des politiques visant à parvenir à une convergence re´elle en conformite´ avec les objectifs de cohe´sion e´conomique et sociale de l’Union europe´enne et à une convergence nominale compatible avec l’objectif ultime qu’est l’adotion de l’euro. Renforcement des capacite´s institutionnelles et administratives: en ce qui concerne les marche´s publics (notamment la transparence), la surveillance du marche´ de l’assurance et des valeurs mobilie`res, l’Office slove`ne de la concurrence, l’ache`vement de la loi sur la concurrence, l’e´laboration et la mise en œuvre de politiques agricoles et re´gionales, les politiques dans le domaine de l’audiovisuel, l’administration des douanes et l’application du code des douanes; ame´lioration du fonctionnement du syste`me judiciaire; formation des professions juridiques au droit communautaire et à son application, renforcement des institutions dans le domaine de la justice et des affaires inte´rieures (permettant de compter sur un personnel en nombre suffisant et dote´ d’une formation approprie´e, notamment dans la police, aux postes frontie`res, dans les ministe`res et les tribunaux), renforcement de l’autorite´ charge´e de la sûrete´ nucle´aire, re´forme des administrations douanie`re et fiscale afin de garantir la pre´paration à la mise en œuvre de l’acquis et renforcement de l’administration compe´tente en matie`re de contrôle des denre´es alimentaires. inte´rieur: notamment alignement de la le´gislation en matie`re de marche´s publics, de services Marche´ financiers et d’aides d’État (en particulier alignement des re`gles de contrôle et des droits exclusifs ou spe´ciaux), mise à niveau des structures de normalisation et d’e´valuation de la conformite´, e´tablissement d’un syste`me de surveillance des marche´s et alignement de la le´gislation technique horizontale concernant les produits industriels, efforts accrus pour libe´raliser le marche´ des capitaux et pour faciliter les investissements e´trangers, poursuite de l’alignement en matie`re de protection des consommateurs, consolidation de l’Office de la concurrence et de l’autorite´ de contrôle des aides d’État, application efficace du droit de la concurrence, promotion du de´veloppement des entreprises, notamment des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), alignement sur l’acquis dans les domaines des te´le´communications, de la protection des consomma- teurs et du marche´ inte´rieur de l’e´nergie. 23. 4. 98 FR Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes L 121/49 Justice et affaires inte´rieures: lutte contre le crime organise´ (notamment contre le blanchiment des capitaux, le trafic de drogue et la traite des eˆtres humains) et la corruption, alignement de la politique en matie`re de visas sur celle de l’Union europe´enne et ache`vement de l’alignement sur les conventions internationales, mise en œuvre de la politique migratoire et des proce´dures d’asile en vue, notamment, de l’application de l’acquis Schengen. Sûrete´ nucle´aire: politique nucle´aire et projets d’investissement à mettre en conformite´ avec les re´sultats de l’e´valuation des risques sismiques à re´aliser dans les environs de la centrale nucle´aire de Krsko. Agriculture: mise en place d’un syste`me fiable d’enregistrement de la proprie´te´ foncie`re, renforcement de la politique structurelle et de de´veloppement rural, notamment l’alignement sur l’acquis communautaire (notamment en ce qui concerne les questions ve´te´rinaires et phytosanitaires et en particulier les contrôles aux frontie`res exte´rieures), prise en compte des aspects environnementaux de l’agriculture et de la biodiversite´. De´veloppement des capacite´s ne´cessaires à la mise en place et à l’application de la politique agricole commune (PAC), notamment en ce qui concerne les me´canismes de gestion et les structures administratives de base ne´cessaires à la surveillance des marche´s agricoles et à la mise en œuvre des mesures structurelles et de de´veloppement rural, adoption et mise en œuvre des re`gles ve´te´rinaires et phytosanitaires, mise à niveau de certains e´tablissements de transformation alimentaire et de certaines installations d’essai et de diagnostic, restructuration du secteur agroalimentaire. Peˆche: de´veloppement des capacite´s de mise en œuvre et de contrôle de la politique commune de la peˆche. Transport: poursuite des efforts d’alignement sur l’acquis en particulier en matie`re de transport routier (acce`s au marche´, re`gles de se´curite´ et fiscalite´) et