Proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops to include flax and hemp grown for fibre (COM(1999) 576 - C5-0280/1999 - 1999/0236(CNS) )

P5_TA(2000)0306 A5-0124/2000

The proposal was approved with the amendments adopted on 16 May 2000(1) and the following compromise amendments:

Text proposed by the Commission(2)   Amendments by Parliament (Compromise amendment 39) Recital 4a (new) (4a) It is expected that processing aid will result in higher purchase prices for flax and hemp and so help make it economically more viable for producers to grow them. (Compromise amendment 40) ARTICLE 1(3) Article 5a(1) and (2) (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999) 'Article 5a    1. For flax grown for fibre, the area payment shall be made only where sales of straw are covered by contracts concluded with authorised primary processors. 'Article 5a    1. For flax grown for fibre, the area payment shall be made only where sales of straw are covered by contracts concluded with authorised primary processors; where appropriate, the sales contract may be replaced by an undertaking by the producer to carry out processing or by a job-processing contract .    2. For hemp grown for fibre, the area payment shall be made only where:    2. For hemp grown for fibre, the area payment shall be made only where:    - the varieties used have a tetrahydrocannabinol content not exceeding 0.2%. However, that limit shall be set at 0.3% for the 2000/01 marketing year,    - the varieties used have a tetrahydrocannabinol content not exceeding 0.2%. However, that limit shall be set at 0.3% for the 2000/01 marketing year,    - the entire crop is sold under contract to authorised primary processors for uses other than human nutrition.    - the entire crop is sold under contract to authorised primary processors for uses other than human nutrition; where appropriate, the sales contract may be replaced by an undertaking by the producer to carry out processing or by a job-processing contract .

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops to include flax and hemp grown for fibre (COM(1999) 576 - C5-0280/1999 - 1999/0236(CNS) )

P5_TA(2000)0306 A5-0124/2000

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 576 )(3) ,

-  having regard to Article 36 of the EC Treaty,

-  having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0280/1999 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0124/2000 ),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

5.  Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

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

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 4. (2) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 17. (3) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 17.

Proposal for a Council regulation on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre (COM(1999) 576 - C5-0281/1999 - 1999/0237(CNS) )

P5_TA(2000)0307 A5-0124/2000

The proposal was amended with the amendments adopted on 16 May 2000(1) and the following compromise amendments:

Text proposed by the Commission(2)   Amendments by Parliament (Compromise amendment 41) Recital 16a (new) (16a) In 2003 and 2005, the Commission shall submit evaluation reports to the Council and to the European Parliament concerning national guaranteed quantities and the impact of processing aid on producers and markets in the light of this reform. (Compromise amendment 42) Article 2(1), 2nd subparagraph The aid shall be granted to authorised primary processors on the basis of the quantity of fibre actually obtained from straw purchased under a contract concluded with a farmer. The aid shall be granted to authorised primary processors on the basis of the quantity of fibre actually obtained from straw purchased under a contract concluded with a farmer. The aid shall also be granted where the producer and primary processor are one and the same person, and hence there is no sales contract, or where the farmer retains ownership of the straw and contracts the processing of the fibre out to service providers and has proved that the processed fibre has been marketed. This compromise amendment replaces amendments 24, 27 and 33, adopted on 16 May 2000 (Compromise amendment 43) Article 2(2)(a) and (b)    (a) for long flax fibre:    - EUR 60 for the 2000/01 marketing year,    (a) for long flax fibre:    - EUR 120 for the 2001/02 marketing year,    - EUR 90 for the 2001/02 marketing year,    - EUR 180 for the 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 marketing years,    - EUR 150 for the 2002/03 to 2005/06 marketing years,    - EUR 200 from the 2005/06 marketing year onwards,    - EUR 200 from the 2006/07 marketing year onwards,    (b) for short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 5% impurities and shives: EUR 40 for the 2000/01 to 2004/05 marketing years.    (b) for short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 7.5% impurities and shives: EUR 80 for the 2001/02 to 2005/06 marketing years. This compromise amendment replaces amendments 9, 10 and 26, adopted on 16 May 2000 (Compromise amendment 44) Article 2(3), 1st subparagraph The quantities of fibre eligible for aid shall be restricted on the basis of the areas for which a straw purchase contract has been concluded. The quantities of fibre eligible for aid shall be restricted on the basis of the areas for which a straw purchase contract has been concluded, where the producer and primary processor are one and the same person or where the farmer retains ownership of the straw and contracts the processing of the fibre out to service providers and has proved that the processed fibre has been marketed. (Compromise amendment 45) Article 3(2)    2. A maximum guaranteed quantity of 119 250 tonnes per marketing year shall be established for short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 5% impurities and shives. That quantity shall be apportioned as follows among the Member States as national guaranteed quantities:    - 10 350 tonnes for Belgium,    - 100 tonnes for Denmark,    - 6 300 tonnes for Germany,    - 18 700 tonnes for Spain,    - 61 350 tonnes for France,    - 100 tonnes for Italy,    - 5 550 tonnes for the Netherlands,    - 1 750 tonnes for Austria,    - 650 tonnes for Portugal,    - 1 000 tonnes for Finland,    - 1 150 tonnes for Sweden,    - 12 100 tonnes for the United Kingdom,    - 50 tonnes for each of the other Member States. The national guaranteed quantities for short flax fibre and hemp fibre, reduced where applicable in accordance with paragraph 3, shall cease to apply from the 2005/06 marketing year.    2. A maximum guaranteed quantity of 119 250 tonnes per marketing year shall be established for short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 7.5% impurities and shives. That quantity shall be apportioned as follows among the Member States as national guaranteed quantities:    - 10 350 tonnes for Belgium,    - 100 tonnes for Denmark,    - 6 300 tonnes for Germany,    - 18 700 tonnes for Spain,    - 61 350 tonnes for France,    - 100 tonnes for Italy,    - 5 550 tonnes for the Netherlands,    - 1 750 tonnes for Austria,    - 650 tonnes for Portugal,    - 1 000 tonnes for Finland,    - 1 150 tonnes for Sweden,    - 12 100 tonnes for the United Kingdom,    - 50 tonnes for each of the other Member States. The national guaranteed quantities for short flax fibre and hemp fibre, reduced where applicable in accordance with paragraph 3, shall cease to apply from the 2006/07 marketing year. This compromise amendment replaces amendments 26 and 30, adopted on 16 May 2000. (Compromise amendment 46) Article 3(3), subparagraphs 3a and 3b (new) The Member States may exchange with each other part of the national guaranteed quantities set out in paragraph 1 (long fibres) and paragraph 2 (short fibres and hemp). These national guaranteed quantities relate to processing aid, but not to aid per hectare. (Compromise amendment 47) Article 8, 2nd indent    - the conditions to be met by approved primary processors as regards straw purchase contracts,    - the conditions to be met by approved primary processors as regards straw purchase contracts where farmers process the fibre themselves or processing is contracted out to service-providers , This amendment replaces amendment 33 adopted on 16 May 2000. (Compromise amendment 48) Article 8, 3rd indent    - the criteria to be met, firstly by long flax fibre and, secondly, by short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 5% impurities and shives,    - the criteria to be met, firstly by long flax fibre and, secondly, by short flax fibre and hemp fibre containing not more than 7.5% impurities and shives, This amendment replaces amendment 34, adopted on 16 May 2000. (Compromise amendment 49) Article 12a(1) (new) Article 12a    1. In 2003, the Commission shall submit to the Council and the European Parliament a progress report on production trends in individual Member States. The report shall, where appropriate, form the basis for re-allocation measures, which may also lead to an increase in the national guaranteed quantities. This amendment replaces amendments 27, 28, 29 and 30, adopted on 16 May 2000. (Compromise amendment 50) Article 12a(2) and (3)(new)    2. In 2005, the Commission shall submit to the Council and the European Parliament a report on processing aid for short flax fibre and hemp fibre and long flax fibre, containing an assessment of the impact of processing aid in particular on    - the situation of producers as regards areas under cultivation and producer prices,    - trends in the markets for textile fibres and the development of innovative products and    - the processing industry. The report will indicate, in the light of alternative production, whether the industry is capable of functioning in accordance with the guidelines laid down, together with proposals, if appropriate.    3. The report on flax and hemp to be presented by the Commission in 2005 shall include the extension of processing aid for short fibres. (Compromise amendment 51) Article 12a(4)(new)    4. In 2002 the Commission shall submit to the Council and Parliament a report on the impact of the present reform on the income of producers, with new proposals on guaranteeing their income if appropriate.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre (COM(1999) 576 - C5-0281/1999 - 1999/0237(CNS) )

P5_TA(2000)0307 A5-0124/2000

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 576 )(3) ,

-  having regard to Article 36 of the EC Treaty,

-  having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0281/1999 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0124/2000 ),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

5.  Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

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

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 4. (2) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 19. (3) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 19.

European Parliament resolution on the draft Guidelines for the various types of innovative measures in the context of Article 22 of the General Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 - Innovative Measures under Article 6 of the ESF Regulation (C5-0235/2000 - 2000/2127(COS) )

P5_TA(2000)0308 A5-0182/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the draft Guidelines (C5-0235/2000 ),

-  having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999(1) laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds and, in particular, to Article 22 thereof,

-  having regard to European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999(2) on the European Social Fund and, in particular, to Article 6 thereof,

-  having regard to the decisions of the Berlin European Council of 24 and 25 March 1999 on the financial endowment of the Structural Funds for the period 2000-2006,

-  having regard to the Code of conduct on the implementation of structural policies by the Commission dated 6 May 1999(3) ,

-  having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A5-0182/2000 ),

A.  whereas innovative measures play an important role in the Structural Funds system by seeking to identify examples of best practice which may subsequently be further circulated under other Structural Fund interventions and under the European Employment Strategy,

B.  whereas regular evaluation of the results of the measures financed is a precondition for achieving the greatest possible multiplier effect as regards innovative measures,

C.  whereas, compared with those allocated for the previous programming period, the resources allocated to innovative measures for the 2000-2006 programming period have been severely cut back, and whereas the appropriations allocated must be used to maximum effect,

D.  whereas, in the relevant provisions of the Structural Fund Regulations, the concept of innovation is inadequately defined, and whereas, therefore, the primary objective of the guidelines must be to define more closely the concept of "innovative measures" in the context of the Structural Funds,

1.  Takes the view that the text submitted by the Commission falls woefully short of fulfilling the criteria set out in the Guidelines and calls on the Commission, therefore, to clarify its text with regard to the substantive definition of innovation, as well as administrative procedures, evaluation of measures carried out and the strategy for circulating results;

2.  Takes the view that the search for innovative approaches in the field of labour market policy requires consultation or the broadest possible spectrum of all involved; therefore opposes the practice of restricted calls for proposals and calls on the Commission, instead, to publish calls for proposals in the Official Journal of the European Communities as part of a more substantial and wider-ranging information policy seeking to mobilise the broadest possible pool of potential participants;

3.  Calls on the Commission, when fixing support priorities and selecting projects, to take into account the following criteria:

4.  Calls on the Commission, pursuant to the second and third indents of point 1.3. of the Code of conduct on the implementation of structural policies by the Commission, to forward to it information concerning the pilot projects and studies undertaken, together with:

5.  Calls on the Commission to inform it on an annual basis - for example by means of a presentation to the appropriate committee by the relevant Commissioner - of the Commission's support priorities; reserves the right to submit to the Commission proposals for support priorities in its resolution on the budgetary guidelines;

6.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. (2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999, p. 5. (3) OJ C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 488.

This text is not available in HTML but you can access the PDF or Word version by clicking the icon at the top right.

European Parliament resolution on draft supplementary and amending budget No 2 for the 2000 financial year (C5-0342/2000 )

P5_TA(2000)0310 A5-0192/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 272 thereof,

-  having regard to the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, as last amended by Regulation (EC, ECSC, EURATOM) No 2673/1999(1) and in particular Article 15 thereof,

-  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the 2000 financial year, finally adopted on 16 December 1999(2) ,

-  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999(3) ,

-  having regard to preliminary draft supplementary and amending budget No 2/2000 drawn up by the Commission (SEC(2000) 1095 ),

-  having regard to draft supplementary and amending budget No 2/2000, established by the Council (9779/2000 - C5-0342/2000 ),

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0192/2000 ),

A.  whereas the margin in heading 5 of the financial perspective for the financial year 2000 is EUR 90.7 million,

B.  whereas draft supplementary and amending budget No 2/2000 deals with the Council's requirements arising from the conclusions of the Helsinki European Council on 10 and 11 December 1999, and notably will strengthen the common European security and defence policy,

C.  whereas draft supplementary and amending budget No 2/2000 deals also with Parliament's buildings needs in Brussels;

1.  Accepts the Council's draft supplementary and amending budget No 2/2000 without amendment;

2.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ L 326, 18.12.1999, p.1. (2) OJ L 40, 14.2.2000. (3) OJ C 172, 18.06.1999, p.1.

This text is not available in HTML but you can access the PDF or Word version by clicking the icon at the top right.

This text is not available in HTML but you can access the PDF or Word version by clicking the icon at the top right.

European Parliament decision giving discharge in respect of implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1998 - Section I - European Parliament/Ombudsman Annex (SEC(1999) 414 - C5-0008/1999 - 1999/2051(DEC))

P5_TA(2000)0317 A5-0189/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in particular Rule 184(3) thereof,

-  having regard to Article 77 of the Financial Regulation and Article 13 of the Internal Rules for the implementation of the European Parliament's budget,

-  having regard to its resolution of 13 April 2000 postponing the decision on giving discharge in respect of implementation of the general budget for the financial year 1998 - Section I - European Parliament/Ombudsman Annex (SEC(1999) 414 - C5-0008/1999 - 1999/2051(DEC))(1) ,

-  having regard to the information provided by its Secretary General in response to the specific instructions contained in paragraph 33 of the aforementioned decision,

-  having regard to the fact that the giving of discharge has been linked to the issue of financing of the political groups and parties, which goes beyond the administrative remit of the Secretary General,

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A5-0189/2000 ),

1.  Recalls that:

2.  Takes note of the information put at the disposal of the Committee on Budgetary Control outlining the action taken and the undertakings made, which should allow for a more efficient use of appropriations earmarked for the institution; considers its judgment to have been confirmed that postponing the discharge for 1998 had a constructive effect and spurred Parliament's administration on to greater efforts to use taxpayers" money more efficiently;

3.  Instructs its Committee on Budgetary Control, when considering the discharge for 1999, to return to the central topics broached in connection with the postponement of the discharge for 1998: shortcomings in tendering, buildings policy, staff policy and the inventory;

Competitive tendering - Awarding Contracts

4.  Notes the action plan to facilitate competitive tendering under the terms laid down by the current rules; asks for the optimal planning of awards of contracts and expects a strict monitoring of that planning as well as the introduction of administrative measures which will make this possible; recalls that free competition among providers of goods and services is one of the fundamental principles of Community law, that Parliament must set a good example in this field and that therefore contracts may be awarded by private treaty only in exceptional cases, as indeed the Financial Regulation expressly stipulates; calls for a report on the state of implementation and a first evaluation by 31 January 2001;

5.  Strongly supports the notion of inter-institutional co-operation with regard to the awarding of contracts, whenever possible; approves the expressed intention on the part of the Secretary General to take the necessary steps to that effect in co-operation with his counterparts; expects precise information to be provided as part of the Revenue and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet, including comparable statistical data from the various institutions and advisory bodies, in the interest of increased competition and of the protection of the Union's financial interests;

Inventory

6.  Instructs its competent committee to continue to monitor closely the taking of the inventory and to ascertain whether the new system for the management of Parliament's property (ELS) is being operated properly and effectively; asks that, as a part of the Revenue and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for every financial year, a detailed account is made of the physical permanent inventory; expects in particular that the Revenue and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for 2000 will indicate the completion of measures which are still pending; expects measures to ensure implementation in accordance with the new system;

7.  Instructs its Secretary General to take the initiative with his counterparts for the adoption of rules governing inventory management on an inter-institutional basis, including common rules on depreciation;

Lost court cases relating to senior appointments

8.  Notes the Secretary-General's statement that at present no disciplinary proceedings are pending within Parliament's administration; welcomes the fact that on 1 December 1999, i.e. even before the deliberations on the discharge for 1998, the Bureau, at the proposal of the Secretary-General, started an administrative inquiry; notes the Bureau decision of 13 June 2000, in connection with the Frederiksen case, not to seek redress as provided for by Article 22 of the Staff Regulations; notes that this decision is based on the consideration that the administrative inquiry did not reveal evidence of "serious misconduct" by individuals as referred to in Article 22 of the Staff Regulations; points out, however, that the administrative inquiry revealed both problems with internal decision-making procedures and a tendency to neglect risks associated with court cases in relation to alleged considerations of "principle"; concludes from the course of events that it would have been appropriate to review the case and reappraise the risks associated with legal proceedings at a considerably earlier stage; recalls paragraph 23 of its above-mentioned resolution of 13 April 2000, calling on the Legal Service to inform the Bureau about the risks of court cases before the Bureau takes its decisions, particularly in the light of previous judgements on staff matters; welcomes the Bureau decision of 13 June 2000 instructing Vice-Presidents Lienemann and Provan to examine whether further internal administrative reforms are needed in order to avoid similar outcomes; instructs its Bureau to inform the competent committees about its conclusions on this matter;

Buildings" Policy

9.  Regrets the geographical dispersion of Parliament's working places, as well as that of its services, for which the institution itself bears no direct responsibility, as it is a consequence of the Treaty between the governments of the Member States; emphasises the need to minimise further logistical inconveniences in the context of the institution's future building needs in view of the upcoming enlargement; consequently insists that any future decision in the area of buildings" policy be guided by the principle of functionality, particularly as regards the regrouping of Parliament's services in each working place, and the optimal use of financial resources;

10.  Expects those countries hosting Parliament's buildings to each make contributions of a comparable value toward the acquisition of immovable property;

11.  Reiterates its principled position that the method of financing to be used in future acquisitions, including that of the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg, be that of direct financing in order to ensure the maximum degree of transparency possible as well as obtaining the best value for the European taxpayers" money; strongly urges the Council to reconsider its position in this matter;

Administrative Reform

12.  Welcomes the submitted timetable; instructs its Bureau and Secretary General to keep its competent committees informed of progress in the implementation of the internal administrative reform; emphasises the need for active involvement of staff in this procedure;

13.  Reiterates its call for a common buildings budget and common buildings management for the institutions and advisory bodies of the European Union;

Security

14.  Notes the Bureau's overruling of the Financial Controller's withholding of Approval No 00/05, in its capacity as the superior authority; regrets that no attempt was made to award the contract for guarding its buildings in Strasbourg for a shorter, transitional period and to make use of this time to rerun the award procedure in full accordance with Community regulations on the award of public contracts;

Financing of the Political Groups and Parties

15.  Takes explicit note of the fact that only the political groups themselves have any responsibility for the use of appropriations made available to them under Chapter 37;

16.  Notes with satisfaction the answers of the Bureau to the preliminary observations of the Court of Auditors and expects that measures aimed at radically reforming the relevant legal framework be completed without delay in conformity with financial regulations and the principle of transparency;

17.  Welcomes the fact that all five political groups currently active in Parliament who had also been active during the previous legislative period have provided their specific responses to the preliminary observations of the Court of Auditors;

18.  Regrets the unwillingness of the Court of Auditors explicitly to name those groups whose questionable financial practices are specifically mentioned within the body of the report;

19.  Acknowledges the findings of the Court and as a result of these findings:

The Case relating to the Members" Cash Office

20.  Expects the competent authorities, in the light of the judgement dated 29 March 2000 of the Luxembourg Court of Appeal in the case brought by Parliament against Royale Belge S.A., to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 22 of the Staff Regulations with a view towards defining responsibilities in connection with the discrepancy of 4 136 125 BEF between the actual cash situation and their corresponding accounts in 1982;

o
o   o

21.  Gives its Secretary General discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 1998;

22.  Authorises the giving of discharge to the accounting officer for the financial year 1998;

23.  Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Commission, the Council, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman.

