REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the Community and the Swiss Confederation in the Audiovisual field, establishing the terms and conditions for the participation of the Swiss Confederation in the MEDIA Plus and MEDIA Training Community programmes, and a final Act

3.2.2005 - (COM(2004)0649 – C6‑0174/2004 – 2004/0230(CNS)) - *

Committee on Culture and Education
Rapporteur: Nikolaos Sifunakis
(Simplified procedure - Rule 43(1) of the Rules of Procedure)

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the Community and the Swiss Confederation in the Audiovisual field, establishing the terms and conditions for the participation of the Swiss Confederation in the MEDIA Plus and MEDIA Training Community programmes, and a final Act

(COM(2004) – COM(2004)0649 – C6‑0174/2004 – 2004/0230(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the proposal for a Council decision (COM(2004)0649)[1],

–   having regard to Article 150(4) and Article 157(3), in conjunction with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2), of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to Article 300(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6‑0174/2004),

–   having regard to Rules 51, 83(7) and 43(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A6‑0018/2005),

1.  Approves conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Swiss Confederation.

• [1]  Not yet published in OJ.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Article 11 of the Council Decision of 20 December 2000 establishing the terms and conditions for participation in the MEDIA Plus Community programme and Article 8 of the European Parliament and Council Decision on the implementation of the MEDIA programme provide for the participation of countries which are party to the Convention of the Council of Europe on Transfrontier Television on the basis of supplementary appropriations, subject to conditions to be established in agreements between the parties concerned. In addition, the opening up of programmes to these countries is also subject to an examination of the compatibility of their legislation with the acquis communautaire.

In this connection, the Commission has negotiated an Agreement between the Community and the Swiss Confederation in the audiovisual field, on the basis of the Directives adopted by the Council on 17 June 2002 and in consultation with the relevant committee appointed by the Council.

Parliament is now being consulted on the proposal for a Council decision on the agreement negotiated by the Commission. Within Parliament, the Committee on Culture and Education decided to deliver its opinion pursuant to Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure of the Euroepan Parliament.

Switzerland’s contribution to the EU Budget for participating in the MEDIA Plus and MEDIA Training programmes totals EUR 4.2 million for 2005 and EUR 4.2 million for 2006.

PROCEDURE (¹)

Title	Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the Community and the Swiss Confederation in the Audiovisual field, establishing the terms and conditions for the participation of the Swiss Confederation in the MEDIA Plus and MEDIA Training Community programmes, and a final Act
References	(COM(2004)0649 – C6‑0174/2004 – 2004/0230(CNS))
Legal basis	Article 300(3), first subparagraph, EC
Basis in Rules of Procedure	Rules 51, 83(7) and 43(1)
Date of consulting Parliament	5.11.2004
Committee responsible   Date announced in plenary	CULT 16.11.2004
Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)   Date announced in plenary
Not delivering opinion(s)   Date of decision
Enhanced cooperation   Date announced in plenary
Rapporteur(s)   Date appointed	Nikolaos Sifunakis 25.11.2005
Previous rapporteur(s)
Simplified procedure   Date of decision	Rule 43(1) 25.11.2004
Legal basis disputed   Date of JURI opinion		/
Financial endowment amended   Date of BUDG opinion		/
European Economic and Social Committee consulted   Date of decision in plenary
Committee of the Regions consulted   Date of decision in plenary
Discussed in committee	31.1.2005
Date adopted	1.2.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		27 0 1
Members present for the final vote	María Badía i Cutchet, Christopher Beazley, Giovanni Berlinguer, Guy Bono, Marie-Hélène Descamps, Jolanta Dičkutė, Věra Flasarová, Milan Gaľa, Vasco Graça Moura, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Luis Francisco Herrero-Tejedor, Ruth Hieronymi, Manolis Mavrommatis, Doris Pack, Miguel Portas, Christa Prets, Karin Resetarits, Pál Schmitt, Nikolaos Sifunakis, Hannu Takkula, Henri Weber, Thomas Wise, Tomáš Zatloukal
Substitutes present for the final vote	Ivo Belet, Mary Honeyball, Mario Mauro, Jaroslav Zvěřina
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote
Date tabled – A[6]	3.2.2005			A6-0018/2005
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