ferroviaire et pour assurer les investissements ne´cessaires à l’infrastructure de transport, notamment à l’extension des re´seaux transeurope´ens. Emploi et affaires sociales: mise en place de structures approprie´es concernant le marche´ de l’emploi et re´examen conjoint des politiques de l’emploi en vue de pre´parer la participation à la coordination au sein de l’Union europe´enne; alignement du droit du travail et de la le´gislation relative à la sante´ et à la se´curite´ au travail et mise en place de structures de contrôle, notamment adoption rapide de la directive-cadre sur la sante´ et la se´curite´ des travailleurs; application du principe de l’e´galite´ des chances entre les hommes et les femmes; poursuite de l’instauration d’un dialogue social actif et autonome; poursuite de la mise en place d’une protection sociale. Environnement: notamment mise en place de capacite´s et de structures de contrôle et d’application, poursuite de la planification et de la mise en œuvre de programmes de rapprochement ayant trait à divers actes le´gislatifs. Accent particulier sur la pollution de l’air, le secteur des eaux use´es ainsi que sur une politique globale de lutte contre la pollution industrielle et de gestion des risques. Les exigences de protection de l’environnement et la ne´cessite´ d’un de´veloppement durable doivent eˆtre inte´gre´s dans la de´finition et la mise en œuvre de politiques sectorielles nationales. Politique re´gionale et cohe´sion: introduction du cadre juridique, administratif et budge´taire permettant de mener une politique nationale inte´gre´e de lutte contre les disparite´s re´gionales, en vue de participer aux programmes structurels de l’Union europe´enne apre`s l’adhe´sion. 4. Programmation La dotation totale de PHARE pour la pe´riode 1995-1997 s’est e´leve´e à 72 millions d’e´cus. Sous re´serve de l’approbation du budget PHARE pour la pe´riode restante, la Commission confirmera les dotations pour 1998 et 1999. Les propositions de financement seront soumises au comite´ de gestion PHARE conforme´ment au re`glement (CEE) no 3906/89. Les projets d’investissements seront syste´matiquement cofinance´s par les pays candidats. À partir de l’an 2000, l’aide financie`re comprendra une aide à l’agriculture et un instrument structurel qui accordera la priorite´ à des mesures similaires au Fonds de cohe´sion. 5. Conditionalite´ La Slove´nie ne pourra be´ne´ficier de l’assistance de la Communaute´ que si elle respecte les obligations de´coulant de l’accord europe´en et continue à progresser dans la voie des crite`res de´finis à Copenhague et dans la mise en œuvre du pre´sent partenariat pour l’adhe´sion. En cas de non-respect de ces conditions ge´ne´rales, le Conseil pourra de´cider d’interrompre l’aide financie`re en vertu de l’article 4 du re`glement (CE) no 622/98. L 121/50 FR Journal officiel des Communaute´s europe´ennes 23. 4. 98 6. Suivi Le suivi de la mise en œuvre du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion sera assure´ dans le cadre de l’accord europe´en. Il commencera en 1998 avant que la Commission pre´sente son premier rapport pe´riodique au Conseil examinant les progre`s re´alise´s par la Slove´nie, notamment en ce qui concerne la mise en œuvre du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion. Le sous-comite´ compe´tent examinera les sections concerne´es du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion. Le comite´ d’association examinera l’e´volution globale du processus, les progre`s re´alise´s et les proble`mes rencontre´s dans la poursuite des priorite´s et des objectifs interme´diaires ainsi que des questions plus spe´cifiques que lui soumettront les sous-comite´s. Le comite´ d’association tiendra le Conseil d’association informe´ de la mise en œuvre du partenariat pour l’adhe´sion. Le comite´ de gestion PHARE veillera à ce que les de´cisions financie`res soient compatibles avec les partenariats pour l’adhe´sion. Le partenariat pour l’adhe´sion sera modifie´ si ne´cessaire conforme´ment à l’article 2 du re`glement (CE) no 622/98. La Commission proposera, avant la fin de 1999 et à intervalles re´guliers par la suite, de re´examiner le pre´sent partenariat pour l’adhe´sion au sujet duquel le Conseil prendra une de´cision formelle. Ces re´examens tiendront compte de la ne´cessite´ de pre´ciser de nouveaux objectifs interme´diaires à la lumie`re des progre`s re´alise´s par la Slove´nie dans la re´alisation des objectifs de´finis dans le pre´sent partenariat pour l’adhe´sion


