Bulletin of the European Union

Secretariat-General European Commission

Description

1/2, 2000
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: 171
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

ISSN 0378-3693
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Β U L L Ε Τ I
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
1/2 · 2000 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.
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).
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
Editorial team: rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200 — B-1049 Brussels —Tel. [phone]
Sent to press in April 2000
© European Communities, 2000
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Β U L L Ε Τ I
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
1/2 · 2000 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 81 22
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Cardiff (44-29)20 37 16 31
Edinburgh (44-131)225 20 58
(353-1)67122 44 Dublin
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
this Bulletin Publications cited in
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
BEF Belgian franc
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 January/February 2000
News in brief
Intergovernmental Conference 7
Human rights 10
The Community economic and social area 14
14 Economic and monetary policy
21 Statistical system
22 Employment and social policy
26 Internal market
33 Competition
47 Enterprise
48 Research and technology
49 Information society, telecommunications
50 Economic and social cohesion
54 Agriculture
56 Fisheries
Citizenship and quality of life 59
Area of freedom, security and justice 59
Citizens' rights 61
61 Education and culture
Environment 65
Energy 70
Transport 72
74 Health and consumer protection
5 Enlargement 78
6 Role of the Union in the World 83
Common foreign and security policy 83
International organisations and conferences 92
Common commercial policy 92
Development cooperation 99
Humanitarian aid 101
Relations with the western Balkans 102 s with the southern Mediterranean and the Middle East 106
Independent States of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia 108 United States, Japan and other industrialised countries 110
Asia 111
Latin America 113
ACP countries and OCTs 116
Diplomatic relations 123
Financing Community activities, resource management 124
Budgets 124
Protection of the Communities' financial interests
and the fight against fraud 126
Community law 127
Monitoring the application of Community law 127
Decisions by the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance 134
Institutional affairs 142
10 Community institutions 144
Parliament 144
146 Council
150 Commission
155 Court of Auditors
155 European Investment Bank
158 Economic and Social Committee
159 Committee of the Regions
Part Two Documentation
1 The euro 162
2 Additional references in the Official Journal 163
3 Corrigenda 167
4 Index 168 PART ONE
ACTIVITIES
IN JANUARY/
FEBRUARY 2000 News in brief
Π Intergovernmental Conference on institutional reform: the opening meeting is held in
Brussels on 14 February (—» point 1.1.5).
D Employment and social policy: the Commission adopts a communication entitled 'Strategies
for jobs in the information society' (—» point 1.3.23).
□ Research and technology: the Commission adopts a communication entitled 'Towards a Eu­
ropean research area' (—» point 1.3.113).
D Area of freedom, security and justice: the Commission adopts a Green Paper on legal aid in
civil matters (—» point 1.4.4) and a proposal for a regulation on the subject of visas for third­coun­
try nationals (—» point 1.4.3).
D Education and culture: the decision establishing the second phase of the Socrates pro­
gramme in the field of education (2000­06) is signed (—» point 1.4.17) and the decision establish­
ing the 'Culture 2000' programme (2000­04) is approved (­» point 1.4.23).
Π Environment: the Commission adopts a communication concerning a White Paper on envi­
ronmental liability (—> point 1.4.24).
D Energy: decisions are taken to adopt the Altener Π (1998­2002) (promotion of renewable en­
ergy sources) and SAVE II (1998­2002) (promotion of energy efficiency) programmes (—» points
1.4.45 and 1.4.47).
D Health and consumer protection: the Commission adopts a White Paper on food safety
(— ¥ point 1.4.59) and a communication on the precautionary principle (—* point 1.4.60).
Π Enlargement: accession negotiations are begun with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Ro­
mania and Slovakia (—» point 1.5.1).
D ACP countries: ACP­EU negotiations aimed at a new development partnership agreement
are concluded (—» point 1.6.138).
D Reform of the Commission: the Commission adopts a consultation document (—» point
1.10.9).
Π Commission work programme: the Commission adopts a communication on the 2000­05
strategic objectives entitled 'Shaping the new Europe' (—» point 1.10.12) together with its work
programme for 2000 (—» point 1.10.13).
Bull. EU 1/2­2000 1. Intergovernmental Conference
References: D for the European Parliament, the Commission
Parliament resolution on the method and timeta­ proposes that:
ble of the forthcoming institutional reform: Bull. — the upper limit of 700 for members of the Eu­
5­1999, point 1.8.7 ropean Parliament (MEPs) should be retained;
Committee of the Regions resolution on the next
— the European Parliament be asked to work out Intergovernmental Conference (IGC): Bull.
6­1999, point 1.8.2 a method of allocating members among the
Parliament resolution on the preparation of the Member States in the light of this upper limit;
reform of the Treaties and the next Intergovern­ — consideration be given to the possibility of mental Conference: Bull. 11­1999, point 1.10.2
electing a number of members on Union­wide Commission communication to the Council, Par­
lists; liament, the Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions entitled 'Adapting Ü as regards the Council, the Commission does
the institutions to make a success of enlargement': not rule out the possibility that the conference
Bull. 12­1999, point 1.9.2 might discuss more radical changes than the rec­
Parliament resolution on the Helsinki European ommendations which the Council submitted for Council: Bull. 12­1999, point 1.9.3
approval to the Helsinki European Council, re­Consultations on the convening of the Intergov­
quiring changes to the Treaties; ernmental Conference: Bull. 12­1999, point 1.9.4
Ü as regards its own structure, the Commission
1.1.1. Commission opinion on the calling of the proposes that:
Intergovernmental Conference. — its composition should be reviewed, with the
number of Commissioners set either at 20, us­Adopted on 26 January. Officially entitled
ing a system of rotation institutionalised in the 'Adapting the institutions to make a success of
Treaty while respecting strict equality between enlargement', the opinion delivered by the Com­
the Member States, or at one Commissioner mission in accordance with Article 48 of the
per r State combined with measures Treaty on European Union reflects the guidelines
fundamentally reorganising the Commission; laid down in its contribution for the Helsinki Eu­
ropean Council. — the undertaking given by each Commissioner
to resign if asked to do so by the President
should be formally incorporated into the Prior to setting out its proposal