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 4.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common position for adopting a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 (8251/1/2000 - C5-0270/2000 - 1999/0204(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0318 A5-0193/2000

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Council common position (8251/1/2000 - C5-0270/2000 ),

-  having regard to its position at first reading(1) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(1999) 487 )(2) ,

-  having regard to the Commission's amended proposal (COM(2000) 301 ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to Rule 80 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (A5-0193/2000 ),

1.  Amends the common position as follows;

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

Common position of the Council   Parliament"s amendments (Amendment 1) Recital 24    (24) A compulsory beef labelling system should be introduced which is obligatory in all Member States. Under this compulsory system, operators and organisations marketing beef should indicate on the label information about certain characteristics of the beef and the point of slaughter of the animal or animals from which that beef was derived.    (24) A compulsory beef labelling system should be introduced which is obligatory in all Member States. Under this compulsory system, operators and organisations marketing beef should indicate on the label information about the beef and the point of slaughter of the animal or animals from which that beef was derived. (Amendment 2) Recital 25a (new) (25a) Information additional to the information concerning where the animal or animals from which the beef was derived were born, fattened and slaughtered may be provided under the voluntary beef labelling system. (Amendment 3) Article 13(2)(d)    (d) the category of animal or animals from which the beef was derived . Deleted (Amendment 4) Article 14, 1st paragraph By way of derogation from Article 13(2)(b) and (c) and (d) and from Article 13(5)(a) (i) and (ii), an operator or organisation preparing minced beef shall indicate on the label the words "prepared (name of the Member State or third country)", depending on where the meat was prepared. By way of derogation from Article 13(2)(b) and (c) and (d) and from Article 13(5)(a)(i) and (ii), an operator or organisation preparing minced beef shall indicate on the label the words "prepared (name of the Member State or third country)", depending on where the meat was prepared, and "origin” where the state or states involved are not the state of preparation. (Amendment 5) Article 19(d)    (d) definition of the categories of animals referred to in Article 13(2)(d); Deleted

(1) Texts Adopted of 12.4.2000, Item 8. (2) OJ C 376 E, 28.12.1999, p. 42.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common position for adopting a European Parliament and Council regulation allowing voluntary participation by organisations in a Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) (10677/2/1999 - C5-0098/2000 - 1998/0303(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0319 A5-0165/2000

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Council common position (10677/2/1999 - C5-0098/2000 )(1) ,

-  having regard to its position at first reading(2) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(1998) 622 )(3) ,

-  having regard to the Commission's amended proposal (COM(1999) 313 ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to Rule 80 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (A5-0165/2000 ),

1.  Amends the common position as follows;

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

Council common position   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 1) Recital 13    (13) It is therefore necessary to ensure the competence of the environmental verifiers by providing for an independent and neutral accreditation system and an appropriate supervision of their activities in order to ensure the overall credibility of EMAS; close cooperation between the national accreditation bodies should accordingly be set up;    (13) It is therefore necessary to ensure and steadily improve the competence of the environmental verifiers by providing for an independent and neutral accreditation system, retraining and an appropriate supervision of their activities in order to ensure the overall credibility of EMAS; close cooperation between the national accreditation bodies should accordingly be set up; (Amendment 2) Recital 14a (new) (14a) The Member States could create incentives to encourage organisations to participate in EMAS; (Amendment 3) Recital 14b (new) (14b) The Commission should help the accession candidate countries to provide the necessary structures for the application of EMAS; (Amendment 49) Article 1(2)(a)(b)    (a) the establishment and implementation of environmental management systems by organisations;    (a) the definition and implementation of an environmental policy as described in Annex I, Section A, point 2, and the establishment and implementation of environmental management systems by organisations;    (b) the systematic, objective and periodic evaluationof the performance of such systems;    (b) the systematic, objective and periodic evaluation of the environmental policy as described in Annex I, Section A, point 2 and of the performance of such systems; (Amendment 41) Article 1(2)(d)    (d) the active involvement, including appropriate training, of employees.    (d) the active involvement of employees and their representatives in the organisation and appropriate initial and advanced training that makes active participation in the tasks referred to under (a) possible. (Amendment 9) Article 2(s), 2nd subparagraph The entity to be registered as an organisation under EMAS shall be agreed with the environmental verifier, taking account of Commission guidance, established in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14, but shall not exceed the boundaries of one member state. The smallest entity to be considered shall be a site. Under exceptional circumstances identified by the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14, the entity to be considered for registration under EMAS may be smaller than a site. The entity to be registered as an organisation under EMAS shall be agreed with the environmental verifier and the competent bodies , taking account of Commission guidance, established in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14, but shall not exceed the boundaries of one member state. The smallest entity to be considered shall be a site. (Amendment 11) Article 3(2)(c)    (c) prepare, in accordance with Annex III, point 3.2, an environmental statement. The statement shall pay particular attention to the performance of an organisation against its environmental objectives and targets;    (c) prepare, in accordance with Annex III, point 3.2, an environmental statement. The statement shall pay particular attention to the results achieved by an organisation against its environmental objectives and targets and the requirement of continuing to improve its protection of the environment, and shall consider the information needs of relevant interested parties; (Amendment 12) Article 3(2), 2nd subparagraph (new) The sites or activities reviewed may be registered under EMAS only if they comply with the relevant environmental legislation. (Amendment 13) Article 3(3)(b)    (b) forward the yearly validated updates of its environmental statement to the competent body and make them publicly available. Deviations from the frequency with which updates shall be performed can be made under circumstances laid down in Commission guidance adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14(2).    (b) forward the regularly validated updates of its environmental statement, in accordance with the requirements of Annex V, point 5.6, to the competent body and make them publicly available. (Amendment 38 and 46) Article 3(3a)(new) 3a. The environmental statement shall be validated annually. Exceptions permitting a validation frequency of up to three years shall be approved by the environmental verifier where the following requirements are satisfied:    - long experience of environmental management systems,    - limited environmental impact of the organisation,    - the organisation is a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME),    - the nature, scale and complexity of the activities permit a longer interval,    - no changes in the management system or environmental impact are expected. (Amendment 15) Article 4(5)    5. Environmental verifiers accredited in one Member State may perform verification activities in any other Member State in accordance with the requirements laid down in Annex V.    5. Environmental verifiers accredited in one Member State may perform verification activities in any other Member State in accordance with the requirements laid down in Annex V. The start of the verification activity shall be notified to the Member State in which it is being performed and the activity shall be subject to supervision by the latter's accreditation system. (Amendment 16) Article 7(2)    2. The competent bodies shall establish and maintain a list of registered organisations in their Member State and update this list on a monthly basis. The competent bodies shall directly, or via the national authorities as decided by the Member State concerned, communicate changes in this list each month to the Commission.    2. The competent bodies shall establish and maintain a list of registered organisations in their Member State and update this list on a monthly basis. The competent bodies shall directly, or via the national authorities as decided by the Member State concerned, communicate changes in this list each month to the Commission and may organise a system of data exchanges by economic sector and area of competence in the network of delegated local bodies . (Amendment 18) Article 10(2), 2nd subparagraph Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken in this regard. Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken in this regard. The Commission shall submit such information to the European Parliament in a report two years after the entry into force of this Regulation. (Amendment 19) Article 11(1), indents and 2nd subparagraph    - facilitating the access to information, existing support funds and public institutions ,    - facilitating the access to information, support funds, public structures and public contracts ,    - establishing or promoting technical assistance measures, especially in conjunction with initiatives from appropriate professional or local points of contact (e.g. local authorities, chambers of commerce, trade or craft associations).    - establishing or promoting technical assistance measures, especially in conjunction with initiatives from appropriate professional or local points of contact (e.g. local authorities, chambers of commerce, trade or craft associations),    - ensuring that reasonable registration fees encourage higher participation. In order to promote participation of SMEs, including those concentrated in well defined geographical areas, local authorities, in participation with industrial associations, chambers of commerce and interested parties may provide assistance in the identification of significant environmental impacts. SMEs may then use this in defining their environmental programme and setting the objectives and targets of their EMAS management system. In addition, programmes designed to encourage the participation of SMEs, such as a step by step approach which will eventually lead to EMAS registration, may be developed at regional or national level. In order to promote participation of SMEs, including those concentrated in well defined geographical areas, local authorities, in participation with industrial associations, chambers of commerce and interested parties may provide assistance in the identification of significant environmental impacts. SMEs may then use this in defining their environmental programme and setting the objectives and targets of their EMAS management system. In addition, programmes designed to encourage the participation of SMEs, such as a step by step approach which will eventually lead to EMAS registration, may be developed at regional or national level. The system shall operate so as to reduce the administrative burden for businesses in general and small businesses in particular. (Amendment 20) Article 11(3)    3. Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken under this Article.    3. Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken under this Article. The Commission shall submit such information to the European Parliament in a report two years after the entry into force of this Regulation. (Amendment 21) Article 12(1), 2nd subparagraph Member States shall in particular use professional publications, local journals, promotion campaigns or any other functional means to promote general awareness of EMAS. Member States shall, in cooperation with industrial associations, consumer organisations, trade unions and local institutions, in particular use professional publications, local journals, promotion campaigns or any other functional means to promote general awareness of EMAS. (Amendment 23) Article 13, 2nd paragraph (new) The Commission shall encourage the Member States to draw up a protocol of intent on common guidelines on penalties. (Amendment 24) Article 14(2)    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. The period referred to in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months. The period referred to in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be three months. (Amendment 25) Annex I(A) The environmental management system shall be implemented according to Section 4 of the EN/ISO 14001:1996 European standard for environmental management systems(1 ) ____________ (1 ) The full text of the standard EN/ISO 14001:1996 will be inserted in this Annex as soon as the copyright agreement has been signed between the Commission and CEN. The translations of the text of the standard will be those provided by CEN. The environmental management system shall be implemented according to the requirements given below (section 4 of EN ISO 14001:1996)*: ____________ * The use of the text of the national standard reproduced in this annex is made with the permission of CEN. The full text of the national standard can be purchased from the national standard bodies the list of which is given in this Annex. Environmental Management System Requirements    1. General requirements The organisation shall establish and maintain an environmental management system, the requirements of which are described in this annex.    2. Environmental policy Top management shall define the organisation's environmental policy and ensure that it    a) is appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of its activities, products and services;    b) includes a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution;    c) includes a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations, and with other requirements to which the organisation subscribes;    d) provides the framework for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets;    e) is documented, implemented and maintained and communicated to all employees;    f) is available to the public.    3. Planning    3.1. Environmental aspects The organisation shall establish and maintain (a) procedure(s) to identify the environmental aspects of its activities, products or services that it can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence, in order to determine those which have or can have significant impacts on the environment. The organisation shall ensure that the aspects related to these significant impacts are considered in setting its environmental objectives. The organisation shall keep this information up-to-date.    3.2. Legal and other requirements The organisation shall establish and maintain a procedure to identify and have access to legal and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes, that are applicable to the environmental aspects of its activities, products or services.    3.3. Objectives and targets The organisation shall establish and maintain documented environmental objectives and targets, at each relevant function and level within the organisation. When establishing and reviewing its objectives, an organisation shall consider the legal and other requirements, its significant environmental aspects, its technological options and its financial, operational and business requirements, and the views of interested parties. The objectives and targets shall be consistent with the environmental policy, including the commitment to prevention of pollution.    3.4. Environmental management programme(s) The organisation shall establish and maintain (a) programme(s) for achieving its objectives and targets. It shall include    a) designation of responsibility for achieving objectives and targets at each relevant function and level of the organisation;    b) the means and timeframe by which they are to be achieved. If a project relates to new developments and new or modified activities, products or services, programme(s) shall be amended where relevant to ensure that environmental management applies to such projects.    4. Implementation and operation    4.1. Structure and responsibility Roles, responsibility and authorities shall be defined, documented and communicated in order to facilitate effective environmental management. Management shall provide resources essential to the implementation and control of the environmental management system. Resources include human resources and specialized skills, technology and financial resources. The organisation's top management shall appoint (a) specific management representative(s) who, irrespective of other responsibilities, shall have defined roles, responsibilities and authority for    a) ensuring that environmental management system requirements are established, implemented and maintained in accordance with this International Standard;    b) reporting on the performance of the environmental management system to top management for review and as a basis for improvement of the environmental management system.    4.2. Training, awareness and competence The organisation shall identify training needs. It shall require that all personnel whose work may create a significant impact upon the environment, have received appropriate training. It shall establish and maintain procedures to make its employees or members at each relevant function and level aware of    a) the importance of conformance with the environmental policy and procedures and with the requirements of the environmental management system;    b) the significant environmental impacts, actual or potential, of their work activities and the environmental benefits of improved personal performance;    c) their roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance with the environmental policy and procedures and with the requirements of the environmental management system, including emergency preparedness and response requirements;    d) the potential consequences of departure from specified operating procedures. Personnel performing the tasks which can cause significant environmental impacts shall be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training and/or experience.    4.3. Communication With regard to its environmental aspects and environmental management system, the organisation shall establish and maintain procedures for    a) internal communication between the various levels and functions of the organisation;    b) receiving, documenting and responding to relevant communication from external interested parties. The organisation shall consider processes for external communication on its significant environmental aspects and record its decision.    4.4. Environmental management system documentation The organisation shall establish and maintain information, in paper or electronic form, to    a) describe the core elements of the management system and their interaction;    b) provide direction to related documentation.    4.5. Document control The organisation shall establish and maintain procedures for controlling all documents required by this International Standard to ensure that    a) they can be located;    b) they are periodically reviewed, revised as necessary and approved for adequacy by authorised personnel;    c) the current versions of relevant documents are available at all locations where operations essential to the effective functioning of the environmental management system are performed;    d) obsolete documents are promptly removed from all points of issue and points of use, or otherwise assured against unintended use;    e) any obsolete documents retained for legal and/or knowledge preservation purposes are suitably identified. Documentation shall be legible, dated (with dates of revision) and readily identifiable, maintained in an orderly manner and retained for a specified period. Procedures and responsibilities shall be established and maintained concerning the creation and modification of the various types of document.    4.6. Operational control The organisation shall identify those operations and activities that are associated with the identified significant environmental aspects in line with its policy, objectives and targets. The organisation shall plan these activities, including maintenance, in order to ensure that they are carried out under specified conditions by    a) establishing and maintaining documented procedures to cover situations where their absence could lead to deviations from the environmental policy and the objectives and targets;    b) stipulating operating criteria in the procedures;    c) establishing and maintaining procedures related to the identifiable significant environmental aspects of goods and services used by the organisation and communicating relevant procedures and requirements to suppliers and contractors.    4.7. Emergency preparedness and response The organisation shall establish and maintain procedures to identify potential for and respond to accidents and emergency situations, and for preventing and mitigating the environmental impacts that may be associated with them. The organisation shall review and revise, where necessary, its emergency preparedness and response procedures, in particular, after the occurrence of accidents or emergency situations. The organisation shall also periodically test such procedures where practicable.    5. Checking and Corrective action    5.1. Monitoring and measurement The organisation shall establish and maintain documented procedures to monitor and measure, on a regular basis, the key characteristics of its operations and activities that can have a significant impact on the environment. This shall include the recording of information to track performance, relevant operational controls and conformance with the organisation's environmental objectives and targets. Monitoring equipment shall be calibrated and maintained and records of this process shall be retained according to the organisation's procedures. The organisation shall establish and maintain a documented procedure for periodically evaluating compliance with relevant environmental legislation and regulations.    5.2. Nonconformance and corrective and preventive action The organisation shall establish and maintain procedures for defining responsibility and authority for handling and investigating nonconformance, taking action to mitigate any impacts caused and for initiating and completing corrective and preventive action. Any corrective or preventive action taken to eliminate the causes of actual and potential non-conformances shall be appropriate to the magnitude of problems and commensurate with the environmental impact encountered. The organisation shall implement and record any changes in the documented procedures resulting from corrective and preventive action.    5.3. Records The organisation shall establish and maintain procedures for the identification, maintenance and disposition of environmental records. These records shall include training records and the results of audits and reviews. Environmental records shall be legible, identifiable and traceable to the activity, product or service involved. Environmental records shall be stored and maintained in such a way that they are readily retrievable and protected against damage, deterioration or loss. Their retention times shall be established and recorded. Records shall be maintained, as appropriate to the system and to the organisation, to demonstrate conformance to the requirements of this International Standard.    5.4. Environmental management system audit The organisation shall establish and maintain (a) programme(s) and procedures for periodic environmental management system audits to be carried out, in order to    a) determine whether or not the environmental management system    1) conforms to planned arrangements for environmental management including the requirements of this International Standard; and    2) has been properly implemented and maintained; and    b) provide information on the results of audits to management The organisation's audit programme, including any schedule, shall be based on the environmental importance of the activity concerned and the results of previous audits. In order to be comprehensive, the audit procedures shall cover the audit scope, frequency and methodologies, as well as the responsibilities and requirements for conducting audits and reporting results.    6. Management review The organisation's top management shall, at intervals that it determines, review the environmental management system, to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. The management review process shall ensure that the necessary information is collected to allow management to carry out this evaluation. This review shall be documented. The management review shall address the possible need for changes to policy, objectives and other elements of the environmental management system, in the light of environmental management system audit results, changing circumstances and the commitment to continual improvement. List of national standard bodies B: IBN/BIN (Institut Belge de Normalisation/Belgisch Instituut voor Normalisatie) DK:DS (Dansk Standard) D:DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.) EL:ELOT (Hellenic Organisation for Standardization) E:AENOR (Asociación Espanola de Normalización y Certificación) F:AFNOR (Association Francaise de Normalisation) IRL:NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) I:UNI (Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione) L:SEE (Service de l'Energie de l'Etat) (Luxembourg) NL:NEN (Nederlands Normalisatie-Instituut) A:ON (Österreichisches Normunginstitut) P:IPQ (Instituto Português da Qualidade) FIN:SFS (Suomen Standardisoimisliitto r.y.) S:SIS (Standardiseringen I Sverige) UK:BSI (British Standards Institution) (Amendment 27) Annex I(B)(4) In addition to the requirements in Annex I - Section A employees shall be involved in the process aimed at continually improving the organisation's environmental performance. Appropriate forms of participation such as the suggestion-book system or project-based group works or environmental committees could be used for this purpose. Organisations shall take note of Commission guidance on best practice in this field. In addition to the requirements in Annex I - Section A employees and their representatives shall be involved in the process aimed at continually improving the organisation's environmental performance. Appropriate forms of participation such as the suggestion-book system or project-based group works or environmental committees should be used for this purpose. Organisations shall take note of Commission guidance on best practice in this field. (Amendment 29) Annex II(2.6)(f)    (f) reporting audit findings and conclusions.    (f) reporting audit findings and conclusions in cooperation with employees and their representatives . (Amendment 30) Annex III(3.1), 1st subparagraph The aim of the environmental statement is to provide environmental information to the public and other interested parties regarding the environmental impact and performance of the organisation. It is also a vehicle to address the stakeholder requirements identified as a result of Annex I - Section B.3 and considered as significant by the organisation (Annex VI, point 6.4(d)). Environmental information shall be presented in a clear and coherent manner in printed form for those who have no other means of obtaining this information. Upon its first registration and every three years thereafter, the organisation is required to make available the information detailed under point 3.2 in a consolidated printed version . The aim of the environmental statement is to provide environmental information to the public and other interested parties regarding the environmental impact and performance and the continuing improvement of environmental protection of the organisation. It is also a vehicle to address the concerns of interested parties identified as a result of Annex I - Section B.3 and considered as significant by the organisation (Annex VI, point 6.4(d)). (Amendment 32) Annex III(3.3), introduction The raw data generated by an environmental management system will be used in a number of different ways to show the environmental performance of an organisation. Organisations are encouraged to use environmental performance indicators where appropriate. If an organisation uses environmental performance indicators, (e.g. energy usage per tonne of product), it shall ensure that any performance indicators it selects : The raw data generated by an environmental management system will be used in a number of different ways to show the environmental performance of an organisation. For this purpose organisations shall use the existing environmental performance indicators, making sure that the indicators chosen : (Amendment 33) Annex III(3.6) The information generated in point 3.2(a) to (g) which forms the environmental statement for an organisation and the updated information specified in point 3.4 shall be available to the public and other interested parties. To this end, organisations are encouraged to use all methods available (electronic publication, libraries etc.) The organisation shall be able to demonstrate to the environmental verifier that anybody interested in the organisations environmental performance can easily and freely gain access to the information required in point 3.2(a) to (g) and point 3.4. The information generated in point 3.2(a) to (g) which forms the environmental statement for an organisation and the updated information specified in point 3.4 shall be available to the public and other interested parties. The environmental statement shall be laid before the public. To this end, organisations are encouraged to use all methods available (electronic publication, libraries etc.) The organisation shall be able to demonstrate to the environmental verifier that anybody interested in the organisation's environmental performance can easily and freely be guaranteed access to the information required in point 3.2(a) to (g) and point 3.4. (Amendment 35) Annex V(5.2.1)(b), (c) and (d)    (b) Knowledge and understanding of the legislative and regulatory requirements relevant to the activity subject to verification;    (b) Knowledge and understanding of the legislative, regulatory and other categories of requirements relevant to the activity subject to verification;    (c) Knowledge and understanding of environmental issues;    (c) Knowledge and understanding of environmental issues, and of the environmental implications for sustainable development;    (d) Knowledge and understanding of the technical aspects, relevant to environmental issues, of the activity subject to verification;    (d) Knowledge and understanding of the technical aspects of the activity subject to verification;    (da) Knowledge and understanding of industrial implications;    (db) Appropriate proof of all the verifier's knowledge. Such proof also includes the admission requirements for persons entrusted with the statutory audit of accounting records within the scope of eighth Council Directive 84/253/EEC based on Article 54(3)(g) of the Treaty on the approval of persons responsible for carrying out the statutory audits of accounting documents(1 );    (dc) Completion of at least three environmental audits under the supervision of a verifier with at least three years" experience. ___________________ (1 ) OJ L 126, 12.5.1984, p. 20. (Amendment 36) Annex V(5.6) In consultation with the organisation the environmental verifier shall design a programme to ensure that all elements required for registration with EMAS are verified in a period not exceeding 36 months . In addition the environmental verifier shall at intervals not exceeding 12 months validate any updated information in the environmental statement. Deviations from the frequency with which updates shall be performed may be made under circumstances laid down in Commission guidance adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14(2). In consultation with the organisation the environmental verifier shall design a programme to ensure that all elements required for registration with EMAS are verified at intervals of between 12 and 36 months, depending on the results of the previous statement. In addition the environmental verifier shall at intervals not exceeding 12 months validate any updated information in the environmental statement. Deviations from the frequency with which updates shall be performed may be made under circumstances laid down in Commission guidance adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14(2). (Amendment 37) Annex VI(6.1), 1st paragraph An organisation shall consider all environmental aspects of its activities, products and services and decide on the basis of criteria, defined by the organisation , which of its environmental aspects have a significant impact, as a basis for setting its environmental objectives and targets. These criteria shall be publicly available. An organisation shall consider all environmental aspects of its activities, products and services and decide, on the basis of criteria that are in line with current environmental legislation, environmental programmes, quality objectives, the Community's environmental action programme and international environment programmes, which of its environmental aspects have a significant impact, as a basis for setting its environmental objectives and targets. These criteria shall be publicly available.

