RESOLUTION A3-0043/93

Resolution on the conclusion and adaptation of interinstitutional agreements

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Treaty on European Union of 7 February 1992,

-having regard to its resolution of 7 April 1992 on the results of the intergovernmental conferences,

-having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Interinstitutional Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security and the Committee on External Economic Relations (A3-0043/93),

A.whereas there is a need to adapt extensively the existing interinstitutional agreements in anticipation of the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union, and to conclude new agreements to take account of the 'acquis' of the Treaty,

B.whereas it is appropriate to respond to a growing concern among European citizens by making the Community decision-making process more transparent, thereby helping to reduce the democratic deficit in the Community,

C.whereas the principal areas in which interinstitutional agreements are required are Economic and Monetary Union, the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), the Community's international agreements and the Community legislative process,

D.whereas the practice of concluding interinstitutional agreements between the Council, the Commission and Parliament has transferred legislative responsibilities to Parliament and has improved the legislative procedure and relations between the three institutions,

1.Calls on the Council and Commission to negotiate and conclude inter-institutional agreements in the following areas: Economic and Monetary Union, the CFSP, the Community's international agreements and the Community legislative process;

2.As regards Economic and Monetary Union, calls on the Commission and the Council to conclude with the European Parliament an agreement on the application in the field of economic and monetary affairs and exchange rate systems, and in respect of the appointment of officials to the institutions of EMU, of the following principles: democratic accountability, openness, transparency and reduction of the democratic deficit;

3.Proposes that, in the economic field, the Council and Commission should commit themselves to working by agreement with Parliament in the formulation and updating of the broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and the Community, in the assessment of convergence programmes of Member States, in recommendations concerning excessive deficits and the use of sanctions, and in the drafting of secondary legislation regarding EMU;

4.Demands that the appointment of members of the Monetary Committee and of the Economic and Finance Committee as well as the investiture of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank should be subject to Parliament's approval;

5.Insists that, as regards the CFSP, Parliament's views must be duly taken into consideration on fundamental CFSP choices, which presupposes that it must be kept regularly informed by the Presidency and the Commission; a follow-up mechanism in respect of action taken must be implemented, as must a procedure for taking Parliament's recommendations into consideration on the most important decisions (peace-keeping and external military actions -Article J.7 of the Treaty on European Union);

6.Believes that, as far as accession is concerned, the agreement should enable its appropriate committees, in particular the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security, to conduct a dialogue with the Commission from the stage at which the latter draws up its opinion, so as to provide further information for use in its preparation; always subject to confidentiality, the Commission and Council should inform the committee responsible regularly on progress made in the negotiations, so that Parliament's position can be taken into account as the negotiations progress;

7.Believes that, so far as association is concerned, it must be informed not only of the substance but also of the details of the negotiating brief which the Council intends to give the Commission; furthermore, during the negotiations, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security must be kept abreast of any difficulties and must point out the main problems which might prevent Parliament from giving its assent;

8.Believes that, as regards implementation of Article 228a of the Treaty on European Union, relating to sanctions, the Council must consult Parliament before decisions are taken, if necessary through the relevant committee;

9.Believes that the Commission must seek the opinion of the Court of Justice if Parliament asks it to do so because it has doubts about whether an agreement complies with Community law;

10.Believes that, in application of the provisions relating to the CFSP, the Council and Commission must be represented at the highest possible level at meetings of the relevant committee and must agree to the introduction of Question Time - to take place in camera - in the committee; the institutions must establish among themselves a computer network for the transmission of documents such as draft declarations;

11.Believes that the Council must consult the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security in advance on the common positions and actions which it intends to adopt or undertake, if necessary through the committee's bureau; declarations should be forwarded as a priority to the committee chairman before being distributed; a period of grace of a few hours would enable Parliament to voice its reservations on a particular text before the latter was published;

12.Believes that, at the end of its six months' term of office, each presidency must forward to Parliament a written report on the action taken in response to Parliament's initiatives; the report should refer explicitly to all the proposals put forward and should indicate the action taken in the case of each of them; a similar exercise must be taken by the Commission in relation to its own specific powers;

13.Believes that, as regards international agreements, in which Parliament and the Council share responsibility for the decision-making process, Parliament must participate on the same footing as the Council both in drawing up negotiating directives and in monitoring the negotiations; in accordance with parliamentary tradition, the European Parliament may be represented at international conferences on such terms as to enable it to remain fully informed when exercising its powers in relation to the CFSP and to the assent procedure;

14.Believes that, as regards the legislative process, Parliament's impact on the consultation procedure, including the requirement that it be consulted again, pursuant to the judgment of the Court of Justice of 16 July 1992, and on the cooperation procedure, must be clearly stipulated;

15.Mandates, by virtue of this resolution, its Delegation to the Interinstitutional Conference to negotiate these agreements with the Council and the Commission;

16.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments of the Member States.