title: PREGUNTA ESCRITA n. 1057/98 del Paul LANNOYE a la Comisión. Acuerdo multilateral sobre inversiones

eurovoc_concepts:
environmental protection
investment policy
multilateral agreement
public health
public safety
sustainable development

formats: html print


title: SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG nr. 958/98 van Lucio MANISCO aan de Commissie. Landbouwsteun

eurovoc_concepts:
Italy
aid to agriculture
common agricultural policy
financial aid
professional association
public awareness campaign
vocational training

text: 11. 12. 98 NL Publicatieblad van de Europese Gemeenschappen C 386/63 (98/C 386/081) SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG E-0958/98 van Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) aan de Commissie (30 maart 1998) Betreft: Landbouwsteun Kan de Commissie aangeven hoeveel directe en indirecte steun is verleend aan de navolgende Italiaanse landbouworganisaties: (cid:132)Confederazione Agricoltori Italiani(cid:148), (cid:132)Confederazione Coltivatori Diretti(cid:148), en de (cid:132)Confederazione Italiana Coltivatori(cid:148)? Kan de Commissie aangeven uit welke begrotingsposten deze steun is verleend en welke activiteiten voor het lopende jaar en over de afgelopen drie jaar zijn gesteund? Kan de Commissie toelichten of de drie genoemde landbouworganisaties hebben deelgenomen aan specifieke projecten, met name op het vlak van beroepsopleiding? Antwoord van de heer Fischler namens de Commissie (21 april 1998) Verlening van directe financiºle steun aan de betrokken Italiaanse landbouworganisaties: Confederazione Agricoltori Italiani 1997 › Regione Veneto (cid:132)Programma SOS Mondo rural(cid:148): 102. 500 ecu 1996 › Studiereis: 8. 000 ecu Confederazione Coltivatori Diretti 1997 › Seminar › Corso per futuri dirigenti(cid:132)Sviluppo della capacit(cid:224) festrionali(cid:148): 15. 000 ecu 1996 › Progetto formativo per Operatrici di pari opportunit(cid:224) in ambiente agricolo rurale: 36. 711 ecu 1996 › Studiereis: 8. 000 ecu 1995 › Studiereis: 10. 000 ecu Confederazione Italiana Coltivatori: geen aanvragen ingediend Deze subsidies zijn in 1995 en 1996 toegekend uit begrotingsonderdeel B2/514, en in 1997 uit de opvolger daarvan, begrotingsonderdeel B2/5122. Het gaat om opleiding, voorlichting en bewustmaking van de publieke opinie met betrekking tot het gemeenschappelijk landbouwbeleid. (98/C 386/082) SCHRIFTELIJKE VRAAG E-0959/98 van Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) aan de Commissie (30 maart 1998) Betreft: Schending van de mensenrechten in Colombia Colombia is een land waar het geweld in maatschappij en politiek zeer ernstige vormen aanneemt: 30. 000 niet politieke moorden per jaar, 4. 000 politieke moorden, ten minste ØØn persoon per dag die als (cid:132)vermist(cid:148) wordt opgegeven, en meer dan 1. 000. 000 binnenlandse vluchtelingen, die zijn gedwongen hun huis te verlaten omdat zij daar met de dood worden bedreigd. De politie van Cartagena heeft op 3 september 1995 de EU-burger Giacomo Turra na langdurige folteringen vermoord. In het proces dat nu nog gaande is tegen de politiemensen die voor deze laaghartige misdaad verantwoordelijk zijn, wordt bewijs (cid:224) charge vervalst en gemanipuleerd. 1. Welke initiatieven hebben de Commissie en de Raad ontplooid sinds zij de aangelegenheid onder hun beheer hebben gekregen, en indien nog geen stappen zijn gezet, waarom hebben zij dan deze zaak naast zich neergelegd waaruit zo exemplarisch blijkt hoe zeer in Colombia behoefte is aan recht? Waarom hebben zij geen waarnemer gestuurd om toe te zien op de rechtmatigheid van het proces?