(1) OJ C 128, 8.5.2000, p. 1. (2) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 385. (3) OJ C 400, 22.12.1998, p. 7.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a European Parliament and Council directive relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air (5860/1/2000 - C5-0182/2000 - 1998/0333(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0320 A5-0166/2000

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the common position of the Council (5860/1/2000 - C5-0182/2000 ),

-  having regard to its position at first reading(1) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(1998) 591 )(2) ,

-  having regard to the amended Commission proposal (COM(2000) 223 ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to Rule 80 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (A5-0166/2000 ),

1.  Amends the common position as follows;

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

Council common position   Amendment by Parliament (Amendment 1) Recital 10    (10) In order to facilitate the review of this Directive in 2004, the Commission and the Member States should consider encouraging research into the effects of benzene and carbon monoxide.    (10) In order to facilitate the review of this Directive in 2004, the Commission and the Member States should consider encouraging research into the effects of benzene and carbon monoxide, taking air pollution in enclosed spaces into account as well as that in outside air .!EMPHASBIU; !EEMPHASBIU;

(1) Texts Adopted of 2.12.1999, Item 6. (2) OJ C 53, 24.2.1999, p. 8.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common position for adopting a European Parliament and Council Recommendation providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States (5684/1/2000 - C5-0181/2000 - 1998/0358(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0321 A5-0164/2000

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Council common position 5684/1/2000 - C5-0181/2000 )(1) ,

-  having regard to its position at first reading(2) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(1998) 772 ),

-  having regard to the Commission's amended proposal (COM(1999) 652 ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to Rule 80 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (A5-0164/2000 ),

1.  Amends the common position as follows;

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

Council common position   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 1) Title Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States European Parliament and Council Directive providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States (This amendment to apply throughout the text, together with the appropriate technical adjustments) (Amendment 2) Recital 5a (new) (5a) The European Environment Agency can advise the Member States on developing, setting up and extending their systems for monitoring environmental provisions and the European Environment Agency can assist the Commission and the Member States in monitoring environmental provisions by giving support in respect of the reporting process, so that reporting is coordinated. (Amendment 3) Recital 8    (8) It is necessary, therefore, to provide, at this stage, guidelines in the form of minimum criteria to be applied as a common basis for the performance of environmental inspection tasks within the Member States.    (8) It is necessary, therefore, to provide minimum criteria to be applied as a common basis for the performance of environmental inspection tasks within the Member States. (Amendment 4) Recital 8a (new) (8a) The urgency of ensuring the even application of Community environmental legislation makes the option of a non-binding recommendation unsatisfactory, and a directive establishing minimum criteria for inspections is therefore preferred. (Amendment 5) Recital 8b (new) (8b) A precise timetable should be drawn up for the Member States to develop a format for authorisation systems, jointly and with support from the Commission, so that a distinction can be made between Community provisions and national provisions with which the Controlled Installations must comply. (Amendment 6) Recital 16    (16) Member States should assist each other administratively in operating this Recommendation ; the establishment by Member States in cooperation with IMPEL of voluntary reporting and advice schemes relating to inspectorates and inspection procedures would help to promote best practice across the Community.    (16) Member States should assist each other administratively in operating this Directive ; the establishment by Member States in cooperation with IMPEL of reporting and advice schemes relating to inspectorates and inspection procedures would help to promote best practice across the Community. (Amendment 7) Recital 20    (20) In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty, and given the differences in inspection systems and mechanisms in the Member States, the objectives of the proposed action can best be achieved by guidance set out at Community level.    (20) In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty, and given the differences in inspection systems and mechanisms in the Member States, the objectives of the proposed action can best be achieved by a directive setting out minimum criteria to be operated at Community level. (Amendment 8) Recital 21    (21) In the light of the experience gained in the operation of this Recommendation and taking account of IMPEL's further work, as well as of the results of any voluntary schemes provided for in this Recommendation , the Commission should give consideration to developing the minimum criteria in terms of their scope and substance and to making further proposals which might include a proposal for a directive, if appropriate ,    (21) In the light of the experience gained in the operation of this Directive and taking account of IMPEL's further work, as well as of the results of any voluntary schemes provided for in this Directive , the Commission should give consideration to developing the minimum criteria in terms of their scope and substance and to making further proposals to amend this Directive , (Amendment 9) Introductory line for points RECOMMENDS THAT: HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: (Amendment 10) Point III(2)    2. Member States should assist each other administratively in carrying out the guidelines of this Recommendation by the exchange of relevant information and, where appropriate, inspecting officials.    2. Member States shall assist each other administratively in the operation of this Directive by the exchange of relevant information and, where appropriate, inspecting officials. 2a. To prevent illegal cross-border environmental practices, the Member States shall, in cooperation with IMPEL and the Commission, encourage the coordination of inspections and inspection services between the Member States. (Amendment 11) Point III(3)    3. In order to promote best practice across the Community, Member States may , in cooperation with IMPEL, consider the establishment of a voluntary scheme, under which Member States report and offer advice on inspectorates and inspection procedures in Member States, paying due regard to the different systems and contexts in which they operate, and report to the Member States concerned on their findings.    3. In order to promote best practice across the Community, Member States shall , in cooperation with IMPEL, establish a scheme under which Member States report and offer advice on inspectorates and inspection procedures in Member States, paying due regard to the different systems and contexts in which they operate, and report to the Member States concerned on their findings. (Amendment 12) Point VI(1)    1. Member States should ensure that the inspecting authorities draw up a report after every site visit containing their findings as to compliance with EC legal requirements, an evaluation thereof and a conclusion on whether any further action should follow, such as enforcement proceedings, including sanctions, the issuing of a new or revised authorisation, permit or licence or follow-up inspection activities, including further site visits. Reports should be finalised as soon as possible.    1. Member States shall ensure that after every site visit the inspecting authorities process or store, in identifiable form and in data files, the inspection data and their findings as to compliance with EC legal requirements, an evaluation thereof and a conclusion on whether any further action should follow, such as enforcement proceedings, including sanctions, the issuing of a new or revised authorisation, permit or licence or follow-up inspection activities, including further site visits. Reports shall be finalised as soon as possible. (Amendment 13) Point VI(2)    2. Member States should ensure that such reports are properly recorded in writing and maintained in a readily accessible database, are communicated to the operator of the Controlled Installation in question and are available to the public according to the provisions of Directive 90/313/EEC on the freedom of access to information on the environment.    2. Member States shall ensure that such reports are properly recorded in writing and maintained in a readily accessible database, are communicated to the operator of the Controlled Installation in question and are available to the public according to the provisions of Directive 90/313/EEC on the freedom of access to information on the environment. Reports shall be publicly available within two months of the inspection taking place. (Amendment 14) Point VIII(2)(d)    (d) the degree of compliance by Controlled Installations with EC legal requirements as appears from inspections carried out and from any other information the competent authority may have ;    (d) brief data on the degree of compliance by Controlled Installations with EC legal requirements as appears from inspections carried out; (Amendment 15) Point IX IX Review and development of the Recommendation    1. The Commission should review the operation and effectiveness of this Recommendation , as soon as possible after receipt of the Member States' reports mentioned in Point VIII above, with the intention of developing the minimum criteria further in terms of their scope in the light of the experience gained from their application, and taking into account any further contributions from interested parties, including IMPEL. Article 9 Review of operation and effectiveness of this Directive    1. The Commission shall review the operation and effectiveness of this Directive , as soon as possible after receipt of the Member States' reports mentioned in Article 8 above, with the intention of developing the minimum criteria further in terms of their scope in the light of the experience gained from their application, and taking into account any further contributions from interested parties, including IMPEL and the European Environment Agency .    2. IMPEL is invited to draw up, as quickly as possible, in cooperation with the Commission and other interested parties, a working paper on best practices concerning the qualifications of environmental inspectors who are authorised to carry out inspections for or under the authority or supervision of inspecting authorities.    2. The Commission shall draw up, as quickly as possible, in cooperation with IMPEL, the European Environment Agency and other interested parties, minimum criteria concerning the qualifications of environmental inspectors who are authorised to carry out inspections for or under the authority or supervision of inspecting authorities.    3. Member States should , as quickly as possible, in cooperation with IMPEL, the Commission and other interested parties, develop best practices concerning training programmes in order to meet the demand for qualified environmental inspectors.    3. Member States shall , as quickly as possible, in cooperation with IMPEL, the Commission and other interested parties, develop training programmes in order to meet the demand for qualified environmental inspectors. (Amendment 16) Article 9a (new) Article 9a Implementation    1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive no later than 18 months after its entry into force. They shall immediately inform the Commission thereof. When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.    2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive. (Amendment 17) Point X X Article 10 Implementation Entry into force Member States should inform the Commission of the implementation of this Recommendation together with details of environmental inspection mechanisms already existing or foreseen not later than twelve months after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. (Amendment 18) Article 10a (new) Article 10a Addressees This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

(1) OJ C 137, 16.5.2000, p. 1. (2) OJ C54, 25.2.2000, p. 89.

European Parliament resolution on the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Feira on 19 and 20 June 2000

P5_TA(2000)0322 RC-B5-0587/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its resolution of 15 June 2000 on the preparation of the European Council meeting in Feira on 19 and 20 June 2000(1) ,

-  having regard to the Presidency report to the European Council on the Intergovernmental Conference (CONFER 4750/00),

-  having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the European Council meeting at Santa Maria da Feira on 19-20 June 2000,

-  having regard to its resolution of 12 March 1999 on the Commission Communication on EU-India Enhanced Partnership(2) and the results of the EU/India summit of 28 June 2000,

A.  whereas the European Council has reaffirmed the priority for the Union of the enlargement process and has reiterated the commitment of the Union to maintaining the momentum of the accession process, which must result in an early enlargement of the Union, thus extending the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights to a wider Europe,

The IGC and Charter of Fundamental Rights

1.  Regrets that the European Council failed to give a new political impetus to the IGC to enable the European Union to prepare fully for the early accession of new Member States;

2.  Underlines the absolute necessity of successful negotiations in the IGC on a substantial extension of qualified-majority voting in the Council plus codecision with Parliament, which are the key to preparing the European Union for enlargement;

3.  Deplores the fact that the Heads of State and Government have not placed on the agenda the other points proposed by the Parliament, Commission and certain Member States which are, nonetheless, essential in order to enable the IGC to achieve a result which is important for an ambitious institutional reform, which is required with a view to the forthcoming enlargement, including better demarcation of the powers of the Union;

4.  Notes that the European Council considers that the provisions on closer cooperation should form part of the future work of the Conference, which has been called for in several of its resolutions; but warns against using either closer cooperation or the prospect of a further IGC as a pretext for not making progress on the widening and deepening of the Union;

5.  Welcomes the call, contained in the Presidency Conclusions, for the Convention entrusted with drawing up a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to present a draft document in advance of the Biarritz European Council in October 2000; recalls its commitment to the indivisibility of rights and their incorporation in the Treaties;

Common European Security and Defence Policy

6.  Welcomes the European Council's decisions concerning the future development of the CFSP, particularly with regard to the civil and military instruments necessary for crisis management; urges the adoption of far-reaching headline goals in the field of civil action with appropriate financial arrangements and in cooperation with civil society;

7.  Expresses its concern at the increasingly complex interinstitutional relations with regard to foreign and security policy, where the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the Council Secretary-General - High Representative interact with each other and with Parliament, which might undermine common EU competencies established in the Treaty;

8.  In any case, urges the Council to involve Parliament fully in defining the priorities regarding the external action of the European Union, and reaffirms its proposals set out in its abovementioned resolution of 15 June 2000;

9.  Notes with satisfaction that the commitment to build a Common European Security and Defence Policy capable of reinforcing the Union's external action through the development of a military crisis management capability assumes the functions of WEU with regard to the Petersberg Tasks; stresses that due account must be taken of the corresponding budgetary implications; emphasises the need for a positive outcome of the Capabilities Commitment Conference on 20 November 2000;

