RESOLUTION B3-0170, 0172 and 0238/93

Resolution on the presentation of the new Commission and the statement by its President on its work guidelines

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 7 April 1992 on the results of the Intergovernmental Conferences and the Maastricht Treaty,

-having regard to its resolution of 10 June 1992 on the appointment of the President of the Commission,

-having regard to its resolution of 8 July 1992 on the appointment of the President of the Commission,

-having regard to Articles 10, 11 and 14 of the Merger Treaty,

-having regard to the Solemn Declaration of Stuttgart of 19 June 1983 and Rule 29 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to Article 158 of the Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht on 7 February 1992,

-having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 26 and 27 June 1992,

-having regard to the decision of the representatives of the governments of the Member States of the European Community of 21 December 1992 appointing the members of the Commission of the European Communities,

-having regard to the programme of the Commission for 1993-1994 of 26 January 1993 (SEC(93)0058),

A.mindful of the situation obtaining after the formal completion of the internal market and before the conclusion of the procedures for the ratification of the Treaty on European Union,

B.whereas the vote of confidence in the new Commission held pursuant to the Solemn Declaration of Stuttgart and Rule 29 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure is of particular importance in that it foreshadows the vote of appointment provided for in Article 158 of the Maastricht Treaty and has been preceded by the submission on the part of the Commission of a two-year programme covering the foreseeable duration of its term of office,

C.whereas today's vote of confidence and the vote of appointment starting in 1995 must not be simple formalities but must be used to reach a concrete political agreement between the Commission and Parliament resulting in a new form of cooperation between the two institutions,

D.whereas the peoples of the Community are becoming increasingly concerned about the economic and monetary situation, the employment crisis, the future of trade relations with the United States and Japan, the threats to the environment and the many threats to peace in the world, especially in the former Yugoslavia,

E.having regard, concerning the development of the Community, to the threats to the European Monetary System, the economic, political and institutional conditions required if enlargement is to succeed, the delays in the incorporation of the internal market directives into national legislation and the persistent uncertainty over the new common agricultural policy,

1.Disapproves of the action taken by the governments of the Member States when appointing the new Commission, particularly because of

-their failure to consult the President designate on the names of the Commissioners, despite his confirmation by a substantial vote of the European Parliament in July 1992,

-the inadequate representation of women in the Commission,

and believes that these mistakes will encumber the work of the Community/Union;

2.Congratulates the Members of the Commission on their appointment and reiterates its abovementioned resolutions of 10 June and 8 July 1992 on the appointment of the President;

3.Notes the new distribution of responsibilities to reflect the application of the Maastricht Treaty and welcomes the speed with which the portfolios have been assigned;

4.Welcomes the importance which the Commission claims to attach to its relations with the European Parliament and, with a view to the new relations which will be established by the Maastricht Treaty, believes the two institutions must increase their efforts to exchange information, to engage in dialogue and to cooperate. In the context of the revision of the 'code of conduct', the Commission should, in particular, seek to:

-place its relations with Parliament and the Council on the basis of absolute equality and undertake to forward strictly simultaneously to both institutions any official or unofficial information concerning the texts it prepares and plans to put forward,

-give Parliament and the Council absolute priority in the submission and notification of its general proposals and decisions, including its annual programme,

-identify, in proposals it submits to Parliament and the Council, provisions which it considers, given their importance and general scope, to be legislative texts, and undertake not to disregard the rejection of these provisions by a majority of Parliament's Members,

-ensure that Parliament is fully involved in implementing the principle of subsidiarity by submitting to Parliament for prior approval any decision to withdraw a draft or any proposal to repeal texts already adopted, on the understanding that such action should not constitute a veiled attack on the 'acquis communautaire',

5.Judges the paragraphs of the programme and the underlying proposals on transparency inadequate and insists once again on the need for detailed, pertinent proposals in this respect, particularly as far as the question of commitology is concerned: the agendas and minutes of the committees working in this field should be forwarded to Parliament;

