Bulletin of the European Union

Secretariat-General European Commission

Description

mars-02
Activities of the institutions and bodies
Target audience: Specialised/Technical

Sujets

• Periodical publication
• Union européenne
• Economie gestion

Informations

• Publié par: SECRETARIAT-GENERAL-EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 47
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

ISSN 0378-3693
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Β U L L Ε Τ I
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
3 Φ 2002 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 therefore read as
follows: Bull. 1/2-1994, point 1.1.1 or 2.2.3.
The Bulletin is also available on the Europa server
(http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/welcome.htm).
A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.
It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).
European Commission
Secretariat-General
B-1049 Brussels — Tel. [phone]
Senf to press in May 2002
© European Communities, 2002
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Β U L L Ε Τ I
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
3 · 2002 Bulletin information service
Readers can obtain information on developments since this issue went to press (date of adop­
tion of instruments by the Council, of opinions given by Parliament or the Economic and
Social Committee, of publication in the Official Journal, etc.) by telephoning the documenta­
tion service of the Commission Offices on the following numbers:
London (44-20)72 22 8122
Belfast (44-28) 90 24 07 08
Cardiff (44-29)20 37 16 31
Edinburgh (44-131 ) 225 20 5 8
Dublin (353-1)67122 44
References in the text s 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 Contents
Part One Activities in March 2002
News in brief 6
Barcelona European Council 7
8
Presidency conclusions
36
Future of the Union and institutional questions
39
Human rights
42
The Community economic and social area 42
44 Economic and monetary policy
45 Statistical system
50 Employment and social policy
55 Internal market
58 Competition
59 Enterprise
60 Research and technology
61 Information society
62 Economic and social cohesion
62 Outermost regions
63 Trans-European networks
66 Agriculture
Fisheries
Citizenship and quality of life 68
Area of freedom, security and justice 68
70 Union citizenship
70 Education and culture
71 Environment
78 Energy
Transport 79
82 Health and consumer protection
86 Enlargement
Role of the Union in the world 89
Common foreign and security policy 89
International organisations and conferences 94
Common commercial policy 95 Development cooperation 98
Humanitarian aid 101
Relations with the western Balkans 101 s with the southern Mediterranean and the Middle East 104
Relations with the countries of eastern Europe,
the Caucasus, central Asia and Mongolia 106
Relations with the United States, Japan and other industrialised countries 107 s with Asia 107
108 Relations with Latin America
109 ACP countries and OCTs
I I I Diplomatic relations
Financing Community activities, resource management 112
112 Budgets
114 Financial operations
Information and communication 115
116 Community law
Monitoring the application of Community law 116
Decisions by the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance 118
10 Community institutions 122
European Parliament 122
Council 123
Commission 128
129 Court of Auditors
129 European Investment Bank
131 Economic and Social Committee
132 Committee of the Regions
Part Two Documentation
1 The euro 134
135 2 Additional references in the Of
136 3 Index PART ONE
ACTIVITIES
IN MARCH 2002 News in brief
D Barcelona European Council: the European Council meeting is held in Barcelona on 15 and
16 March. This, the second of the annual spring meetings, focusing on economic, social and envi­
ronmental issues, provides an opportunity to take stock of progress in these areas under the strat­
egy set out in Lisbon in 2000. Besides reinforcing policies geared to full employment and the de­
velopment of a competitive knowledge­based economy, the European Council gives high priority
to the interconnection of European economies at the level of financial markets and energy, trans­
port and communications networks, urging the speedy adoption of legislation for the opening of
markets to this end. Reference is made also to the Euro­Mediterranean partnership, relations with
the United States and countries of the western Balkans, and the situation in Zimbabwe. A declara­
tion on the worsening Israeli­Palestinian conflict is also adopted (—) points 1.1 et seq.).
Π Economic and monetary union: the Commission presents a review of the introduction of
euro notes and coins (—> point 1.3.4).
Ü Employment: the Commission adopts a proposal for a directive on working conditions for
temporary workers (—> point 1.3.25) and a l for a e on the recognition of profes­
sional qualifications (—» point 1.3.32); a directive establishing a general framework for informing
and consulting employees in the European Community (—» point 1.3.22) and a directive on the or­
ganisation of the working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities (—» point
1.3.23) are signed by Parliament and the Council.
D Financial services: two directives regarding the solvency margin requirements for life assur­
ance and non­life insurance undertakings are signed by Parliament and the Council (—> point
1.3.33).
D Ozone: the Council adopts a decision approving the Beijing amendment to the Montreal Pro­
tocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (—» point 1.4.34).
Ü Satellite radio navigation: Council agreement is reached on the proposed regulation estab­
lishing the Galileo joint undertaking (—» point 1.4.44).
D Air transport: the proposal for a regulation on air carrier liability in the event of accidents is
approved by both Parliament and the Council (—> point 1.4.53); the directive introducing noise­re­
lated operating restrictions at airports is signed (—» point 1.4.52); the Commission adopts a pro­
posal for a regulation on protection against subsidisation and unfair pricing practices by
third­country airlines (—» point 1.4.54).
D Enlargement: the Commission adopts a report on macroeconomic developments and finan­
cial sector stability in candidate countries (—» point 1.5.1).
D Steel: the Commission adopts a regulation imposing provisional safeguard measures against
imports of certain steel products from non­member countries (—» point 1.6.40) and a safeguard in­
vestigation concerning imports of certain steel products is initiated (—» point 1.6.41).
D Development: an international conference on financing for development is held in Monterrey
(­»point 1.6.48).
D Jordan: the Council adopts a decision concluding the Euro­Mediterranean association agree­
ment (—» point 1.6.71 ).
Bull. EU 3­2002 I — Barcelona European Council
preneurship and a well-functioning internal mar­Barcelona, 15 and 16 March
ket, underpinned by full implementation of the
References: relevant directives in all the Member States, to be
Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council: the keys to growth and job creation, and wel­
Bull. 3-2000, points 1.5 and 1.17 comed the progress made in modemising Com­
Conclusions of the Stockholm European Coun­ munity competition rules. In addition, it identified
cil: Bull. 3-2001, points 1.2 to 1.26 three areas which were likely to be given priority
attention over the next 12 months:
/.7. Chaired by Mr Aznar, Head of the Spanish
Government and President of the European Coun­
D active policies geared to full employment by
cil, the meeting in Barcelona was attended by
means of an enhanced strategy creating more and
Mr Prodi, President of the Commission. The
better jobs, with particular emphasis on fiscal
meeting was preceded by a customary exchange
measures, whilst at the same time promoting
of views on the main agenda items with the Pres­
skills and mobility within the Union, particularly
ident of Parliament, Mr Cox, who had taken of­
in conjunction with the Commission's action plan
fice at the start of the year. The Heads of State or
to remove existing barriers by 2005;
Government and the foreign and finance minis­
ters also met with their counterparts from the D the need for interconnection of European
13 candidate countries. economies at the level of financial markets and
energy, transport and communications networks;
Following on from the Stockholm meeting in with this in mi