10.  Welcomes the decision to coordinate closely the building up of an independent European defence capability with NATO and the agreement to invite European member states of NATO that are not EU members to participate in EU-led operations, as well as non-members of NATO, such as Ukraine and Russia;

Taxation

11.  Welcomes the agreement on the savings tax and the progress report on the Commission's tax package as an encouraging step towards necessary tax coordination in Europe; regrets that the timetable for the implementation of the savings tax agreement does not reflect the urgency of the matter, and insists on the necessity of finding a workable solution with third countries; requests the Council to adopt concrete measures to counter damaging tax competition on the basis of the Code of Conduct report;

Lisbon follow-up

12.  Welcomes the broad consensus on the Lisbon strategy for economic reform and social cohesion which has been achieved across the European Union's institutions and bodies, and with the social partners, as well as the continued momentum of the single market reforms;

13.  Emphasises the crucial coordinating role of the broad economic policy guidelines in implementing an effective macroeconomic policy mix with a view to sustainable growth, competitiveness, investment, employment and social cohesion; insists that the position of the European Parliament is respected in these matters via an Interinstitutional Agreement;

14.  Welcomes the European Charter for Small Enterprises, but calls for a real commitment to reducing red tape, reforming labour markets and introducing tax systems which reward success; emphasises, however, that easing the burden for such firms must not put at risk workers" rights;

15.  Supports the Council's recognition of the importance of public services of general interest and calls for strong services of general interest to be maintained and strengthened by improved Treaty provision; endorses the Council's request for a rapid updating of the 1996 Commission Communication;

16.  Reaffirms its commitment to combat poverty by developing a substantive European Social Agenda that supports employment creation, modernises social protection and promotes social inclusion;

17.  Underlines the importance of increasing both public and private investment in Europe in order to achieve a higher rate of growth that is environmentally sustainable in accordance with the Kyoto commitments, including investment in human resources directed towards developing a knowledge-based society;

18.  Calls on the Commission to strengthen measures to develop consumer confidence in e-Europe, including improving access to justice for the consumer;

19.  Welcomes Greece's accession to the euro as from 1 January 2001;

Food Safety

20.  Welcomes the importance attached by the Council to the issue of food safety, and the progress made towards establishing a European Food Authority by the end of the year 2000; would remind the Council, however, that it must wait for the opinion of the European Parliament before drawing up detailed plans and timetables, particularly as far as this new Authority is concerned;

Foreign affairs
India

21.  Recalls its initial proposal to establish a regular EU-India dialogue at the highest level; warmly welcomes the first EU-India Summit as a milestone in enhancing their relations, based upon democratic values and respect for the rule of law;

22.  Supports the decision to hold further regular summits and notes the adoption of a comprehensive "Agenda for Action", including a dialogue on security matters; welcomes India's call for nuclear disarmament but reiterates its request that India sign and ratify the comprehensive test ban treaty;

23.  Urges the Council to work towards the inclusion of India in the ongoing ASEM process;

Western Balkans

24.  Welcomes the agreement to intensify cooperation with the states of the Western Balkans and to reconfirm that all the countries concerned are potential candidates for EU membership; supports the conclusion of regional trade agreements; considers that unclear decision-making procedures and duplication of tasks should be avoided at an administrative level as well as in the implementation of all assistance and reconstruction activities in the Balkans;

25.  Calls on the Council to begin negotiations immediately with Croatia on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement as a positive signal to the whole region;

Mediterranean

26.  Congratulates the Portuguese Presidency on its contribution to the European Union Common Strategy for the Mediterranean Region; considers that adoption of this strategy constitutes a decisive step forward in strengthening both the European Union's Mediterranean policy and the Barcelona Declaration; expects to be fully involved in this strategy in all respects; intends to continue to play an active role with regard to the Middle East peace process;

27.  Calls on the French Presidency to carry out a critical, in-depth review of five years of partnership with a view to making Euro-Mediterranean policy and its instruments more effective;

Northern Dimension

28.  Welcomes the European Council's endorsement of the Action Plan for the Northern Dimension and its invitation to the Commission to take the leading role in implementing it and presenting appropriate follow-up proposals; looks forward to the Swedish Presidency's full report on Northern Dimension policies, both external and internal, in preparation for the Gothenburg European Council in June 2001;

Russia

29.  Welcomes the European Council's call for a strong and healthy partnership between the Union and Russia based on common values, particularly respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

30.  Regrets that there has been no change in the attitude of the Russian authorities towards Chechnya, where a peace strategy is still lacking; reaffirms its conviction that a peaceful solution to the conflict is absolutely necessary; supports the activities of the Council and Member States towards this goal developed in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the OSCE and humanitarian organisations;

o
o   o

31.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of the Member States, the Governments of the applicant states and the President of the Charter Convention.

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 4. (2) OJ C 175, 21.6.1999, p. 442.

European Parliament resolution on the parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe

P5_TA(2000)0323 RC-B5-0599/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its resolution of 18 May 2000 on the situation in Zimbabwe(1) ,

-  having regard to the Council decision of 22 May 2000 to send an observer mission to monitor the elections in Zimbabwe, headed by Pierre Schori, MEP, and its own decision to send a delegation of Members to help in this task,

A.  whereas parliamentary elections took place in Zimbabwe on 24-25 June 2000 in the presence of some 190 EU observers, as well as other observers and monitors from organisations such as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Commonwealth and several thousand local Zimbabwean monitors,

B.  whereas although polling was generally calm and well organised, there were serious problems concerning the electoral registers and obstacles placed in the way of domestic monitors and international observers, notably with regard to accreditation,

C.  whereas the pre-election period and the election campaign were marred by high levels of violence, intimidation and coercion, for which the leadership of the governing Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) should be held principally responsible, and at least 30 people were killed, most of them opposition supporters,

D.  whereas this contributed significantly to the climate of fear so evident during the election campaign,

E.  whereas in many rural areas the levels of intimidation by ZANU-PF were so intense as to make it virtually impossible for the opposition to campaign,

F.  whereas the government-controlled media, especially radio and television, were used to spread ruling party policies and at the same time prevented opposition views from being fairly presented; whereas, nevertheless, Zimbabwe has a vigorous press which has been able to put forward the opposition's point of view,

G.  whereas the overall conduct of the government failed to uphold the rule of law and undermined law enforcement agencies, particularly in the lead-up to the elections,

H.  whereas the seizure of commercial farms is a further violation of the rule of law in Zimbabwe and whereas the important issue of fair land distribution can only be resolved by a democratic and non-violent process based on the rule of law and ensuring that land will go to the rural poor,

I.  whereas, regrettably, violence and intimidation have continued in the post-election period,

1.  Commends the impressive turnout by which the people of Zimbabwe have shown their democratic maturity and determination to influence their own destiny;

2.  Considers nevertheless that the elections cannot be described as free and fair owing to the high level of violence and intimidation which preceded the polling days;

3.  Commends the work of the EU Observer Mission, which helped to curb violence and ensure that elections, though flawed, could take place in an organised manner;

4.  Welcomes Mr Schori's final report and its conclusions, delivered in the European Parliament on 4 July 2000;

5.  Firmly condemns the violence and intimidation during the pre-election period and even to some extent on the polling days as well as the deliberate government policy of polarising race relations through seizures of white-owned farms;

6.  Calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to re- enforce law and order and guarantee respect for human rights and democratic principles; in this context calls for a thorough and independent investigation of all cases of human rights abuses associated with the electoral process;

7.  Deplores irregularities, in particular the inadequacy of the electoral registers, and the lack of clear instructions on polling day which prevented a significant percentage of the eligible population from voting;

8.  Calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to address as a matter of urgency the serious defects in the electoral process and not to try to block any opposition appeals to the High Court;

9.  Calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to comply with the High Court order to end the illegal occupation of farm land, and to proceed to land resettlement within the rule of law and on the basis of the principles and conclusions of the 1998 Land Conference;

10.  Calls on the President of Zimbabwe to consider his strong personal responsibility to actively pursue a policy of national reconciliation and to use his considerable authority to this end;

11.  Considers that, despite the very serious irregularities during the election period, including sometimes lethal violence, the results, whilst certainly not accurately reflecting the will of the people, nevertheless mean that there is now a significant opposition force represented in the parliament, which gives hope for the emergence of a genuine multi-party democratic system;

12.  Notes that the immediate post-election period has not been free of violence and therefore calls on the Government of Zimbabwe, and in particular on its President, to ensure that perpetrators of violence are prosecuted in the courts, to respect court decisions regarding complaints about the conduct of the elections and in particular any court decisions to revise election results or hold new elections in certain constituencies, and to pursue its policies, particularly that on land reform, in a consensual manner;

13.  Stresses the need for persecution of MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) supporters to cease immediately, and condemns in particular death threats made against individuals including Archbishop Pius A. Ncube of Bulawayo,

14.  Considers it vital that the Commission and Council pursue an active dialogue with the government, the opposition and civil society in Zimbabwe,

15.  Resolves to monitor developments in Zimbabwe over the coming months, and makes it clear that a failure to pursue the above-mentioned policies of reconciliation may lead to a refusal to release the second tranche (of EUR 30 million) from the 8th EDF when this is considered on 20 September 2000, and also to the application of the consultation procedure under Article 366a of the Lomé Convention, which could suspend all Lomé-derived benefits for Zimbabwe;

16.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the applicant countries for EU membership, the ACP/EU Joint Assembly, the OAU and the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe.

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 9.

European Parliament resolution on illegal immigration and the discovery of the bodies of 58 illegal immigrants in Dover

P5_TA(2000)0324 RC-B5-0596/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

-  having regard to the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, as modified by the New York protocol of 31 January 1967,

-  having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 4 November 1950,

-  having regard to its resolution of 8 October 1998(1) on cooperation with Mediterranean countries in the area of immigration,

-  having regard to Title IV, Article 61 et seq of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to Articles 2 and 6 of the EU Treaty,

-  having regard to its resolution on the Commission working document 'Towards common standards in asylum procedures', adopted on 15 June 2000(2) ,

A.  appalled by the terrible tragedy of the death of the fifty-eight people whose bodies were discovered in Dover on the morning of Monday, 19 June 2000,

B.  whereas similar incidents occur daily at the Union's frontiers, with countless immigrants and refugees losing their lives while attempting to enter the countries of the Union illegally; having regard also to the hundreds of people who have perished in the course of their journey from Africa to the coasts of Europe, victims, for the most part, of smugglers and traffickers in human beings,

C.  revolted by the practice of trafficking in human beings, which exploits the despair of people in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia in order to profit from illegal immigration networks, with a total disregard for the dignity of human life,

D.  concerned by the resurgence of illegal immigration in Europe, as demonstrated by the number of victims of the odious and unacceptable crime of trafficking in human beings,

E.  whereas immigrants, whether legally resident in Member States for many years or recently arrived, have contributed significantly to the European economy and its social development,

F.  whereas the criminals engaged in smuggling illegal immigrants into the EU have the technical and economic means to enable them easily to avoid surveillance at its external borders; and whereas, therefore, this issue must be resolved using whatever preventative and defensive means are necessary,

G.  whereas the inefficiency of asylum legislation and the relevant administrative procedures increase levels of illegal immigration and the involvement of organised crime,

H.  whereas, as a result of these barriers to immigration, refugees often fall victim to organised gangs of smugglers who demand substantial sums for their services,

I.  whereas, according to the International Organisation for Migration, the international trade in human beings has become a fast-growing, well organised and highly profitable business,

1.  Expresses its dismay at the events in Dover and its sympathy with the victims" families;

2.  Expresses its grief for all the victims at this intolerable human tragedy;

3.  Regrets that a genuine European policy on asylum and immigration, which should include a European strategy on migration, has yet to be implemented;

4.  Urges the Council to take measures to regulate migration and, in particular, to combat the criminal organisations which traffic in human beings despite the fact that Article 63 of the EC Treaty provides for a period of five years within which the Union is to adopt common legislation in the area of immigration;

5.  Reminds the Council of the commitments made at the European Council in Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999 concerning the duty of the European Union to develop common asylum and immigration policies, whilst taking account of the need to exercise coherent and effective controls at its external frontiers in order to stop illegal immigration; calls on the French Presidency to include this issue in its work programme as a matter of urgency;

6.  Urges all bodies involved to enhance cooperation between Europol and the national authorities, in particular as regards the rapid exchange of information, and to ensure that Europol has all the financial and human resources required to combat trafficking in human beings;

7.  Recalls that the definition of Community law on asylum and immigration cannot be disconnected from the setting up of an area of freedom, security and justice in the Union, capable also of promoting democratic values and the rule of law beyond its frontiers;

8.  Recalls the conclusions of the recent European Council in Feira and reiterates the essential need to make progress in the field of cooperation between Member States in order to combat more effectively the odious practice of trafficking in human beings;

9.  Stresses the considerable responsibility of embassies in the countries of origin in taking initial decisions on visa requests, calls for more consultation between the European ambassadors in those countries from which large numbers of illegal immigrants come, and urges those embassies to set up information campaigns warning people about the dangers of the trade in human beings;

10.  Calls on the Member States to tighten their laws so as to make employers liable to more severe punishment, as a means of combating the employment of illegal immigrants;

11.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to formulate specific proposals in order to improve the integration of legal immigrants in the EU on the basis of the best practices in the Member States;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

(1) OJ C 328, 26.10.1998, p. 184. (2) Texts Adopted, Item 12.

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Fiji and the Solomon Islands

P5_TA(2000)0325 RC-B5-0616/2000

The European Parliament,

A.  gravely concerned about the political crisis in Fiji after a coup on 19 May 2000, which led to the suspension of Parliament, the abrogation of the Constitution, the resignation of the democratically elected Prime Minister and of the President, and the imposition of martial law on 29 May 2000 by the Fijian Army,

B.  whereas on 3 July 2000 an Interim Civilian Administration was formed in Fiji under the new Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, with the military retaining executive authority,

C.  deeply worried about the plight of 27 hostages, including the deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and other cabinet ministers, who are still held in the parliamentary complex as the army declared a military exclusive zone on 2 July 2000 and repeated threats to their life are made by coup leader George Speight,

D.  gravely concerned about the heightening tensions between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians and amongst the indigenous Fijians themselves, and about the anti-Fijian-Indian rhetoric of coup leader George Speight which has already caused mobs to destroy Fijian-Indian shops and troops to rebel on Fiji's second largest island, Vanua Levu,

E.  recalling that Fiji was earlier the scene of a coup d'etat which was led in 1987 by Colonel Rabuka for similar reasons and which caused the country's expulsion from the Commonwealth for 10 years and led to the departure of thousands of Fijian-Indians,

F.  noting that the multi-racial constitution of 1997 was designed to solve the ethnic problems on the islands, including the land issue, and that this constitution was unanimously approved by an ethnic Fijian-dominated Parliament and blessed by the Great Council of Chiefs,

G.  whereas the Solomon Islands also faced an attempted coup in Guadalcanal on 5 June 2000, which led to the resignation of the democratically elected Prime Minister and the collapse of law and order,

H.  whereas on 30 June 2000, by 23 votes to 21, the Solomon Islands" Parliament elected the opposition leader Mannasseh Sogavare as the new Prime Minister, and whereas Sogavare must fulfil his pledge to create national unity and reconciliation,

I.  drawing attention to the key role played by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly's mission to the Solomon Islands which included two MEPs who mediated between the warring factions and helped reduce the level of tension,

J.  whereas the ongoing conflict in the Solomon Islands between the Malaita Eagle Forces and Guadalcanal's Isatabu Freedom Movement is also rooted in ethnic tension and has spread beyond Honiara with renewed fighting breaking out on 2 July 2000 and resulting in a number of deaths,

K.  noting that, since independence from Britain in 1978, the Solomon Islands have tried to create a parliamentary system to bring together a country of over 1000 islands and 70 different languages,

L.  whereas both Fiji and the Solomon Islands are the latest examples of ethnic tensions that are occurring across the South Pacific,

M.  having regard to the measures adopted by the Commonwealth during the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group Meeting in London on 6 June 2000,

1.  Strongly condemns the coup by George Speight and the dismantling of all democratic institutions, including the 1997 Constitution, the Government and Parliament in Fiji;

2.  Urges the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by coup leader George Speight in Fiji;

3.  Calls for those involved in the hostage-taking to be brought to justice in accordance with international standards;

4.  Strongly condemns the stirring up of ethnic tensions and the destruction of Fijian-Indian property, noting that Fijian Indians make up 44% of Fiji's population of 800 000;

5.  Calls on all parties involved in the constitutional and political crisis to ensure the safety and human rights of the civilian population, in particular the ethnic Fijian Indians and indigenous Fijians refusing to support the coup, and for all sides in the Solomon Islands to respect any amnesty or cease-fire agreed;

6.  Welcomes the initiative of the National Council of Women in Fiji, in particular their call for unity and for a peaceful resolution of the crisis;

7.  Notes the appointment of an Interim Civilian Administration by the military in Fiji and expresses concern about the constitutional and democratic status of such an arrangement;

8.  Urges the Interim Civilian Administration and Fiji's new Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to work towards returning Fiji to full democracy and towards an end to the current crisis which is crippling Fiji's economy: delaying sugar production, dramatically reducing activities in the tourism sector and putting thousands out of work after recent trade bans;

9.  Calls on the Commission to start appropriate procedures to suspend development co-operation with Fiji if there is no return to democracy within a set time frame, even after the release of the hostages;

10.  Strongly condemns the attempted coup by the Malaita Eagle Forces in the Solomon Islands and the recent escalation in violence;

11.  Supports all efforts including those by the new Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Mannasseh Sogavare to create national unity and reconciliation;

12.  Strongly condemns the ethnic tensions and destruction of property in the Solomon Islands and calls for the swift restoration of law and order;

13.  Urges the Commission to keep a close watch on moves towards democracy in the Solomon Islands, particularly in view of the crucial role played by EU funds (which amounted to €60 million last year) in the Solomons, and warns that EU aid may be suspended if there is not a rapid return to democracy, peace and stability;

14.  Urges all parties in both countries to observe and respect democratic norms and constitutional procedures;

15.  Urges the Commission to monitor developments closely, not only in Fiji and the Solomon Islands but across the South Pacific region in view of the increase in religious and ethnic tensions in the area;

16.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and the parliaments of the Member States and applicant states, and to the constitutional authorities of both Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

European Parliament resolution on the Western China Poverty Reduction Project and the future of Tibet

P5_TA(2000)0326 RC-B5-0608/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its previous resolutions on Tibet,

A.  considering the lack of progress in the EU-China human rights dialogue,

B.  whereas on 7 July 2000 the World Bank is expected to take a final decision on its support for the Western China Poverty Reduction Project,

C.  recalling that Tibet was invaded and occupied in 1949 and 1950 by the Chinese armed forces,

D.  recalling that, whilst the 'seventeen-point agreement' signed in Beijing under duress by the Tibetan authorities sanctioned the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China, it also guaranteed Tibet's full autonomy and, in particular, the continuity of its political system and full respect for religious freedom,

E.  recalling the Lhasa uprising against the Beijing regime on 10 March 1959, which resulted in the deaths and imprisonment of thousands of Tibetans and the exile of the Dalai Lama and tens of thousands of other Tibetans,

F.  recalling the establishment in 1965 of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) by the Beijing authorities and considering that no genuine autonomy has existed there since China occupied the country,

G.  recalling the repeated attempts at restarting the dialogue with the Beijing authorities made by the Dalai Lama, notably through the 'five-point plan' presented to the US Congress in 1987 and the 'Strasbourg proposal' presented to the European Parliament in 1988,

H.  concerned that China has shown no readiness to take part in a dialogue to negotiate the future of Tibet,

I.  recalling the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 to the Dalai Lama and his appeal to the international community to encourage a peaceful settlement of the Tibetan question,

J.  recalling Tibet's designation in 1992 as a 'Special Economic Zone' and the resulting large-scale transfer of Chinese settlers to Tibet which, in the space of a few years, has made the Tibetans a minority in their own country,

K.  whereas the proposed Western China Poverty Reduction Project may lead to a further relocation of ethnic Chinese into the Tibetan areas and may violate the World Bank's own policies regarding indigenous peoples, involuntary resettlement and the environment,

1.  Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to do all they can to start up negotiations between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama on a new status for Tibet which guarantees full Tibetan autonomy in all areas of political, economic, social and cultural life, the only exceptions being defence and foreign policy;

2.  Calls on the governments of the Member States to give serious consideration to the possibility of recognising the Tibetan Government in exile as the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people if, within three years, the Beijing authorities and the Tibetan government in exile have not, through negotiations organised under the aegis of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, signed an agreement on a new Statute for Tibet;

3.  Asks the Commission and the Council to urge the World Bank to suspend its decision on the Western China Poverty Reduction Project and to examine all the effects this project could have on Tibet's ethnic, cultural and social balance;

4.  Urges the World Bank to publish the Inspection Panel report and Recommendation on the Western China Poverty Reduction Project before the vote of the World Bank Board;

5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of the applicant countries, the President and Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government and parliament in exile.