title: QUESTION ECRITE no 971/98 de Robin TEVERSON à la Commission. Versements effectués aux États membres au titre des Fonds structurels de l'UE

eurovoc_concepts:
EAGGF
EU programme
European Regional Development Fund
European Social Fund
FIFG
Structural Funds
United Kingdom
payment

text: C 354/48 FR Journal officiel des Communaute·s europe·ennes 19. 11. 98 (98/C 354/85) QUESTION E· CRITE E-0971/98 pose·e par Robin Teverson (ELDR) a‘ la Commission (30 mars 1998) Objet: Versements effectue·s aux E· tats membres au titre des Fonds structurels de l(cid:146)UE La Commission peut-elle pre·ciser comment et quand elle verse aux E· tats membres les cre·dits qui leur sont attribue·s au titre des Fonds structurels de l(cid:146)UE? Par exemple, verse-t-elle d(cid:146)avance au gouvernement britannique une somme annuelle pour le FEDER, le FSE, le FEOGA et l(cid:146)IFOP ou bien le gouvernement britannique demande-t-il re·trospectivement le versement des cre·dits a‘ certains moments en cours de programme? La Commission pourrait-elle fournir une re·ponse de·taille·e couvrant les quatre Fonds structurels? Re·ponse donne·e par Mme Wulf-Mathies au nom de la Commission (14 mai 1998) Les proce·dures relatives au versement du concours financier des Fonds structurels par la Commission aux E· tats membres sont inscrites a‘ l(cid:146)article 21 du re‘glement (CEE) no 4253/88 du Conseil, tel qu(cid:146)il a e·te· modifie· (1). Les paiements sont effectue·s conforme·ment aux engagements budge·taires pris au niveau communautaire et ils peuvent reve(cid:136)tir soit la forme d(cid:146)avances soit la forme de paiements de·finitifs se re·fe·rant aux de·penses effectives encourues. Pour chaque engagement, les paiements sous forme d(cid:146)avance peuvent atteindre 80 %. Le paiement du solde est subordonne· a‘ la pre·sentation a‘ la Commission d(cid:146)un rapport satisfaisant sur les progre‘s re·alise·s a‘ la suite de la mise en (cid:156)uvre du programme en question. Ces dispositions sont applicables a‘ tous les Fonds structurels et a‘ tous les E· tats membres, auxquels il appartient ensuite de faire parvenir les paiements aux be·ne·ficiaires finals dans les meilleurs de·lais. (1) JO L 193 du 31. 7. 1993. (98/C 354/86) QUESTION E· CRITE E-0985/98 pose·e par Ben Fayot (PSE) a‘ la Commission (2 avril 1998) Objet: Liaisons de chemin de fer entre Bruxelles, Luxembourg et Strasbourg Ces trois capitales europe·ennes, lieux de travail du Parlement europe·en, sont mal desservies par les liaisons de chemin de fer. Pour environ 200 kilome‘tres a‘ peine entre Bruxelles et Luxembourg, le train met entre 2 h 15 et 2 h 30. Les liaisons avec Strasbourg sont par ailleurs peu fre·quentes. La Commission n(cid:146)estime-t-elle pas que ce trace· hautement symbolique entre les trois lieux de travail europe·ens me·riterait un effort d(cid:146)investissement particulier des E· tats membres concerne·s ainsi que de l(cid:146)Union europe·enne? Re·ponse donne·e par M. Kinnock au nom de la Commission (15 mai 1998) Les liaisons ferroviaires Bruxelles-Luxembourg et Bruxelles-Strasbourg font partie des lignes de train a‘ grande vitesse (TGV) planifie·es dans le cadre des re·seaux transeurope·ens de transport (RTE-T). Cela signifie que la Communaute· est consciente de leur importance strate·gique et que les E· tats membres sont tenus d(cid:146)ame·nager, en fonction des ressources disponibles, les lignes de chemin de fer classiques existantes. Le gouvernement fran(cid:231)ais a inscrit la liaison Metz-Luxembourg dans la premie‘re phase du TGV Est, l(cid:146)un des projets prioritaires en matie‘re de RTE-T. Ces travaux, de me(cid:136)me que les autres travaux d(cid:146)ame·nagement, pourraient be·ne·ficier d(cid:146)un soutien financier au titre des RTE-T, pourvu que les E· tats membres concerne·s en expriment le souhait