The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission()(1)   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 2) Recital 8    (8) Whereas the allocation of permits should be based on criteria that take full account of existing transport flows across the Alpine region;    (8) Whereas the allocation of permits should be based on criteria that take full account of existing freight transport flows and genuine transport needs across the Alpine region; (Amendment 3) Recital 9a (new) (9a) Whereas the measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission( 1 ), ______________ ( 1 ) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. (Amendment 4) Article 3(4)    4. The permits for each year shall be allocated before 15 November of the preceeding year.    4. The permits for each year shall be allocated before 15 August of the preceding year. (Amendment 5) Article 5, 1st paragraph Before 15 November each year, Member States shall transfer to the Commission those permits for that year which have not been allocated to undertakings. Before 15 September each year, Member States shall transfer to the Commission those permits for that year which have not been allocated to undertakings. (Amendment 6) Article 7 The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission. The Commission shall be assisted by a regulatory committee. The provisions of Article 5 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, without prejudice to Article 8 of that Decision. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time-limit which the chairman lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote. The period referred to in Article 5(6) of the Decision shall be three months. The European Parliament shall be informed by the Commission of committee proceedings on a regular basis, pursuant to Article 7(3) of the Decision. The principles and conditions on public access to documents applicable to the Commission shall apply to the committee. The committee shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee. If measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority. If, on the expiry of a period of three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission.

(1) OJ C 114, 27.4.1999, p. 4.

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(1999)35 (1) ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 71 of the EC Treaty (C5-0054/1999 ),

-  having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism and the opinion of the Committee on Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (A5-0075/1999 ),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Asks to be consulted again should the Commission intend to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ C 114, 27.4.1999, p. 4.