A3-0223/94

Resolution on the future of the ECSC Treaty

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the provisions of the ECSC Treaty, in particular Articles 49 to 56 thereof,

-having regard to its resolution of 9 July 1992 on the future of the ECSC Treaty: budgetary and financial consequences,

-having regard to the Commission communication of 18 November 1992 on the future of the ECSC Treaty - financial activities (SEC(92) 1889 final),

-having regard to the working documents updating the communication of 18 November 1992, one issued on 21 April 1993 (SEC(93) 0625 final) and the other on 20 October 1993 (SEC(93) 1596 final),

-having regard to the conclusions of the Ministers for Industry meeting within the Council on 24 November 1992,

-having regard to the note of 10 June 1993 from the Danish Council Presidency and the French Government memorandum of 22 February 1993,

-having regard to the communication of 19 October 1993 from Mr Christophersen on the future of the ECSC Treaty - borrowing and lending activities (COM(93) 0512/3),

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinions of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy, the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology, and the Committee on Social Affairs, Employment and the Working Environment (A3-0223/94),

A.whereas the various approaches being proposed and the different 'illustrative scenarios' put forward have hitherto not been dealt with in any formal decision by the institutions concerned,

B.whereas 'phasing-out' of the ECSC Treaty has moved into an operational stage now that the 1994 ECSC operating budget has been drawn up,

C.having regard to the 'freeze' whereby the Council is continuing to withhold its assent to the loan applications submitted to it,

D.having regard to the Commission's failure to take practical steps to 'phase in' ECSC activities within the scope of the general budget,

1.Believes that there must be the necessary consultations and that the European Parliament, and the other appropriate partners must be involved in the decisions taken on the frame of reference currently being worked out;

2.Repeats its assertion that no scenario for phasing out ECSC activities will secure the endorsement of Parliament unless an appropriate match is provided by phasing in those activities within the scope of the general budget;

3.Points out in this connection that similar procedures must be applied to the general and ECSC budgets, thus making it possible to ascertain, in every succeeding year, that the match exists as called for above;

4.Expects the Commission, in accordance with the guidelines for the 1995 budget, to enter appropriations against the respective budgetary lines in the Community budget for 1995;

5.Takes the view that ECSC activities must be incorporated into or continued under the general budget, since this will serve to reduce the obligations to be discharged under the ECSC operating budget, by the careful management of reserves;

6.Calls for phasing-in to apply to research activities as well as to social and regional aid;

7.Believes that the opportunities afforded by the fourth framework programme should be exploited to the full, not least by making use of the directly relevant specific programmes and invoking the various objectives assigned to the Structural Funds, including Objective 4 of the European Social Fund;

8.Points out that early retirement must also be retained as a special measure and that arrangements to this effect must be laid down in the context of the structural funds;

9.Points out, however, that funds transferred from ECSC reserves or liquid assets should not, under any circumstances, be used as additional financing for phasing-in;

10.Calls on the Commission to indicate the impact of enlargement on the operating budget in view of the full participation of the prospective new Member States in ECSC funding;

11.Calls for the phasing out of the ECSC levy to be speeded up, in view of the considerable decline in competitiveness which the coal and steel industries are going through, so as to ensure that it is abolished as soon as possible:

12.Calls on the Commission, as far as borrowing and lending activities are concerned, to spell out its conclusions more clearly, both as regards cutting back on the activities and as regards their transfer or abolition;

13.Draws attention to the main conclusions reached by the Ministers for Industry meeting within the Council on 24 November 1992 and disputes the Commission's claim that borrowing and lending activities cannot be even partially reduced before 1997;

14.Considers that redevelopment loans (Article 56) with interest-rate subsidies could be phased out, given that the Copenhagen and Edinburgh European Councils took the decision to introduce similar facilities, but underlines the importance of prior consultation with the European Parliament and the other appropriate partners before taking a definitive decision in this area;

15.Considers that the Commission should reallocate loans for workers' subsidized housing to the aims of environmental improvement (including that of the housing affected) in ECSC regions, and especially for urban areas, so as to bring about the recovery of areas blighted by the effects of this economic activity;

16.Reiterates, moreover, the priority to be assigned to social measures connected with restructuring of the coal and steel sectors, and to research;

17.Regrets the failure of the restructuring undertaken by the Commission with the aim of restoring Europe's privately owned steel industry to economic health and calls on the Commission to make further efforts in that direction;

18.Calls on the Commission, in the light of certain suggestions put forward by Parliament, to complete its scenario for the run-up to the year 2002 so as to provide a clearer picture of the remaining funds which will be available at that time and remove the legal question marks over their availability;

19.Insists that Parliament has to deliver an opinion in the course of each ECSC budgetary procedure on the various matters pertaining to the future of the ECSC Treaty, basing its observations on a specific Commission communication updating the figures set out in the scenario initially submitted;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the report of which it forms part to the governments of the Member States, the Council, the Commission, and the ECSC Consultative Committee.