Bulletin of the European Union. 5 1998

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• Droit et juridique

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• Publié par: SECRETARIAT-GENERAL
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

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ISSN 0378-3693
European Commission
Bulletin
of the European Union
5*1998 The Bulletin of the European Union reports on the activities of the Commission and the other
Community institutions. It is produced by the Secretariat-General of the European Commission
and published 10 times a year in the official European languages.
The following reference system is used: the first digit indicates the part number, the second digit
the chapter number and the subsequent digit or digits the point number. Citations should there­
fore read as follows: Bull. 1/2-1994, point 1.1.1 or 2.2.3.
Supplements to the Bulletin are published in a separate series at irregular intervals. They contain
official Commission material (e.g. communications to the Council, programmes, reports and
proposals}.
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can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).
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Senf ro press in June 1998
© European Communities, 1998
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
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Readers can obtain information on developments since this issue went to press (date of
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References in the text
References to other parts of the same issue of the Bulletin are given in parentheses in
text, thus (—► point 2.1.53).
Abbreviations
Publications cited in this Bulletin
Bull. Bulletin of the European Union
Supplement — Bull. Supplement to the Bulletin of the European Union
General Report General Report on the Activities of the European Union
Currencies
ATS Austrian schilling
Belgian franc BEF
DEM German mark
DKK Danish krone
ESP Spanish peseta
FIM Finnish markka
FRF French franc
GBP Pound sterling
GRD Greek drachma
IEP Irish pound
ITL Italian lira
LUF Luxembourg franc
NLG Dutch guilder
PTE Portuguese escudo
SEK Swedish krona
USD United States dollar Contents
Part One ACTIVITIES IN MAY 1998
News in brief 6
Agenda 2000 7
Human rights 8
The Community economic and social area 11
Economic and monetary policy
Employment and socialy 17
Internal market 20
Competition
Industrial policy 36
Enterprisey8
Research and technology9
Education, vocational training and youth 41
Economic and social cohesion3
Trans-European networks5
Energy 4
Transport
Information society, telecommunications 5
Environment 54
Agriculture7
Fisheries 61
Equal opportunities2
Public health3
Consumer policy and health protection 6
Culture5
Audiovisual policy6
Information and communication
Role of the Union in the world8
Common foreign and security policy
International organisations and conferences 74
Common commercial policy
Development policy 80
Humanitarian aid2
Enlargement
European Economic Area (EEA), European Free Trade Associ­
ation 02FTA)4
Central Europe
Mediterranean and Middle East 86
Independent States of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia 89
United States, Japan and other industrialised countries 90 Asia 92
Latin America 93
95 ACP countries, South Africa and OCTs
Diplomatic relations 97
Justice and home affairs cooperation 98
101 Financing Community activities
101 Reform of resource management
Budgets 101
Financial operations 102
Protection of the Communities' financial interests and the fight
102 against fraud
104 Statistical system
Community law 106
Monitoring the application of Community law 106
Decisions by the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance 109
112 Simplification and consolidation
113 8 Institutional affairs
9 Community institutions 115
115 Parliament
Council 117
121 Commission
Community lawcourts 122
122 Court of Auditors
European Investment Bank 123
125 Economic and Social Committee
125 Committee of the Regions
Part Two DOCUMENTATION
1 The ecu 128
2 Additional references in the Officiai Journal 130
3 Corrigenda 133
4 Index 134 PART ONE
ACTIVITIES
N MAY 1998 News in brief
□ Euro: the Council meeting at the level of Heads of State or Government decides that 11
Member States meet the conditions necessary for adoption of the single currency on 1 January
1999; following this decision, the Council adopts two regulations on the technical specifications
of euro coins and the introduction of the euro; the governments of the Member States adopting
the single currency appoint by common agreement the president, vice­president and other mem­
bers of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank; and the ministers and Central Bank
governors of the Member States adopting the euro as their single currency, the Commission and
the European Monetary Institute issue a joint communiqué on the determination of the irrevo­
cable conversion rates of the euro (­* points 1.2.4 to 1.2.12).
□ Broad guidelines of economic policies: the Commission adopts a recommendation and Par­
liament adopts a resolution (­» point 1.2.1).
D Preparations for the Cardiff European Council: the Commission adopts communications
on the national action plans for employment (­» point 1.2.16), the social dialogue (­» point
1.2.23) and integrating environment into European Union policies (­> point 1.2.146), and a
report 'Legislate less to act better: the facts' (­>■ point 1.8.3).
o Taxation: the Commission adopts a proposal for a directive to ensure a minimum of effec­
tive taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments within the Community (—►
point 1.2.48).
□ Research and technology: the Commission adopts proposals for specific programmes
implementing the fifth framework programme (­» point 1.2.90).
π Education, vocational training and youth: the Commission adopts proposals for the
second phase of the Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates and Youth programmes (2000­04) (­> point
1.2.97).
□ Economic and social cohesion: the Commission adopts a communication on cohesion and
competitiveness through research, technological development and innovation (­* point 1.2.107).
□ Energy: Parliament and the Council approve a proposal for a directive concerning common
rules for the internal market in natural gas (­» point 1.2.117).
□ Information society, telecommunications: the Commission adopts a proposal for a direc­
tive on a common framework for electronic signatures (­» point 1.2.143).
□ Culture: the Commission adopts a proposal for a first framework programme in support of
culture (­> point 1.2.200).
□ Common foreign and security policy: the Council agrees a code of conduct for arms
exports»(—► point 1.3.6).
□ Development policy: the Council adopts a regulation introducing special incentives to com­
ply with international labour and environmental legislation into the generalised scheme of pref­
erences (—> point 1.3.51).
□ Africa: the Council adopts a common position on human rights, democratic principles, the
rule of law and good governance in Africa (­» point 1.3.115).
□ Cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs: the convention on jurisdiction and the
recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters is signed (­> point 1.4.5).
□ The Treaty of Amsterdam is ratified by Germany and Sweden (­» points 1.8.1 and 1.8.2).
Bull. EU 5­1998 I — Agenda 2000
3. The Council, taking account of its November 1997 Common agricultural policy
outcome, will proceed to the next stage of the negotia­
tion, recognising that the following key issues, inter 1.1. Council conclusions on Agenda 2000.
alia, have emerged as central to its work:
References: □ the necessity and the appropriate extent and time­
Proposals for Council regulations concerning scale for adjustment of support prices;
the reform of the common agricultural policy:
o the appropriate nature of compensation for support Bull. 3­1998, points 1.10 to 1.15
price cuts;
Conclusions of the Luxembourg European
□ the rules according to which Member State dis­Council: Bull. 12­1997, point ILI
cretion (for example in modulating payments) should
Adopted on 26 May. be exercised with regard to agricultural support;
o the role of production controls within the reformed The Council has adopted the following conclusions:
CAP, for example milk quotas;
1. The Agriculture Council has held an intensive ini­
o the promotion of the development of th