European Parliament resolution on the abduction of children by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)

P5_TA(2000)0327 RC-B5-0611/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its Optional Protocols, the 1999 ILO Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions,

-  having regard to its previous resolutions on child soldiers,

A.  whereas an armed rebellion has been raging in northern Uganda since 1986, currently under the name of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),

B.  whereas the LRA is armed by the Sudanese Government army, which also provides it with food and logistical support, as a counter to the support of the Ugandan Government for the SPLA,

C.  whereas, according to UNICEF, the LRA has abducted at least 14 000 children, as young as seven years old, in northern Uganda, particularly in the districts of Gulu and Kitgum; whereas about 5000 children have since returned or escaped and thousands remain unaccounted for, of whom not more than 2000 are reported to be still alive,

D.  whereas these children are taken to camps in southern Sudan from where they are sent to fight both the Ugandan Government army in Ugandan territory and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in southern Sudan,

E.  whereas the children abducted by the LRA are subjected to extremes of brutality and are forced to conduct a reign of terror against their own people - the Acholi population - by killing innocent people or by cutting off limbs, ears and lips; whereas the total number of deaths is estimated at over 100 000 and the total number of displaced people currently at over 300 000,

F.  whereas girls are often submitted to sexual abuse and brutality by the LRA commanders, the best documented case being that of the girls from Aboke,

G.  whereas thousands of children have already died in captivity, from hunger and disease, during the fighting, or by being beaten and stabbed to death as punishment for those who tried to escape,

H.  whereas a Peace Accord between Uganda and Sudan was signed in Nairobi on 8 December 1999 which included a commitment by the Sudanese Government to stop its support for the LRA and guarantee the safe return of the abducted Ugandan children held in rebel camps in Sudan,

I.  whereas the political will to implement the Peace Accord has been lacking on both sides, both countries have continued to support each other's armed rebels, and very few abducted children have been returned by Sudan,

J.  whereas despite the Nairobi Peace Accord some 300 children have again been abducted by LRA rebels since the beginning of this year, according to UNICEF, 143 of whom have escaped,

K.  whereas an amnesty law was approved by the Ugandan Parliament on 6 December 1999, but its implementation is being seriously delayed; whereas LRA leader Joseph Kony has already rejected the amnesty but some of his soldiers have applied for it,

L.  whereas LRA representatives are allowed to collect funds, make public statements and operate freely on European Union territory, and have been travelling unhindered within the European Union and between the European Union and Sudan,

1.  Strongly condemns the continuing abduction of children in northern Uganda by the LRA and the subsequent use of these children in armed combat, which is a flagrant violation of several UN Conventions and international humanitarian law;

2.  Calls on the Government of Sudan to stop supporting the Lord's Resistance Army and to cooperate in the immediate and unconditional release of all the abducted children, as stipulated in the Nairobi Peace Accord;

3.  Condemns the fact that, in Sudan, the use of child soldiers and the enslavement of children continues, and supports the action plan put forward by UNICEF to eradicate these practices;

4.  Calls on the Government of Sudan to consider the issue of the abducted children as a humanitarian issue and to separate it from the wider political issues in the region;

5.  Calls on the Government of Sudan to allow free and full access by humanitarian organisations such as the ICRC and UNICEF to the LRA camps to ascertain the identities of the abducted children and ensure their safe return to their home communities;

6.  Calls on the Government of Uganda to continue efforts to find a peaceful solution for the conflict in northern Uganda and to speed up the implementation of the Amnesty Act, despite its rejection by the LRA leader Joseph Kony;

7.  Calls on all parties involved in the conflict in Sudan to resume talks to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in southern Sudan;

8.  Calls on international oil companies working in Sudan, such as Talisman Energy Inc. of Canada, to halt their operations as long as abductions of children and slavery continue and a peaceful solution has not been found to the conflict; calls on EU companies to refrain from oil investments in Sudan and urges the EU Member States to exert their influence to this effect;

9.  Calls on the Council to assume a more active role in urging the implementation of the Nairobi Peace Accord;

10.  Calls on the Commission to support all efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate the returning children and to support the affected communities in northern Uganda;

11.  Calls on the Council to support initiatives that prohibit the use of child soldiers and urges the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child setting 18 as the minimum age for the recruitment of soldiers;

12.  Calls on individual EU Member States to ban LRA operations and travel by LRA representatives within the European Union and between EU Member States and non-EU countries;

13.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, UNICEF, international oil companies working in Sudan, and the Governments of Uganda and Sudan.

European Parliament resolution on the Moluccan Islands

P5_TA(2000)0328 RC-B5-0609/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its earlier resolutions on Indonesia and on the situation on the Moluccan Islands,

A.  whereas on 19 June 2000 more than 100 people were killed and several hundred injured in a massacre by Muslim extremists in the Christian-inhabited village of Duma on the Island of Halmahera,

B.  whereas a boat with 500 refugees on board, over half of them from the ravaged village of Duma, sank on its way to Manado on 30 June 2000,

C.  whereas the current Indonesian Government has courageously promoted the democratisation process, but is facing strong opposition,

D.  whereas negative forces from within the old regime seem to be trying to destabilise the Wahid/Sukarnoputri Government,

E.  whereas the Moluccan Islands have for long been considered a positive example of the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims,

F.  whereas thousands of Islamic Jihad fighters have moved to the Moluccans, have been armed there and have caused provocations not seen before, which have led to a bloody conflict between the Muslim and Christian population,

G.  whereas the behaviour of these militias and the ambiguous behaviour of the army and police in the region seem to resemble the patterns recorded in East Timor,

H.  whereas in the last few weeks again many people, for instance in Ambon, have been killed or wounded, bringing the total number of those killed on the Moluccans in the last 18 months to over 3 000 and the number of refugees and displaced persons to over 100 000,

I.  whereas the militias have provoked a situation of terror including violent incidents, rape, murder, arson and large-scale damaging of property,

J.  whereas the Government of Indonesia is still hesitating to accept the aid and intervention of international organisations,

1.  Asks the Commission and Council to support the process of re-establishing democracy in Indonesia and to support the present government and its honest efforts to establish democracy and respect for human rights;

2.  Asks the Commission and Council to warn the forces which are trying to destabilise the present government that the international community will not accept a relapse in Indonesia;

3.  Asks the Commission and Council to call on the Indonesian Government to do all within its power to put an end to the violence on the Moluccan Islands in order to re-establish peaceful co-existence between the Muslim and Christian population, as has proved possible for many years;

4.  Asks the Commission and Council to call on the Indonesian authorities to open humanitarian aid corridors so that assistance can reach people displaced by the fighting and others in need of relief, and to stress in their contacts with the Indonesian Government the importance of strict requirements in ports and airports of the Moluccans, including thorough checks for weapons coming into and out of the Moluccans;

5.  Asks the Commission and Council to urge ECHO to increase support for relief efforts, considering the recent deterioration of conditions on the Moluccan Islands;

6.  Asks the Commission and Council to examine ways in which the international community can help to restore calm to the Islands, for instance by sending international observers;

7.  Asks the Commission and Council to call on the Indonesian Government to suspend from duty members of the security forces suspected of directly or indirectly taking sides in the conflict and to judge and punish all those guilty of these provocations and violence, if necessary by establishing a special national or international court;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council, the governments of the applicant states and the Indonesian Government.

European Parliament resolution on the death penalty in the United States

P5_TA(2000)0329 RC-B5-0613/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its earlier resolutions to protest against the death penalty in the US and elsewhere, in particular its resolutions of 8 October 1998(1) , 18 November 1999(2) and 13 April 2000(3) ,

A.  whereas the decision of the General Affairs Council of 29 June 1998 aimed at strengthening the international activities of the European Union in opposition to the death penalty 'as an integral part of its human rights policy' with the universal abolition of capital punishment as a fundamental goal,

B.  dismayed at the execution by lethal injection of Gary Graham in Huntsville, Texas, on 22 June 2000,

C.  noting with dismay that there have been 131 executions in Texas during the past five years,

D.  having regard to the Union's reiterated commitment to seek the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a resolution instituting a universal moratorium on capital punishment as a first step towards the permanent universal abolition of the death penalty; deploring the fact, however, that the lack of coordination within the Union and among the Member States contributed to the failure of an initiative to this end during the last United Nations General Assembly,

E.  reiterating its serious concern about the sad record which the State of Texas has built up ever since the US reinstated the death penalty in 1976 and since when Texas has executed 7 more juvenile offenders, more than any other American State,

F.  whereas Derek Rocco Barnabei, sentenced to death in the State of Virginia, USA, in 1993, for the murder of a young woman, is scheduled to be executed in August 2000,

G.  whereas judicial errors often occur, as was recently recognised in the case of Joaquin José Martinez, who was allowed a new trial after waiting for several months for the death sentence to be carried out,

H.  whereas it appears that the investigations failed to furnish clear evidence of his guilt and that Mr Barnabei's defence was flawed and insufficient,

I.  whereas in the opinion of leading US legal authorities a grave judicial error has been made in this case,

J.  noting that for the first time a wide-ranging national debate on the death penalty has been launched during the election campaign in the United States and welcoming the decision by the Governor of Illinois to enact a moratorium on all executions,

1.  Reiterates its deep belief that the abolition of capital punishment constitutes a fundamental step towards enhancing human dignity, ongoing developing of human rights and increasing respect for those rights and calls on the Council to renew its efforts to secure a worldwide moratorium on all executions;

2.  Reiterates its call for the abolition of capital punishment and the immediate imposition of a moratorium in countries where capital punishment still exists;

3.  Is dismayed at the execution of Gary Graham, who was sentenced for having shot a man dead in Houston 19 years ago although there were still doubts about the conviction; points out, furthermore, that in more cases serious doubts have arisen with regard to capital convictions after execution has taken place, implying that innocent people may have been put to death;

4.  Calls on the Government of the State of Virginia to suspend the execution order against Mr Barnabei and, given the large amount of evidence that could influence the sentence handed down, calls on the judicial authorities responsible to grant Mr Barnabei the possibility of a retrial, since the interests of justice will best be served by seeking out the truth and making sure that innocent men are not convicted;

5.  Calls on the Presidential candidate to follow the example of the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, and to introduce a moratorium on executions in his State, in the light of the various judicial errors committed, and reminds the United States Supreme Court of the need to meet its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and abolish the death penalty;

6.  Urges the US Government again to comply with the request made by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on 27 January 2000 that executions should not proceed until the Commission has examined and ruled on the case;

7.  Calls on the Governor of Virginia, the Rt Hon. James Gilmore, to suspend the execution of Derek Rocco Barnabei and to commute his sentence;

8.  Asks the relevant courts to grant Derek Rocco Barnabei a retrial in order to examine new evidence that could prove his innocence;

9.  Accordingly, calls on the Council to step up substantially the political dialogue with the US leadership on the abolition of the death penalty on American territory and invites the French Presidency to come forward with urgent clear initiatives on this matter;

10.  Decides to include the issue of the death penalty as one of the fixed items on the agenda of each meeting of the EU/USA parliamentary delegation;

11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and to the governments of the Member States, the Government of the US and the Governors of Texas and Virginia, as well as all governments mentioned in this resolution.

(1) OJ C 328, 26.10.1998, p. 193. (2) Texts Adopted, Item 8. (3) Texts Adopted, Item 13.

European Parliament resolution on Euro 2000

P5_TA(2000)0330 RC-B5-0625/2000

The European Parliament,

A.  whereas the Belgian and Dutch authorities have been able to organise a large-scale football tournament and associated festivities,

B.  whereas the Belgian and Dutch authorities have shown themselves to be fully in control of public order and able to prevent structural disturbances during the Euro 2000 football festivities,

C.  having regard to the joint action by the Belgian and Dutch Ministers of Home Affairs to see if a ban on travelling by condemned hooligans to countries other than their home country is possible,

D.  whereas the vast majority of the soccer fans have through their behaviour supported a peaceful Euro 2000,

E.  whereas hooliganism seems to be a growing problem, involving a high social cost and taking on totally unacceptable proportions and that all forms of hooliganism should be condemned,

F.  whereas the EU and its Member States need to radically fight this phenomenon, which at certain moments turns into a cross-border problem and undermines the European idea and solidarity within the EU,

G.  whereas serious riots took place repeatedly in Brussels during Euro 2000 and on the day of the Germany - England game also in Charleroi, each time involving English supporters,

H.  whereas the British authorities recognised that there were problems with preventing English hooligans travelling to Belgium and that the authorities of other EU Member States did take the necessary preventive measures to keep their "hard core” inside their national borders,

1.  Welcomes the initiatives taken by the Dutch and Belgian Governments which resulted in a successful Euro 2000;

2.  Welcomes the behaviour of the vast majority of the soccer fans and the practical measures taken by UEFA;

3.  Notes that in many cases hooligans engaged in racist, xenophobic and homophobic violence;

4.  Requests all governments associated with football teams represented in European tournaments to act both to foresee and prevent football hooliganism and to cooperate in bringing effective means to bear in order to combat hooliganism once a tournament has commenced;

5.  Requests that the national governments involved take sufficient preventive measures in the future to prevent hooligans who have already been involved in soccer riots from travelling to countries where their national team or club is playing and supports the Dutch-Belgian initiative for a ban on travelling by arrested hooligans to football matches considered to be a potential risk;

6.  Asks the British Government to consider sharing the cost of transporting English hooligans back home by Belgian C 130 planes;

7.  Calls on UEFA and other organisers to take all necessary measures to ensure that all citizens can attend sporting events in a safe and dignified manner;

8.  Deplores the use of force against journalists doing their job and calls on the Dutch authorities to carry out a proper inquiry into the circumstances surrounding these events to determine who was responsible;

9.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and of the applicant states, and to the President of UEFA.

European Parliament resolution on Iraq

P5_TA(2000)0331 RC-B5-0618/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its earlier resolutions on Iraq, especially its resolution of 13 April 2000(1) ,

A.  having regard to the Iraqi Government's obligation to continue to accept and encourage UN controls with a view to the destruction of nuclear and chemical weapons, and also to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is responsible for finding and repatriating all those who disappeared in connection with the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq,

B.  having regard to the tragic situation of the Iraqi people arising from the application of the embargo,

C.  whereas these sanctions have contributed to the devastation of an ancient civilisation and of the living standards of 22 million Iraqis,

D.  whereas the intellectual embargo has deprived academic, medical and scientific professionals of advances in technology,

E.  whereas the social fabric of a traditional society has been ripped apart,

F.  whereas a no-fly zone has been imposed upon Iraq in order to prevent the use of the Iraqi Air Force against people of Kurdish origin and those of southern Iraq,

G.  whereas the enforcement of the no-fly zone is giving rise to a series of military actions which cause casualties and suffering to many innocent human beings,

1.  Reiterates its position as expressed in its abovementioned resolution of 13 April 2000 and calls upon the UN Security Council to commence a dialogue with a view to lifting the economic embargo while maintaining a strict arms embargo on Iraq;

2.  Proposes sending parliamentary fact-finding delegations with a view to opening a dialogue to establish how the oil-for-food programme can be extended to improve the living conditions of the Iraqi people;

3.  Expresses its belief that EU diplomacy should try to bring about a lifting of the no-fly zone, together with a formal renunciation by the Iraqi Government of the use of military force in dealing with the demands for autonomy of the Kurdish people;

4.  Reiterates the need for the UN, WHO and Red Cross to continue to monitor the importation and equitable distribution of goods and services, so that the benefits thereof reach the most deprived and vulnerable people in Iraq;

5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and of the applicant countries, the Secretary-General of the UN and the Government of Iraq.

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 8.

