Motion for a resolution, by Mrs Aglietta, on behalf of the Green Group; Mr De Clercq and Mr De Vries, on behalf af the LDR Group; Mr Rossetti, on behalf of the EUL Group; to wind up the debate on the Commission statement on the EEC-EFTA agreement.

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to statement by the Vice-President of the Commission on developments in EEC-EFTA relations,

B. whereas the Commission is in the process of drafting a negotiating brief for the conclusion of an association agreement between the EEC and the EFTA countries pursuant to Article 238 of the EEC Treaty,

C. whereas Article 238 of the EEC Treaty establishes through the assent procedure, a process of joint decision-marking by Parliament and the Council in this area,

D. whereas the European Parliament is shortly due to deliver an opinion in greater detail on the basis of report by its committee responsible,

1. reaffirms its support for the creation of European economic area and for the establishment of closer links between the European Community and EFTA, on the lines set out in its resolution of December 1989;

2. considers that a greater degree of integration between the Community and EFTA is a positive factor in relations with Central and Eastern Europe;

3. reaffirms that it is vital to safeguard the Community's autonomy in the decision-making process;

4. Advocates that, whatever the outcome of the negotiations both the European Parliament's existing prerogatives and powers and those vested in it by the future treaties on the European Union, should be respected;

5. Insists that Parliament should be involved, from the outset, in drafting the guidelines for the Community with respect to the negotiations and the conclusion of the agreement;

6. calls on the Commission to keep Parliament fully informed and more specifically, to forward the text of the negotiating brief to its committee responsible, which will apply the confidential procedure laid down in Annex VII of the Rules of Procedure;

7. request the Council not to give the Commission a negotiating brief until Parliament or its relevant committee has had an opportunity to express its views on the general direction yhat the negotiations should take;

8. request that a delegation of its Members be permitted to attend the negotiations as observers and to be informed in the same way as the committee provided for under Article 113 of the EEC Treaty;

9. instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the EFTA members states.