Community social policy

Directorate-General For The Internal Market And Services

Description

Intra-Community trade - free movement of goods
Social policy

Informations

• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INTERNAL-MARKET-AND-SERVICES
• Nombre de lectures: 24
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 48 Mo

Extrait

JULY 1994 Volume 6 n December 1989, the Heads of State or Government of
I11 Member States adopted the Community Charter
of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers. The
Commission published an action programme for the
implementation of this Charter.
In December 1993, the Commission presented its 'Third
report on the application of the Community Charter of
the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers'.
This booklet is one of a series of six publications on the
internal market.
The complete series of booklets covers
A common market for services
The elimination of frontier controls
Conditions for business cooperation
Public procurement
Internal market for energy
A new Community standards policy
Veterinary and plant health controls
Community social policy
© ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1994
Reproduction in whole or in part is authorized,
except for commercial purposes, provided that the source is acknowledged.
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of
the European Communities, 1994
This booklet: ISBN 92-826-7279-4
Set of six booklets : ISBN 92-826-7298-0
Printed in Belgium : 94mm mi
COMMUNITY SOCIAL POLICY
How to use this publication
Purpose of this series
(i) To inform the European public about the measures proposed
or adopted with a view to implementing the basic principles
set out in the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social
Rights of Workers and the Protocol on Social Policy appended
to the Treaty on European Union.
(ii) To summarize the strategies being pursued in the various
fields of activity.
(iii) To provide initial information and updates on the various
Commission proposals designed to implement the measures
in its action programme.
Contents
(i) Concise description of the Community's legislative pro­
cedures.
(ii) General introduction to the social issues arising in the internal
market.
(iii) Introductions to each individual area of social policy.
(iv) Summary of pre-Charter legislation in each area.
(v) Sections on the various measures proposed or taken to
ensure that there is an adequate social dimension to the
internal market. Where a measure has not yet been adopted,
information is given on the opinion of the European Parliament
and the current status of the proposal. For measures which
have been adopted, the deadline for implementation of the
legislation in the Member States is given, together with any
follow-up work and Commission implementing measures.
Finding information
(i) If you are unfamiliar with the Community's procedures for
passing legislation and making recommendations, refer first
to page iii.
(ii) An overall idea of the issues involved can then be obtained
from the general introduction to social measures on page 1.
(iii) Finally, consult the table of contents on page ix to find out
which sections are of interest to you.
For more detailed information on a specific measure, consult the
relevant issue of the Official Journal of the European Communities,
the reference number of which can be found in the information file.
Copies of the Official Journal are available from any of the sales
points listed on the inside back cover.
VOLUME 6 - JULY 1994 - EN Note to the reader
This publication provides a snapshot, as at 1 July 1994, of a situation which is evolving all the
time. It was designed as a documentary tool and does not bind the Commission in any way.
VOLUME 6 - JULY 1994 - EN 94mm III
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES
SUMMARY
To gain a better understanding of the information contained in the summaries, it is worthwhile
learning about the Community's legislative procedures. Each summary refers to a specific
measure desgned to facilitate the creation of the single market. In brief:
(i) the Commission, which enjoys decision-making and implementing powers, has a right of
initiative: it draws up proposals, which it submits to the Council;
(ii) the Council consists of members representing each Member State at ministerial level. Jointly
with Parliament and the Commission, the Council adopts Community instruments on the
basis of these proposals;
(iii) the European Parliament (elected by the citizens of the Community) examines these
proposals and participates, within the limits of its powers, in the adoption of Community acts ;
(iv) the Economic and Social Committee (consisting of representatives of employers, trade
unions and other interest groups) must be consulted on some of these proposals;
(v) the Committee of the Regions, consisting of representatives of local and regional authorities,
also has a consultative role in some fields.
1. LAWS AND OTHER MEASURES
Regulations
A regulation is a law which is binding and directly applicable in all Member States without
any implementing national legislation. Both the Council and the Commission can adopt
regulations.
Directives
A directive isan EC law binding on the Member States as to the result to be achieved, but the
choice of method is their own. In practice, national implementing legislation in the form
deemed appropriate in each Member State is necessary in most cases. This is an important
pointas businesses affected by a directive have to take account of the national implementing
legislation as well as the directive.
Decisions
A decision is binding entirely on those to whom it is addressed. No national implementing
legislation is required. The decisions summarized in this booklet are Council decisions
although in certain cases the Commission has the power to adopt Commission decisions.
Recommendations
A recommendation has no binding effect (it is not a law). Recommendations can be adopted
by both the Council and the Commission.
The majority of the measures included in this booklet are Council directives.
VOLUME 6 - JULY 1994 - EN III EC legislation from start to finish
(directives and regulations)
The consultation procedure The cooperation procedure
First reading
Adoption of a
common position
by the
Council of Ministers
Second reading
Examination of
common position
by Parliament <
Proposal
sent to Council European
for its opinion
Parliament's > \ amendments
1 Instrument
adopted
Instrument
Instrument
not
adopted
adopted
IV VOLUME 6 - JULY 1994 - EN 94i m tmi:
Co-decision procedure
First reading
Second reading
Instrument
adopted
Instrument
adopted
VOLUME 6 - JULY 1994 - EN 2. LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES
The best way of illustrating the Community decision-making procedures is to describe the
route leading to the adoption of a legislative instrument. The following text should be read in
conjunction with the charts set out above.
Since the Treaty on European Union entered into force on 1 November 1993, four different
procedures have existed for the adoption of a legislative instrument: the consultation , the assent procedure, the cooperation procedure and the co-decision procedure.
The procedure to be followed is determined by the article of the EC Treaty on which the
proposal is based and each Council instrument starts from a proposal addressed by the
Commission to the Council.
Under the consultation procedure, the Council seeks the opinion of the European Parliament
and, in most cases, that of the Economic and Social Committee. Once these opinions have
been delivered, the Commission may amend its proposal, if it so wishes. The proposal is then
examined by the Council, which may adopt it as it stands or after amending it. It can happen
that the Council does not reach agreement, in which case the proposal remains 'on the table'.
Parliamentary approval is obligatory in all cases subject to the assent procedure — as
regards the exercise of Community citizens' rights of free movement and residence. The
instrument is either adopted or rejected. Where it is rejected, the Council has to re-examine
the proposal until such time as Parliament gives its assent. Although unable to amend the text
submitted to it, Parliament thus enjoys to all intents and purposes a right of veto.
The cooperation procedure allows Parliament to amend aproposal submitted to it not on one,
but on two occasions. After consultingt and the Economic and Social Committee
and, where appropriate, the Committee of the Regions, the Council has to adopt a common
position. This is then transmitted to Parliament, which has three months in which to accept it,
reject it or propose amendments in second reading. The Commission re-examines its
proposal in the light of Parliament's amendments and sends it to the Council, which has to
take a final decision within three months. In the absence of a decision, the proposal will lapse.
The co-decision procedure is a three-phase procedure enabling Parliament to veto the
proposals placed before it. It follows the same course as the cooperation procedure up to the
second parliamentary reading. It differs from the latter procedure only in so far as it allows for
the convening of a committee to elucidate certain aspects of the Council's position in cases
where Parliament intends to reject