European Parliament resolution on reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the catastrophic floods of December 1999 in Venezuela

P5_TA(2000)0332 RC-B5-0615/2000

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its resolution of 20 January 2000(1) , calling on the Commission to examine Venezuela's most pressing needs,

A.  having regard to the sheer scale of the disastrous flooding, as witnessed by an ad hoc delegation which visited Venezuela from 25 to 28 February 2000 and carried out an on the spot assessment of the appalling devastation caused by the disaster, above all in the state of Vargas,

B.  whereas the number of lives lost is still unknown but runs into tens of thousands, and whereas great material losses and damage to infrastructure were sustained,

C.  having regard to the housing, health, food and schooling problems facing the hundreds of thousands who lost their homes and possessions in the disaster,

D.  acknowledging the solidarity displayed by the European Union, which responded rapidly with an initial disbursement of EUR 400 000 as immediate emergency aid approved by the Commission on 22 December 1999 and channelled through the German and Spanish Red Cross, and the rapid freeing of funds via ECHO to enable NGOs to provide immediate assistance to the victims,

E.  having regard to the enormous efforts made by the Venezuelan authorities to make good the devastating effects of the disaster, and alleviate the suffering and meet the needs of those affected,

F.  whereas a disaster of this kind not only has a terrible impact on the least-advantaged sectors of the population, but also wipes out fledgling economic development and brings poverty in its wake, thus spelling ruin for the middle class and for small and medium enterprises in the areas affected,

G.  having regard to the efforts which the Venezuelan Government is making, once the basic needs of the population have been met via the emergency aid programmes, to draw up a general plan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas,

H.  whereas Venezuela and Europe have strong cultural and historical ties,

I.  whereas the EU played a major role in terms of reconstruction aid after other natural disasters such as the hurricane which hit Central America and the floods which devastated Mozambique,

J.  mindful of the importance of fully consolidating democracy in Venezuela at this time, and mindful that its relations with the European Union are framed by a general cooperation agreement which includes a democratic clause,

1.  Expresses its horror at the tragedy and its solidarity with the Venezuelan authorities and people, and particularly with the families of the flood victims;

2.  Acknowledges the efforts of the Venezuelan authorities to tackle the needs of those affected by the disaster and prevent a "social explosion" and the outbreak of epidemics;

3.  Congratulates the Commission, the Member States and the NGOs on the speed with which they reacted and came immediately to Venezuela's help in the face of the human, material and infrastructure losses caused by this natural disaster;

4.  Urges the Commission, on the basis of the Venezuelan Government's identification and evaluation of what is required, to commit EUR 250 million over a five year period as the European Union's contribution to rehabilitating and reconstructing the country, and as an expression of solidarity with the Venezuelan people;

5.  Calls on the Commission to help the Venezuelan Government in establishing sustainable environmental criteria for reconstruction activities;

6.  Recalls the importance of aiding above all the most-disadvantaged population sectors, who are now utterly destitute, and also the middle classes and small and medium enterprises, which generate employment and wealth and have suffered huge losses and are in a situation of near-poverty; observes that efforts will be made to involve the affected population groups in the measures taken towards reconstruction;

7.  Notes the postponing of the Venezuelan elections because the necessary technical conditions could not be met, and the subsequent mass resignation of the ten members of the National Electoral Council; believes that it is essential that transparent and democratic elections be held, with all necessary guarantees that all political parties will be able to take part under identical conditions;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Venezuelan Government.

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 13.

European Parliament resolution on the European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia

P5_TA(2000)0333 RC-B5-0628/2000

The European Parliament,

A.  concerned by the letter of resignation of Mr Anton Pelinka, the Austrian representative on the Management Board of the European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia, and by the circumstances surrounding it,

1.  Calls on the Austrian Federal Government, the Governments of the Member States and the institutions of the European Union to give their wholehearted support to the activities of the European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia, thereby respecting their initial commitments;

2.  Instructs its Committee on Citizens' Rights and Freedoms, Justice and Home Affairs to follow closely further developments with respect to the European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia;

3.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of the Member States and the European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia.

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive amending for the 22nd time Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (phthalates) and amending Council Directive 88/378/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys (COM(1999) 577 - C5-0276/1999 - 1999/0238(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0334 A5-0149/2000

The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission (1)   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 1) Recital 3    (3) The presence of phthalates in certain toys and childcare articles made of soft PVC and intended to be placed in the mouth , presents risks related to general toxicity to the health of young children.    (3) The presence of phthalates in certain toys and childcare articles made of soft PVC presents risks related to general toxicity to the health of children. Toys and childcare articles, especially those intended for children under the age of three, which, although not intended for that purpose, can be put in the mouth, may under certain circumstances present a risk to the health of small children if they are made of, or include parts made of, soft PVC. (Amendment 18) Recital 4a (new) (4a) The CSTEE, after being consulted by the Commission, has stated that the use of certain citrates and adipates as a substitute for phthalates as plasticisers cannot be supported. (Amendment 2) Recital 5a (new) (5a) There is a greater risk that a child will place in its mouth toys and childcare articles made of, or including parts made of, soft PVC to which fragrances have been added, even though such toys and childcare articles are not intended for that purpose. (Amendment 3) Recital 7    (7) It is necessary to provide for adequate labelling for childcare articles made of soft PVC or including parts made of soft PVC intended for children under the age of three , which, although not intended for that purpose, can be put in the mouth. Such labelling also has to be provided for in Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys for those toys, which fall within the scope of that Directive.    (7) It is necessary to provide for adequate labelling for childcare articles made of, or including parts made of, soft PVC intended for children between the ages of three and six , which, although not intended for that purpose, can be put in the mouth by children under the age of three . Such labelling also has to be provided for in Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys for those toys which fall within the scope of that Directive. (Amendment 4) Recital 8    (8) The Commission will review the provisions in this Directive in the light of further scientific knowledge within four years of adoption.    (8) The Commission will review the provisions in this Directive in the light of further scientific knowledge within two years of adoption. In doing so, it will also take account of children's exposure to phthalates from sources other than toys (particularly from floor coverings and food packaging made of soft PVC and from the ambient air) and will, if appropriate, commission research to ascertain the values in question. (Amendment 5) Recital 8a (new) (8a) The Commission will review other applications of PVC articles which may expose people to risks, especially PVC articles used in health care. (Amendments 11 and 24) Recital 8b (new) (8b) If a method of measuring the migration of phthalates is developed and this technique is approved by the Scientific Committee for practical use, this will provide strong grounds for the Commission to review the provisions of this Directive. (Amendment 6) ARTICLE 2 Annex IV(7) (Directive 88/378/EEC ) "7. Toys, made of or including parts of soft PVC containing the phthalates listed in point XX of the Annex to Directive 76/769/EEC , which are intended for children under the age of three and which can be put in the mouth, although not intended for that purpose. "7. Toys, made of or including parts made of soft PVC containing the phthalates listed in point XX of the Annex to Directive 76/769/EEC , which are intended for children between the ages of three and six and which can be put in the mouth, although not intended for that purpose, by children under the age of three The following warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the packaging for the toy. The following warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the packaging for the toy. "Warning - do not put in the mouth for extended periods as could release phthalates dangerous to child health”. "Warning - do not give to children under the age of three as could release phthalates dangerous to child health”. The following shorter warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the toy: The following shorter warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the toy: "Not to be kept in the mouth”." "Not to be kept in the mouth”." (Amendment 7) ANNEX Annex I(XX), list (Directive 76/769/EEC ) XX Phthalates Of the following types:    - di-“isononyl” phthalate (DINP) CAS No 28553-12-0 EINECS No 249-079-5    - bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) CAS No 117-81-7 EINECS No 204-211-0    - dioctyl phthalate (DNOP) CAS No 117-84-0 EINECS No 204-214-7    - di-“isodecyl” phthalate (DIDP) CAS No 26761-40-0 EINECS No 247-977-1    - benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) CAS No 85-68-7 EINECS No 201-622-7    - dibutyl phthalate (DBP) CAS No 84-74-2 EINECS No 201-557-4 XX Phthalates of all kinds (Amendments 17/rev. and 16) ANNEX Annex I(XX)(1) (Directive 76/769/EEC )    1. May not be used as substances or as constituents of preparations at concentrations of greater than 0.1% in toys and child care articles made of PVC , or including parts of PVC, intended to be put in the mouth by children under the age of three.    1. May not be used as substances or as constituents of preparations at concentrations of greater than 0.05% in toys and childcare articles made of, or including parts made of, PVC, which can be put in the mouth by children. (Amendment 8) ANNEX Annex I(XX)(3) (Directive 76/769/EEC )    3. The following warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the packaging for childcare articles, other than those referred to in point 1 above, made of or including parts of soft PVC containing one or more of these phthalates, and intended for children under the age of three and which can be put in the mouth:    3. The following warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the packaging for childcare articles, other than those referred to in point 1 above, made of, or including parts made of, soft PVC containing one or more of these phthalates, and intended for children between the ages of three and six and which can be put in the mouth by children under the age of three : "Warning - do not put in mouth for extended periods as could release phthalates dangerous to child health”. "Warning - do not give to children under the age of three as could release phthalates dangerous to child health”. The following shorter warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the childcare article: The following shorter warning shall appear in an easily legible and indelible form on the childcare article: "Not to be kept in the mouth”. "Not to be kept in the mouth”. (Amendment 9) ANNEX Annex I(XX)(3a) (new) (Directive 76/769/EEC ) 3a. Fragrances may not be added to toys or childcare articles made of, or including parts made of, soft PVC containing one or more of these phthalates and which can be put in the mouth by children.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive amending for the 22nd time Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (phthalates) and amending Council Directive 88/378/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys (COM(1999) 577 - C5-0276/1999 - 1999/0238(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0334 A5-0149/2000

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(1999) 577 (2) ),

-  having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 95 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0276/1999 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy and the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (A5-0149/2000 ),

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 116 E, 26.4.2000, p. 14. (2) OJ C 116 E, 26.4.2000, p. 14.

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution (COM(1999) 379 - C5-0076/1999 - 1999/0159(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0335 A5-0152/2000

The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission (1)   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 1) Recital 3a (new) (3a) Whereas the Mediterranean forests are of importance to the ecosystems of the countries of the south of the European Union, particularly the regions affected by desertification; (Amendment 2) Recital 6a (new) (6a) Whereas the damage caused to forests by various factors, especially atmospheric pollution and other unfavourable meteorological factors, hampers the development of sustainable agricultural activity and the management of rural areas; (Amendment 3) Recital 6b (new) (6b) Whereas, therefore, the protection of forests against atmospheric pollution and other unfavourable meteorological factors directly contributes to the achievement of the aims set out in Article 33(1)(b) of the Treaty; (Amendment 4) Recital 7a (new) (7a) Whereas the measures to be taken 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 5) ARTICLE -1 (new) Articles 7 to 10 (Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86) Article -1 Articles 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 are replaced by the following: 'Article 7 The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee (the Standing Forestry Committee set up by Decision 89/367/EEC (1 )) as referred to in Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC, having regard to Articles 7 and 8 thereof. _____________ (1 ) OJ L 165, 15.6.1989, p. 14.' (Amendment 6) ARTICLE 1 Article 11(2) and (3) (Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86)    2. The financial allocation for the implementation of the scheme shall be EUR 34 million for the period 1997 to 2001.    2. The financial allocation for the implementation of the scheme shall be EUR 44 million for the period 1997 to 2001. Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.    3. Before expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall submit to the Council a report on the application of this Regulation.    3. Before expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the application of this Regulation and a revision proposal covering in particular the environmental, economic and social aspects (qualitative assessment) and the results of a cost-benefit analysis (quantitative assessment) .

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution (COM(1999) 379 - C5-0076/1999 - 1999/0159(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0335 A5-0152/2000

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(1999) 379 )(2) ,

-  having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 175 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0076/1999 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A5-0152/2000 ),

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 307 E, 26.10.1999, p. 32. (2) OJ C 307 E, 26.10.1999, p. 32.

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on the protection of the Community's forests against fire (COM(1999) 379 - C5-0077/1999 - 1999/0160(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0336 A5-0152/2000

The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission(1)   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 7) Recital 3a (new) (3a) Whereas the Mediterranean forests are of importance to the ecosystems of the countries of the south of the European Union, particularly the regions affected by desertification; (Amendment 8) Recital 5    (5) Whereas the Community and the Member States attach particular importance to the protection of their forest resources and whereas they have given international undertakings on the sustainable development of forests and the protection of forest regions, in particular during the United Nations World Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and at the pan-European Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of European Forests in Strasbourg in 1990 and in Helsinki in 1993; whereas the Community scheme provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 helps to fulfil those undertakings;    (5) Whereas the Community and the Member States attach particular importance to the protection of their forest resources and whereas they have given international undertakings on the sustainable development of forests and the protection of forest regions, in particular during the United Nations World Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and at the three pan-European Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of European Forests in Strasbourg in 1990, in Helsinki in 1993 and in Lisbon in 1998 ; whereas the Community scheme provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 helps to fulfil those undertakings; (Amendment 9) Recital 7a (new) (7a) Whereas, therefore, the protection of forests against fire directly contributes to the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 33(1)(b) of the Treaty; (Amendment 10) Recital 9a (new) (9a) Whereas the measures to be taken 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 11) ARTICLE -1 (new) Article 9 (Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92) Article -1 Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 is replaced by the following: 'Article 9 The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee (the Standing Forestry Committee set up by Decision 89/367/EEC (1 )) as referred to in Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC, having regard to Articles 7 and 8 thereof. _____________ (1 ) OJ L 165, 15.6.1989, p. 14.' (Amendment 12) ARTICLE 1 Article 10 (Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92) Article 10(1) and (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 are replaced by the following: Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 is replaced by the following: "1. The scheme shall run for 10 years from 1 January 1992. "1.The scheme shall run for 10 years from 1 January 1992.    2. The financial allocation for the implementation of the scheme shall be EUR 50 million for the period 1997 to 2001.    2. The financial allocation for the implementation of the scheme shall be EUR 77 million for the period 1997 to 2001. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.' The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.    3. Before expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and Council a report on the application of this Regulation and a revision proposal covering in particular the environmental, economic and social aspects (qualitative assessment) and the results of a cost-benefit analysis (quantitative assessment)'.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on the protection of the Community's forests against fire (COM(1999) 379 - C5-0077/1999 - 1999/0160(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0336 A5-0152/2000

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(1999) 379 )(2) ,

-  having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 175 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0077/1999 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A5-0152/2000 ),

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 307 E, 26.10.1999, p. 33. (2) OJ C 307 E, 26.10.1999, p. 33.

Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of a training programme for professionals in the European audiovisual programme industry (MEDIA - Training) (2001-2005) (COM(1999) 658 - C5-0059/2000 - 1999/0275(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0337 A5-0186/2000