6.Calls on the Commission to take the measures needed to improve the coordination of the policy of economic and social cohesion at the level of both the Commissioners' remits and the administrative services;

7.Regrets the weakness of the programme of work (1993-1994) in its present form, an administrative document that is timid and inadequate given the challenges the Community/Union must face, and therefore calls on the Commission to strengthen and clarify this programme in the following priority areas, with a view to pursuing an ambitious programme:

(a)in the economic and social field:

-more vigorous action by the Commission to support the growth initiative, benefiting from the Danish Presidency's commitment to this priority, and an accurate definition of the contributions which the Member States can and should make to it,

-ambitious proposals on industrial policy - an essential element if European competitiveness is to be preserved - taking advantage of the contribution that the judicious use of the competition and research policies can make,

-a strong commitment to the full implementation of the Social Charter, without which the internal market is in danger of causing serious imbalances and risks of social dumping,

-proposals designed to restore the credibility of the European Monetary System and to achieve the convergence needed for the implementation of the subsequent phases of the EMU,

-the adjustment of the CAP reform, particularly as regards beef and veal, the provision of the funds needed to honour the commitments undertaken, and the guarantee that the GATT agreements remain compatible with the reform of the CAP;

(b)in the environmental field:

-vigorous and sustained action to ensure that the requirements of environmental protection guide all the Community's policies,

-acceptance of the Community's/Union's responsibility and, therefore, of the role of trail-blazer in solving cross-frontier and global environmental problems,

-the promotion of a tax system that protects the environment,

-new proposals to protect the environment against oil and hazardous products transported by sea;

(c)free movement and internal policy:

-urgent measures to make up for the serious delays that have occurred in the achievement of complete freedom of movement and the use of every means at its disposal - including the application of the infringement procedure - to force the Member States to honour the commitments they have undertaken,

-the adoption of a common immigration policy based on a framework directive and of specific rules on the right of asylum, the reuniting of families, access to the labour market, vocational training and the fight against illegal immigration,

-urgent programmes of action and initiatives to step up the fight against racism and xenophobia at political, social and cultural level;

(d)common external and security policy:

-the fullest possible use of the new framework provided by the second pillar of the Treaty on European Union and the promotion of unity in the Community in the field of foreign policy even before the new Treaty enters into force;

8.As regards external action,

-calls on the Commission to ensure that the negotiations on enlargement are conducted not only for the purpose of complying with the principles established by the European Council in Lisbon on 26 and 27 June 1992 but also in the desire to strengthen the Community's decision-making powers and efficiency by any adjustments that may be needed,

-wishes to be provided with additional details both on the timetable of negotiations with the different categories of countries concerned and the institutional adjustments envisaged, and suggests that a major debate be held on this subject before the European Council meeting in Copenhagen,

-draws attention to the variety of threats to peace around the world and, in particular, to the dramatic events taking place near to the Community, in the former Yugoslavia, and calls on the Commission, however modest its present responsibilities in this area may be, to specify what different actions it feels it can and should take to help the communities tragically affected by the level of violence which is becoming more and more unbearable throughout the world; calls on the Commission to pursue its efforts to resolve the conflict by peaceful means and provide adequate humanitarian aid;

-calls on the Commission to oppose initiatives by the United States tending to introduce new forms of trade discrimination against the Community;

9.Reserves the right to verify the appropriateness of the new line taken by the Commission and its commitment in the months following the entry into force on the Treaty on European Union;

10.Urges greater coherence in information policy and, for this purpose, asks the Commission to make proposals in accordance with the conclusions of the group of experts with a view to launching an extensive information campaign on the operation of the internal market and the goals of political union;

11.Decides, therefore, having listened to the declarations made by the President of the Commission and taken careful note of the undertakings given by him, to give its vote of confidence to the new Commission and to approve its programme, provided that it is adapted to take account of the above observations;

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