The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 1) Recital 4a (new) (4a) The importance of establishing a Guarantee Fund has been acknowledged on several occasions by the European Parliament and the Commission as one of the measures required, together with other means, for the development of an independent audiovisual industry that encourages new talent and develops European cultural content. (Amendment 2) Recital 6a (new) (6a) The digital revolution and the new media are making it possible to create innovative audiovisual works and call for a sure grasp of new technologies. Greater efforts must be made to train professionals in the audiovisual sector in these technologies so that they can retain their global competitiveness. (Amendment 3) Recital 8    (8) The extraordinary European Council on Employment held in Luxembourg on 20 and 21 November 1997 recognised that continuous education and vocational training can make a major contribution to the employment policies of the Member States with a view to improving suitability for employment, adaptability and the spirit of enterprise, and promoting equality of opportunities.    (8) The extraordinary European Council on Employment held in Luxembourg on 20 and 21 November 1997 recognised that continuous education and vocational training can make a major contribution to the employment policies of the Member States with a view to improving suitability for employment, adaptability and the spirit of enterprise, and promoting equality of opportunities. The Extraordinary European Council meeting held in Lisbon on 24 March 2000 also emphasised the importance of appropriate training, particularly in the new technologies used by the information society. (Amendment 4) Recital 9a (new) (9a) It is appropriate to facilitate the development of investment in the European cinema industry by calling on the Member States to pursue a policy of making sums reinvested for the creation of new jobs tax-deductible. (Amendment 5) Recital 13a (new) (13a) Without prejudice to the possibility of reviewing the financial perspective ceiling to ensure that the MEDIA programme will be in a position to implement its objectives, the Commission should arrange for additional funding to support European audiovisual projects, including funding to cover training programmes for professionals. The sources of such funding include in particular cooperation with the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, and networking with the 5th Research Framework Programme and the "e-Europe" initiative, the Commission's relevant action plan and the Structural and Regional Funds. Information about these possibilities aimed at professionals in the audiovisual sector should be presented in a comprehensive form. (Amendment 6) Recital 15a (new) (15a) Priority should be given to the development of training programmes for professionals specialising in the management and distribution of audiovisual works on the international market, which would mean lending particular support to measures for:    - specialised training in intellectual property rights for audiovisual works, whatever their format and whatever the medium through which they are disseminated;    - specialised training in the marketing of audiovisual products, focusing in particular on the new technologies as dissemination and marketing vehicles. (Amendment 7) Recital 17    (17) The initial training for professionals should comprise the essential economic, legal and technological content. The rapid changes in these subjects makes continuous training necessary.    (17) Training for professionals should comprise the essential economic, legal, technological and business content. The rapid changes in these subjects makes continuous training necessary. (Amendment 8) Recital 18    (18) The networking of vocational training centres should be encouraged in order to facilitate the exchange of know-how,    (18) In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the networking of vocational training centres should be encouraged in order to facilitate the exchange of know-how and best practice in an international environment. (Amendment 9) Recital 19a (new) (19a) Given the convergence in the audiovisual sector and the IT and telecommunications sector, it is important to use the measures under the MEDIA Plus programme to ensure proper compliance with new Community rules on intellectual property. This need is all the more evident insofar as it is the Internet, in its various forms, which represents one of the new leading means of disseminating audiovisual works. (Amendment 10) Recital 25a (new) (25a) In accordance with the conclusions of the Lisbon Extraordinary European Council, the Council and Commission are to report by the end of 2000 on the ongoing review of the EIB and EIF financial instruments in order to redirect funding towards business start-ups, high-tech firms and micro-enterprises, as well as other risk capital initiatives proposed by the EIB. In this connection, particular attention should be paid to the audiovisual sector, including training programmes. (Amendment 11) Recital 27    (27) In accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999, laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission, measures for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted by use of the advisory procedure provided for in Article 3 of that Decision.    (27) In accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999, laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission, measures for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with the management procedure provided for in Article 4 of that Decision. (Amendment 12) Article 1, 2nd paragraph The programme is intended to give professionals in the audiovisual industry the necessary skills to allow them to take full advantage of the European and international dimension of the market and of the use of new technologies. The programme is intended to give professionals in the audiovisual sector , through continuous vocational training, the necessary skills to allow them to take full advantage of the European and international dimension of the market and of the use of new technologies. (Amendment 15) Article 2(1)(a), 1st subpargraph    (a) To meet the industry's needs and promote competitiveness by improving the continuous vocational training of professionals in the audiovisual industry , with a view to giving them the know-how and skills needed to take account of the European and other markets, in particular in the field of:    (a) To meet the industry's needs and promote competitiveness by improving the continuous vocational training of professionals in the audiovisual sector , with a view to giving them the know-how, skills and specialist material needed to create competitive products on the European and other markets, in particular in the field of:    - application of the new technologies, and in particular digital technologies, for the production of audiovisual programmes with a high commercial and artistic added value;    - application of the new technologies, and in particular digital technologies, for the production and dissemination of audiovisual programmes with a high commercial and artistic added value;    - economic, financial and commercial management, including the legal framework and the techniques for the financing, production and distribution of audiovisual programmes;    - economic, financial and commercial management, including the legal framework and the techniques for the financing, production and distribution of audiovisual programmes;    - script-writing techniques.    - script-writing techniques and storytelling.    - format development techniques extending beyond drama and documentaries. As regards the use of new script-writing techniques and the formation of teams of script-writers for all types of programme, account should be taken of the problems involved in devising the resulting script where intellectual property (equity claims and moral rights alike) is concerned. (Amendment 17) Article 2(1)(a), 3rd subparagraph Certain initial training measures in which the industrial sector is directly involved, such as masters' degrees, may also be supported if no other Community support is available and in fields for which there are no support measures at national level. As an exception c ertain initial training measures in which the industrial sector is directly involved, such as masters' degrees or other relevant specialised courses , may also be supported by means of additional funding if no other Community support is available and in fields for which there are no support measures at national level. However, support for such courses should come primarily from the European Social Fund. (Amendment 18) Article 2(1)(aa) (new)    (aa) To foster training, so that Europe can play a leading role in developing competitive production and post-production technologies. (Amendment 20) Article 2(1)(b)    (b) To encourage cooperation and the exchange of know-how through networking between the partners involved in the training, such as training establishments, the professional sector and undertakings, as well as through developing training for the trainers.    (b) To encourage cooperation and the exchange of know-how and best practice between relevant partners for training, such as training establishments, the professional sector and undertakings. Particular importance will be attached to encouraging the gradual establishment of networks between the activities and the existing training establishments . Particular importance will be attached to the establishment of networks in the audiovisual training sector and in continuing training for the trainers. (Amendment 21) Article 2(2a) (new) 2a.In selecting supported activities, the Commission shall, in addition to the priorities set out in paragraph 2, take particular account of the following criteria:    - partnership between training establishments, the professional sector and undertakings;    - the innovatory nature of the measure;    - the multiplier effect of the measure (including utilisable results, e.g. manuals)    - the cost-effectiveness of the measure;    - availability of other national or Community support measures. (Amendment 22) Article 3 In order to achieve maximum coordination, the Commission will ensure that there is collaboration between the training activities and the development projects supported under the MEDIA Plus programme. In this context, information about the support mechanisms provided by the programme shall be given to the professionals taking part in the continuous training activities. In order to achieve maximum coordination, the Commission will ensure that there is collaboration between the training activities and the development projects supported under the MEDIA Plus programme. In this context, information about the support mechanisms provided by the programme shall be given to the professionals taking part in the continuous training activities. The Commission will also ensure coordination between the programme and the other Community programmes in the field of initial and continuing vocational training, and with the operations of the European Social Fund. (Amendment 23) Article 4(3)    3. The Commission shall ensure that, as far as possible, at least 10% of the funding available each year is reserved for new activities.    3. The Commission shall ensure that, as far as possible, an appropriate proportion of the funding annually available, to be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 5, is reserved for new activities. (Amendment 24) Article 4(5)    5. The financial framework for implementing this programme for the period set out in Article 1 shall be EUR 50 million.    5. The financial framework for implementing this programme for the period set out in Article 1 shall be EUR 70 million. (Amendment 25) Article 5 The Commission shall be responsible for implementing the programme, in accordance with the procedures referred to in Article 6(2) and with the rules contained in the Annex.    1. The Commission shall be responsible for implementing the programme, in accordance with the procedures referred to in Article 6(2) and with the rules contained in the Annex.    2. Technical assistance shall be governed by the provisions adopted pursuant to the Financial Regulation. (Amendment 26) Article 6    1. The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee ("the MEDIA Committee”) composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.    1. In implementing the programme, the Commission shall be assisted by a management committee ("the MEDIA Committee”) composed of one representative per Member State , with proven experience and expertise in the sector, and chaired by the representative of the Commission.    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the advisory procedure laid down in Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, in compliance with Article 7(3) and Article 8 thereof.    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to Article 7(3) and Article 8 thereof. (Amendment 27) Article 7(5)    5. The programme shall also be open to the participation of other third countries on the basis of supplementary appropriations and the specific arrangement to be established in the agreement between the interested parties. The European third countries referred to in paragraph 3 which do not wish to participate fully in the programme may be eligible for cooperation under the conditions set out in this paragraph.    5. The programme shall also be open to the participation of other third countries on the basis of supplementary appropriations and the specific arrangement, including cost sharing under agreed procedures, to be established in the agreement between the interested parties. The inclusion of third countries must be encouraged because it makes for a cultural exchange that can serve to disseminate the democratic ideas and the values, traditions, history, and culture which Europe embodies and symbolises. The European third countries referred to in paragraph 3 which do not wish to participate fully in the programme may be eligible for cooperation under the conditions set out in this paragraph. (Amendment 28) Article 8(1)    1. The Commission shall ensure that measures taken under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, and to subsequent monitoring and evaluation.    1. The Commission shall ensure that measures taken under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, and to subsequent monitoring and evaluation, taking care to maximise the accessibility of the programme and the transparency of the criteria used in decision-making. (Amendment 29) Article 8(4), 2nd subparagraph a (new) In addition, the report should include, as an assessment gauge, the number of participants in these training programmes who have succeeded in finding jobs in the sector they have been trained to work in or the number of beneficiaries who have set up their own business, and the extent of the flow of individuals and products between European countries. (Amendment 30) Article 8(5)    5. On completion of the programme, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions a report on the implementation and results of the programme.    5. On completion of the programme, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions a detailed report on the implementation and results of the programme. The Commission's report shall, in particular, give an account of the value added created by the Community's financial support, its possible impact on employment, and the coordinating measures referred to in Article 3. (Amendment 31) Annex (1) In support of and in addition to the measures being undertaken by the Member States, the programme aims to permit professionals to adapt to the dimension of the market, and in particular the European market, for audiovisual works, by promoting vocational training in economic, financial and commercial management, including the legal framework, distribution and marketing, as well as in the new technologies (including the conservation and exploitation of the European film and audiovisual heritage) and script-writing techniques. In support of and in addition to the measures being undertaken by the Member States, the programme aims to permit professionals to adapt to the dimension of the market, and in particular the European market, for audiovisual works, by promoting vocational training in economic, financial and commercial management, including the legal framework, distribution and marketing, as well as in the new technologies (including the conservation and exploitation of the European film and audiovisual heritage), script-writing techniques, and audiovisual format development techniques extending beyond drama and documentaries . (Amendment 32) Annex (1.1), 1st subparagraph This training aims to develop the ability of professionals to use advanced creation techniques, in particular in the fields of animation, computer graphics, multimedia and interactive applications. This training aims to develop the ability of professionals to use advanced creation techniques, in particular in the fields of animation, computer graphics, multimedia (non-network multimedia and all likely multimedia network transmission applications), radio and interactive applications. (Amendment 34) Annex (1.2) 1st subparagraph This training aims to develop the ability of professionals to appreciate and use the European dimension in the development, production, marketing and distribution/dissemination of audiovisual programmes. This training aims to develop the ability of professionals to appreciate and use the European dimension in the development, production, marketing and distribution/dissemination of audiovisual programmes, including in the radio and multimedia sectors . (Amendment 35) Annex (1.3), 1st paragraph This training is intended for experienced script-writers with a view to improving their ability to develop techniques based on both conventional and interactive script-writing methods. This training is intended for experienced script-writers and directors with a view to improving their ability to develop techniques based on both conventional and interactive script-writing and storytelling methods. (Amendment 36) Annex (1.3), 1st indent    - promoting the development and updating of the training modules for identifying target audiences; publication and development of scripts for an international audience; relations between the script-writer, the script editor, the producer and the distributor;    - promoting the development and updating of the training modules for identifying target audiences; publication and development of scripts for an international audience, while maintaining high standards ; relations between the script-writer, the script editor, the producer and the distributor; (Amendment 37) Annex, (1.4a) (new)    1.4 a.Audiovisual format development techniques extending beyond drama and documentaries Training in this area is intended to develop and improve the ability of audiovisual professionals to create audiovisual formats extending beyond drama and documentaries. (Amendment 38) Annex (2.1) In implementing the programme, the Commission will work closely with the Member States. It will also consult the partners concerned. It will ensure that the participation of professionals reflects adequately Europe's cultural diversity. In implementing the programme, the Commission and the Media Committee will work closely with the Member States. They will also consult the partners concerned. They will ensure that the participation of professionals reflects adequately Europe's cultural diversity. It will encourage designers of training modules to cooperate with institutions, the professional sector and undertakings in their work. They will encourage designers of training modules to cooperate with institutions, the professional sector and undertakings in their work. It will facilitate the presence of trainees, particularly from countries and regions with a low production capacity and/or a restricted linguistic and geographical area. They will facilitate the presence of trainees, particularly from countries and regions with a low production capacity and/or a restricted linguistic and geographical area. (Amendment 39) Annex (2.3.1), 1st subparagraph    2.3.1. The Commission shall implement the programme. To this end, it may call upon consultants and technical assistance offices to be selected, after a call for proposals, on the basis of their expertise in the sector. The technical assistance will be financed by the programme's budget. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2), the Commission may also conclude partnerships for ad hoc operations with specialised bodies, such as Audiovisual Eureka, in order to implement joint measures which meet the objectives of the programme in the field of training.    2.3.1. The Commission shall implement the programme in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 6 . To this end, it shall call upon consultants and technical assistance offices to be selected, after a call for proposals, on the basis of their expertise in the sector. The technical assistance will be financed by the programme's budget. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2), the Commission may also conclude partnerships for ad hoc operations with specialised bodies, such as Audiovisual Eureka, in order to implement joint measures which meet the objectives of the programme in the field of training. (Amendment 40) Annex (2.3.1), 2nd subparagraph The Commission shall make the final selection of the beneficiaries of the programme and shall decide on the financial support to be granted, in accordance with Article 5. The Commission shall make the final selection of the beneficiaries of the programme and shall decide on the financial support to be granted, in accordance with Article 5. The beneficiaries shall take steps to publicise the Community's support. (Amendment 41) Annex (2.3.1), 3rd subparagraph a (new) In order to ensure the independence of the consultants and experts whose services it uses, the Commission shall lay down incompatibility provisions in respect of the participation of these groups of persons in the invitations to submit proposals under the programme. (Amendment 43) Annex (2.3.2), indent -1 (new)    - inform professionals in the audiovisual sector of all support arrangements available under European Union policies which are relevant to their professions; (Amendment 42) Annex (2.3.2), 2nd subparagraph a (new) To that end, the Commission shall also provide via the Internet comprehensive information concerning all support arrangements available under the European Union's policies which are of relevance to the audiovisual sector.

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the implementation of a training programme for professionals in the European audiovisual programme industry (MEDIA - Training) (2001-2005) (COM(1999) 658 - C5-0059/2000 - 1999/0275(COD) )

P5_TA(2000)0337 A5-0186/2000

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(1999) 658 ),

-  having regard to Articles 251(2) and 150 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0059/2000 ),

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

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy and the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (A5-0186/2000 ),

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.

Proposal for a decision of the Council on the implementation of a programme to encourage the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works (MEDIA Plus - Development, Distribution and Promotion) (2001-2005) (COM(1999) 658 - C5-0119/2000 - 1999/0276(CNS) )

P5_TA(2000)0338 A5-0186/2000

The proposal was amended as follows:

Text proposed by the Commission   Amendments by Parliament (Amendment 44) Citation 1 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 157(3) thereof, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 157(3) and Article 151(5) in conjunction with Article 151(2), fourth indent, thereof, (Amendment 45) Recital 1    (1) From 6 to 8 April 1998, the Commission, in collaboration with the United Kingdom presidency, held a European audiovisual conference on "Challenges and opportunities of the digital age”, in Birmingham. This consultation process revealed the need for an enhanced programme of support for the European audiovisual industry , in particular in the area of the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works. In the digital age, activities in the audiovisual field contribute towards the creation of new jobs, particularly in the production and dissemination of audiovisual content;    (1) From 6 to 8 April 1998, the Commission, in collaboration with the United Kingdom presidency, held a European audiovisual conference on "Challenges and opportunities of the digital age”, in Birmingham. This consultation process revealed the need for an enhanced programme of support for the European audiovisual sector , in particular in the area of the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works and, moreover, in the digital age, activities in the audiovisual field contribute towards the creation of new jobs, particularly in the production and dissemination of audiovisual content; (Amendment 46) Recital 4a (new) (4a) The importance of establishing a Guarantee Fund has been acknowledged on several occasions by the European Parliament and the Commission as one of the measures required, together with other means, for the development of an independent audiovisual industry that encourages new talent and develops European cultural content. (Amendment 47) Recital 8a (new) (8a) In its Green Paper entitled "Strategy options to strengthen the European programme industry in the context of the audiovisual policy of the European Union" (COM(94) 96 ), the Commission launched as far back as 1994 a debate on the establishment of a European guarantee fund, and subsequently, having received positive reactions, submitted it as a formal Commission proposal for a Council decision establishing a European Guarantee Fund to promote cinema and television production (COM(95) 546 ), which was approved by the European Parliament in its Opinion of 22 October 1996(1 ). _____________ (1 ) OJ C 347, 18.11.1996, p. 33. (Amendment 49) Recital 10a (new) (10a) In its Conclusions on the Commission's mandate for the WTO negotiations in Seattle on 26 October 1999, the Council stated that during the forthcoming WTO negotiations the Union will ensure, as in the Uruguay Round, that the Community and its Member States maintain the possibility to preserve and develop their capacity to define and implement their cultural and audiovisual policies for the purpose of preserving their cultural diversity. (Amendment 50) Recital 10b (new) (10b) The European Parliament, in its resolution of 18 November 1999 on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the EU approach to the WTO Millennium Round, recognised the European audiovisual sector's special role in sustaining cultural pluralism, a healthy economy and freedom of expression, reaffirmed its commitment to the freedom of action in the sphere of audiovisual policy obtained at the Uruguay Round, and took the view that the GATS rules on cultural services, in particular in the audiovisual sector, should not jeopardise the cultural diversity and autonomy of the WTO contracting parties . (Amendment 51) Recital 10c (new) (10c) In order to increase the added value of the Community measures it is necessary to guarantee complementarity between, on the one hand, the measures taken in the context of this Decision and other relevant Community measures, and on the other hand national forms of support including tax measures, and thus to ensure that there remains sufficient room for these national measures. (Amendment 52) Recital 10d (new) (10d) It is necessary to establish coherence between this Decision and the action of the Commission on national funding for audiovisual development and production, especially in the interests of preserving cultural diversity. The principle of additionality should therefore be respected. (Amendment 53) Recital 10e (new) (10e) The need for coherence between Community cultural, audiovisual and competition policies should be expressed in a regulation pursuant to Article 89 of the Treaty that safeguards cultural diversity by allowing national schemes to foster adequately the potential for production in Member States. (Amendment 54) Recital 11    (11) It is necessary to take into account the cultural aspects of the audiovisual sector, in accordance with Article 151 of the Treaty. Deleted (Amendment 55) Recital 11a (new) (11a) The governments of the Member States are called upon, at the forthcoming IGC, to incorporate the cultural and audiovisual industries expressly in Article 151 of the Treaty, since they constitute a key instrument for ensuring the cultural diversity of Europe. (Amendment 56) Recital 12    (12) The advent of a European audiovisual market necessitates the development and production of European works originating from Member States as well as works originating from European third countries participating in the MEDIA Plus programme or having a cooperation framework satisfying the conditions set out in Article 6 of Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities, as amended by European Parliament and Council Directive 97/36/EC.    (12) The advent of a European audiovisual market necessitates active support for the creation and production of European works originating from Member States as well as works originating from European third countries participating in the MEDIA Plus programme or having a cooperation framework satisfying the conditions set out in Article 6 of Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities, as amended by European Parliament and Council Directive 97/36/EC. (Amendment 57) Recital 12a (new) (12a) In the next few years the digital revolution, together with new technologies such as the Internet, pay-per-view, Cyber Cinema etc., will mean that European audiovisual works will become more easily accessible thanks to new ways of transporting audiovisual content, and will become more widely available outside their country of origin. (Amendment 58) Recital 12b (new) (12b) Consideration must be given to the possibility of establishing more precise guidelines for the treatment of public aids to cinema and television programme production as well as a Communication on legal aspects relating to the cinema sector, covering, inter alia, matters such as the definition of European work, as announced by the Commission in its Communication on "Principles and Guidelines for the Community's Audiovisual Policy in the Digital Age” (COM(1999) 657 ). (Amendment 59) Recital 13    (13) The competitiveness of the audiovisual programme industry depends on the use of new technologies at the programme development, production and distribution stages. It is therefore appropriate to ensure suitable and effective coordination with the measures undertaken in the field of new technologies, in particular the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002), as adopted by Decision No 182/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.    (13) The competitiveness of the audiovisual programme industry depends on the use of new technologies at the programme development, production and distribution stages. It is therefore appropriate to ensure suitable and effective coordination with the measures undertaken in the field of new technologies, in particular the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002), as adopted by Decision No 182/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, in particular with coordinated efforts to make use of new opportunities for multilingual production, and the future Sixth Framework Programme in order to make for consistency with the measures to be undertaken under that programme, focusing in particular on the needs and potential of small and medium-sized enterprises operating on the audiovisual market. (Amendment 61) Recital 13a (new) (13a) Without prejudice to the possibility of reviewing the financial perspective ceiling to ensure that the Media programme will be in a position to implement its objectives, the Commission should arrange for additional funding to support European audiovisual projects, including funding to cover training programmes for professionals. The sources of such funding include in particular cooperation with the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, and networking with the 5th Research Framework Programme and the "e-Europe" initiative, with the Commission's relevant action plan and with the EU's Structural and Regional Funds. Information about these possibilities aimed at professionals in the audiovisual sector should be presented in an integrated form. (Amendment 62) Recital 13b (new) (13b) The redirection of the European financial instruments must also take into account the chronic under-capitalisation of audiovisual productions in Europe and provide for measures to improve their access to capital markets, in particular to risk capital, and increase their competitiveness. (Amendment 63) Recital 13c (new) (13c) In accordance with the conclusions of the Lisbon Extraordinary European Council, the Council and Commission are to report by the end of 2000 on the ongoing review of EIB and EIF financial instruments in order to redirect funding towards business start-ups, high-tech firms and micro-enterprises, as well as other risk capital initiatives proposed by the EIB. In this connection, particular attention should be paid to the audiovisual sector. (Amendment 64) Recital 13d (new) (13d) If the European audiovisual industry wants to be competitive, the production value of European audiovisual works need to be increased; in that connection it needs to be considered once again whether the establishment of a European Guarantee Fund, as proposed by the Commission on 16 November 1996 (COM(95) 546 ), would contribute to achieving this end. (Amendment 66) Recital 16    (16) There is a need to improve the conditions for distributing European cinematographic works on the European and international markets. Cooperation between international and national distributors, cinema owners and producers should be encouraged and support should be given to concerted action to promote common scheduling measures at European level.    (16) There is a need to improve the conditions for distributing European cinematographic works on the European and international markets. Cooperation between international and national distributors, cinema owners and producers should be encouraged; close networking by independent distributors, in particular SMEs, should also be encouraged, and support should be given to concerted action to promote common scheduling measures at European level. (Amendment 67) Recital 17    (17) There is a need for improvement in the television broadcasting prospects of European works on the European and international markets. Cooperation between broadcasters, (as defined in Article 2 of Directive 89/552/EEC , international distributors and producers should be encouraged.    (17) Given the leading role played by broadcasters in disseminating European works across the Member States, there is an urgent need for improvement in the television broadcasting prospects of European works on the European and international markets. Cooperation between broadcasters, (as defined in Article 2 of Directive 89/552/EEC , international distributors and producers should be strongly encouraged, since recent European feature films occupy far too weak a position on European TV channels. In most EU Member States, even films which have been successful at the box-office are only given limited and late access to TV broadcasting schedules outside the main broadcasting times. (Amendment 68) Recital 17a (new) (17a) The European audiovisual production of independent large and small private companies should not be underestimated, but on the contrary turned to account, given that such companies can do much to boost the development of the European audiovisual sector. (Amendment 69) Recital 17b (new) (17b) It is appropriate to facilitate the development of investment in the European cinema industry by calling on the Member States to pursue a policy of making sums reinvested for the creation of new jobs tax-deductible. (Amendment 70) Recital 18    (18) There is a need to facilitate market access for independent European production and distribution companies, and to promote both European works and European companies in the audiovisual sector.    (18) There is a need to facilitate market access for independent European production and distribution companies, and to promote both European works and European companies in the audiovisual sector, not least by simplifying the official administrative procedures applying to the Programme . (Amendment 71) Recital 19a (new) (19a) Publicly and privately owned European audiovisual companies, be they publishing houses, distributors, or broadcasting organisations, should be encouraged to digitise their archives and network their catalogues. (Amendment 72) Recital 19b (new) (19b) At any rate a high priority must be given to ensuring that financial resources are available to make Europe's cinematic heritage usable for the digital future. (Amendment 73) Recital 19c (new) (19c) The MEDIA Plus programme should create an environment conducive to entrepreneurial skills and investment, so as to guarantee a place for the European audiovisual sector in the global economy and the effective promotion of cultural diversity. (Amendment 74) Recital 19d (new) (19d) Account should be taken of the new issues relating to the new content which has emerged in this sector. (Amendment 76) Recital 24    (24) In accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999, laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission, measures for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted by use of the advisory procedure provided for in Article 3 of that Decision.    (24) In accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999, laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission, measures for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted by use of the management procedure provided for in Article 4 of that Decision. (Amendment 77) Article 1(1)    1. A programme (hereinafter referred to as "the Programme”), is hereby established to encourage the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works within and outside the Community, to run from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2005, for the purpose of strengthening the European audiovisual industry.    1. A programme (hereinafter referred to as "the Programme”), is hereby established to encourage the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works within and outside the Community, to run from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2005, for the purpose of strengthening the European audiovisual sector . (Amendment 78) Article 1(2)(a)    (a) an improvement in the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry on the European and international markets, by supporting the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works, taking due account of the development of new technologies;    (a) protection and promotion of European cultural diversity through an improvement in the competitiveness of the European audiovisual sector on the European and international markets, by supporting the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works inter alia in the form of coordinated marketing strategies , taking due account of the development of new technologies; (Amendment 79) Article 1(2)(b)    (b) respect for European linguistic and cultural diversity;    (b) respect for and development of linguistic and cultural diversity in Europe; (Amendment 80) Article 1(2)(e)    (e) building up a production and distribution sector, especially comprising small and medium-sized enterprises.    (e) building up the production, technological adaptation of products and distribution sectors , especially comprising small and medium-sized enterprises;    (ea) promoting and encouraging the creation of new content which draws upon new technologies and user interaction through various alternative or additional platforms. (Amendment 81) Article 2(a)    (a) to promote, by providing financial support, the development of production projects (dramas for cinema or television, creative documentaries, animated films for television or cinema, works exploiting the audiovisual and cinematographic heritage) submitted by companies and aimed at the European and international markets;    (a) to promote, by providing financial support, the development of production projects, in particular ones which use new experimental systems (dramas for cinema or television, creative documentaries, animated films for television or cinema, audiovisual formats, works exploiting the audiovisual and cinematographic heritage) submitted by small and medium-sized companies and aimed at the European and international markets; (Amendment 82) Article 3(a)    (a) to strengthen the European distribution sector in the field of cinema by encouraging distributors to invest in the acquisition and promotion of non-domestic European cinema films;    (a) to strengthen the European distribution sector in the field of cinema by encouraging distributors to invest in the development, marketing, acquisition and promotion of non-domestic European cinema films; (Amendment 83) Article 3(b)    (b) to foster the wider transnational dissemination of non-domestic European films on the European and international markets through measures to stimulate their distribution and their screening in cinemas;    (b) to foster the wider transnational dissemination of non-domestic European films on the European and international markets through measures to stimulate their distribution and their screening in cinemas, inter alia through coordinated marketing strategies ensuring, for example, that the same product is publicised simultaneously in all countries ; (Amendment 84) Article 3(d)    (d) to promote the movement, in the Community and outside it, of European television programmes intended for a European and world audience, by encouraging independent European broadcasters and independent distributors and producers to cooperate right from the production stage;    (d) to promote the movement, in the Community and outside it, of European television programmes produced by independent companies, intended for a European and world audience, by encouraging European broadcasters and distributors and producers to cooperate right from the production stage; (Amendment 85) Article 4 (a) and (b)    (a) facilitate and encourage the promotion and movement of European audiovisual and cinematographic works at trade fairs in Europe and around the globe, as well as at European audiovisual festivals;    (a) facilitate and encourage the promotion and movement of European audiovisual and cinematographic works at European and international trade fairs in Europe and around the globe, as well as at European and international audiovisual festivals;    (b) encourage the networking of operators at European level, particularly by supporting joint activities between national promotion organisations.    (b) encourage the networking of operators at European and international level, particularly by supporting joint activities between national promotion organisations. (Amendment 86) Article 5(1)    1. Beneficiaries of Community support shall provide a significant proportion of the funding. Community funding shall not exceed 50% of the cost of operations. In the cases expressly provided for in the Annex, this percentage may nonetheless reach 60% of the cost of operations.    1. Beneficiaries of Community support shall provide a significant proportion of the funding. Community funding shall not exceed 50% of the cost of operations. In the cases expressly provided for in the Annex, this percentage may nonetheless reach 60% of the cost of operations. Additionality with national funding has to remain possible, in order to preserve cultural diversity. (Amendment 87) Article 5(2)    2. The financial reference amount for implementation of the Programme for the period referred to in Article 1(1) shall be EUR 350 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspectives.    2. The financial reference amount for implementation of the Programme for the period referred to in Article 1(1) shall be EUR 480 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspectives. (Amendment 88) Article 6, 2nd paragraph (new) The Commission shall ensure that disbursement and administrative procedures are tightened to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of the Programme, especially to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises. (Amendment 89) Article 7 The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the Programme, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2) and with the rules laid down in the Annex.    1. The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the Programme, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2) and with the rules laid down in the Annex.    2. Technical assistance shall be governed by the provisions adopted pursuant to the Financial Regulation. (Amendment 90) Article 8(2)    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the advisory procedure laid down in Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, in compliance with Article 7(3) thereof.    2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to Article 7(3) thereof. For specific measures, if needed, the advisory procedure laid down in Article 3 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply. (Amendment 91) Article 9, 1st paragraph To ensure that the Programme can be flexibly adapted to technological developments, pilot projects shall be implemented in the fields defined in the Annex . To ensure that the Programme can be flexibly adapted to technological developments the Commission shall implement pilot projects, especially in the following areas:    - conservation and exploitation of the cinematographic heritage, by encouraging partnerships between operators in the cinematographic sector and public or private bodies;    - digitisation of audiovisual and radio programme archives of European interest;    - networking the owners of rights to catalogues of European audiovisual works;    - scheduling of European audiovisual works on special-interest channels in digital format;    - creation of a suitable environment for developing and disseminating new advanced on-line distribution services . No financial support under this scheme shall be granted directly to television channels. After two years of implementation of the programme the Commission shall verify the results of the pilot projects and propose adjustments to the programme. (Amendment 92) Article 9, 2nd paragraph In this task the Commission may consult Technical Consultation Groups. These shall be composed of professionals from the various sectors of the audiovisual industry , appointed by the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission. The Technical Consultation Groups shall submit their reports to the Commission, which shall take the utmost account of them. In this task the Commission may consult Technical Consultation Groups. These shall be composed of professionals from the various fields of the audiovisual sector , appointed by the Media Committee and chaired by a representative of the Commission. The Technical Consultation Groups shall work closely together with the Media Committee and submit their reports to the Commission, which shall take the utmost account of them. (Amendment 93) Article 10(5)    5. The Programme shall also be open to cooperation with other third countries on the basis of supplementary appropriations and the specific arrangements to be established in agreements between the interested parties. The European third countries referred to in paragraph 3 which do not wish to benefit from full participation in the Programme may be eligible for cooperation with the Programme under the conditions set out in this paragraph.    5. The Programme shall also be open to cooperation with other third countries on the basis of supplementary appropriations and the specific arrangements, including cost sharing under agreed procedures, to be established in agreements between the interested parties. The inclusion of third countries must be encouraged because it makes for a cultural exchange that can serve to disseminate the democratic ideas and the values, traditions, history, and culture which Europe embodies and symbolises. The European third countries referred to in paragraph 3 which do not wish to benefit from full participation in the Programme may be eligible for cooperation with the Programme under the conditions set out in this paragraph. (Amendment 94) Article 11(1)    1. The Commission shall ensure that measures taken under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, and to subsequent monitoring and evaluation.    1. The Commission shall ensure that measures taken under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, and to subsequent monitoring and evaluation, taking care to maximise the accessibility of the programme and the transparency of the criteria used in decision-making. (Amendment 95) Article 11(4)    4. On completion of the Programme the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the implementation and results of the Programme.    4. On completion of the Programme the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a detailed report on the implementation and results of the Programme. (Amendment 97) Annex (1.1), 1st paragraph a (new) In establishing this scheme, account will be taken of the diversity of production structures and of the project packages, presented in order to ensure fair access for operators. (Amendment 96) Annex (1.1), 2nd subparagraph, indents    - their contribution towards developing European linguistic and cultural diversity;    - the interest shown by co-producers in the project;    - the interest shown by co-producers in the project;    - the project's transnational exploitation potential (as demonstrated by the expression of interest by distributors, the project's production potential, previous productions by the tendering enterprise or its constituent individuals);    - the project's transnational exploitation potential (as demonstrated by the expression of interest by distributors, the project's production potential, previous productions by the tendering enterprise or its constituent individuals);    - the quality and originality of the concept, script or narrative;    - the quality, originality and marketing potential of the concept, script or narrative;    - the potential for using new technologies (special effects, computer images, interactivity, etc.).    - the potential for using new technologies (special effects, computer images, interactivity, etc.);    - a marketing and distribution assessment . (Amendment 98) Annex (1.2.1)(b), indents    - the production of new non-domestic European films    - the acquisition of non-domestic European films;    - the acquisition of exploitation rights for non-domestic European films, in particular by means of minimum guarantees;    - editing costs (copying, dubbing and subtitling), promotion costs and publicity costs for non-domestic European films.    - editing costs (copying, dubbing and subtitling), promotion costs and publicity costs for non-domestic European films. (Amendment 99) Annex (1.2.1)(c)    (c) a system to assist European companies specialising in the international distribution of cinema films (sales agents) according to their performance on the market over a given period. This type of assistance may be used by international distributors only for investment in costs arising from the promotion of new European works on the European and international markets.    (c) a system to assist European companies specialising in the international distribution of cinema films (sales agents) according to their performance on the market over a reference period of at least one year . This type of assistance may be used by international distributors only for investment in costs arising from the promotion of new European works on the European and international markets. (Amendment 100) Annex (1.2.1)(d)    (d) appropriate assistance to encourage operators to screen a significant proportion of non-domestic European films in premiere cinemas for a minimum screening period. The support granted to each cinema will be determined according to the number of cinema seats sold for non-domestic European films during a reference period. Support should, in particular, contribute to measures to educate and raise awareness amongst young cinema-goers. Support will also be granted for the creation and consolidation of networks of European operators running joint schemes to encourage such scheduling.    (d) appropriate assistance to encourage operators to screen a significant proportion of European, particularly non-domestic, films in premiere cinemas for a minimum screening period. The support must be made conditional on showing a minimum number of European films, to be set on the basis of the number of screens in the cinema. The level of support may take account of the number of seats sold in that particular cinema for non-domestic European films. Support should, in particular, contribute to measures to educate and raise awareness amongst young cinema-goers. Support will also be granted for the creation and consolidation of networks of European operators running joint schemes to encourage such scheduling. (Amendment 101) Annex (1.2.2), 2nd paragraph, introduction Automatic support: a system of automatic support for editors and distributors of European cinematographic works on media intended for private use (e.g. videocassettes, DVD, DVD-Rom) according to market performance over a given period. The support granted may be used by distributors only for investment in the following: Automatic support: a system of automatic support for editors and distributors of European cinematographic works on media intended for private use (e.g. videocassettes, DVD, DVD-Rom) according to market performance over a reference period of at least one year. The support granted may be used by distributors only for investment in the following: (Amendment 102) Annex (1.2.3), 1st paragraph Encourage independent producers to produce works (feature films , documentaries and animated films) involving at least three broadcasters in several Member States belonging to different language zones. Encourage independent producers to produce works (fiction , documentaries and animated films) involving in principle at least three broadcasters in different participating countries , belonging to at least two different language zones. Account will be taken of the specific needs of the audiovisual sector in countries with lower audiovisual capacity and/or restricted geographical and linguistic areas. (Amendment 103) Annex (1.2.4), 2nd paragraph Introduction of incentives to digitise works and create promotional and publicity material in digital form, so encouraging European companies (suppliers of on-line access, special-interest channels, etc.) to create catalogues of European works in digital format for exploitation via new media. Introduction of incentives to digitise works and create promotional and publicity material in digital form, so encouraging European companies (suppliers of on-line access, radio broadcasters , special-interest channels, etc.) to create catalogues of European works in digital format for exploitation via new media. (Amendment 104) Annex (1.4)    1.4 Pilot projects The Commission will implement pilot projects in the following areas: Deleted    - conservation and exploitation of the cinematographic heritage, by encouraging partnerships between operators in the cinematographic sector and public or private bodies;    - digitisation of European audiovisual programme archives;    - networking the owners of rights to catalogues of European audiovisual works;    - scheduling of European audiovisual works on special-interest channels in digital format;    - creation of a suitable environment for developing and disseminating new advanced on-line distribution services. Where appropriate, the Commission may approach the technical consultation groups for assistance. (Amendment 105) Annex (2.1) In implementing the programme, the Commission will work closely with the Member States. It will also consult the partners concerned. It will ensure that the participation of professionals reflects adequately Europe's cultural diversity. In implementing the programme, the Commission and the Media Committee will work closely with the Member States. They will also consult the partners concerned. They will ensure that the participation of professionals reflects adequately Europe's cultural diversity. (Amendment 106) Annex (2.3.1), 1st paragraph    2.3.1 The Commission shall implement the programme. It may, to this end, call upon consultants and technical assistance offices to be selected, after a call for tenders, on the basis of their expertise in the sector. The Technical assistance shall be financed by the programme's budget. The Commission may also conclude, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2), partnerships for ad hoc operations with specialist bodies such as Audiovisual Eureka, in order to implement joint measures that meet the programme objectives in the field of promotion.    2.3.1 The Commission shall implement the programme. It may, to this end, call upon independent consultants and technical assistance offices to be selected, after a call for tenders, on the basis of their expertise in the sector. The Technical assistance shall be financed by the programme's budget. The Commission may also conclude, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2), partnerships for ad hoc operations with specialist bodies such as Audiovisual Eureka, in order to implement joint measures that meet the programme objectives in the field of promotion. (Amendment 107) Annex (2.3.1), 3rd paragraph In order to execute this programme and, in particular, evaluate the projects benefiting from the programme funding and networking activities, the Commission shall draw on the know-how of recognised audiovisual experts in the fields of development, production, distribution and promotion. In order to execute this programme and, in particular, evaluate the projects benefiting from the programme funding and networking activities, the Commission shall draw on the know-how of recognised, independent audiovisual experts in the fields of development, production, distribution and promotion. (Amendment 108) Annex (2.3.2), indent -1 (new)    - inform professionals in the audiovisual sector of all support arrangements available under European Union policies which are relevant to their professions; (Amendment 109) Annex (2.3.2), 3rd paragraph (new) To that end, the Commission shall also provide via the Internet comprehensive information concerning all support arrangements available under the European Union's policies which are of relevance to the audiovisual sector.