Bulletin of the EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

tssN 0378.3693 Bulletin OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Commission rIStsHf No 3 1984 r---l Volum e 17 The Bulletin of the European communities reports on the activities of the Commission and the other Community institutions. lt is edited by the Secretariat-General of the Commission (rue de la Loi 200, B-1 049 Brussels) and published eleven times a year (one issue covers July and August) in the otlicial Community languages Spanish and Portuguese. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. 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. EC 1-1979, point 1.1.3 or 2.2.36' Supplements to the Bulletin are published in a separate senes af irregu- lar intervals. They contain otficial Commission material (e.9. communica- tions to the Council, programmes, repofts and prqosals). The Supple' ments do not aryoar in Spanish and Portuguese. Printed in Belgium \ Bulletin \ OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ECSC_EEC_EAEC Commission of the European Communities Secretariat-General Brussels No3 1984 Sent to press in May 1984 Volume 17 contents PART ONE PETfIi*'=, 1. Brussels European Council 2. Review of the common agricultural policy and adoption of agricultural prices for 1984/85 10 3. The EMS after five years 15 PART TWO fi,"Iix'-'i=r'1e84 1. Building the Community 18 - Economic and monetary policy 18 - lnternal market and industrial affairs 18 - lndustrial innovation and the information market 27 - Customs union 28 - Competition 29 - Financial institutions and taxation 33 - Employment, education and social policy 35 - Culture 39 - Regional policy 40 - Environment and consumers 42 - Agriculture 45 - Fisheries 54 - Transport 56 - Energy 59 - Nuclear safety 60 - Research and development 61 2. Enlargement and external relations 64 Enlargement and bilateral relations with applicant - countries 64 - Commercial policy 65 - Relations with industrialized countries 68 - Relations with other countries and regions 69 o Mediterranean countries 69 o State-trading countries 71 - Development 71 - lnternational organizations and conferences 75 - Diplomatic relations 76 3. Financing Community activities 77 4. lnstitutional and political matters 78 - European political cooperation 78 - European policy and relations between the institutions 81 lnstitutions and organs of the Communities 82 - o Parliament 82 o Council 92 o Commission 94 o Court of Justice 94 o Court of Auditors 102 o Economic and Social Committee 102 o ECSC Consultative Committee 104 o European lnvestment Bank 105 PART THREE DOCU M ENTATION 1. ECU 110 2. Additional references in the OfficialJournal 111 3. lnfringement procedures 111 4. European cultural identity 1'.t4 Publications of the European Communities Supplements 1 984 .1184 Unfair terms in contracts concluded with consumers ' ln preparation. \ PART @N[ E SPECIAL FEATURES \ \ \ Standardized abbroviations lor the designation ol certain monetary uniis in the difreront languages ol tho Community: ECU = European currency unit BFR = Belgische frank / Franc belge DKR = Dansk krone DM = Deutsche Mark DB = Greek drachma FF = Franc frangais HFL = Nederlandse gulden (Hollandse florijn) IBL : lrish pound / punt LFR = Franc luxembourgeois LIT = Lira italiana UKL : Pound sterling USD = United Statos dollar 1 . Brussels European Council 1.1.1. The first European Council of the liaments will then ratify the Treaties at the year took place in Brussels on 19 and 20 same time as they ratify the increase in own March, following intense preparationsl to resources); avoid a repetition of the failure in Athens.2 (iv) measures to contain the growth in Although a number of agreements were the Community budget, i.e. the question of conclusions reached on the basis of draft 'budgetary and financial discipline': firstly, drawn up by the French Presidency, the the growth in agricultural spending calcul- European Council was unable to agree on ated over three years must be kept below problem British a solution to the of the the rate of increase in the own resources contribution to the Community budget. base; secondly, the Council undertakes not partial agreements Since all the other to exceed the maximum rate of increase for reached on other matters were conditional non-compulsory expenditure as laid down in principle they upon an overall agreement, in Article 203 of the Treaty; became a dead letter. No conclusions were adopted and Mr Mitterrand, like Mr And- (v) the maximum VAT own resources rate reas Papandreou in Athens, said that it will be l.4o/o f.rom 1 January 1985, provided would be inappropriate to make any politi- the instruments for enlargement and the cal statements on the Middle East or East- creation of new own resources are ratified West relations, when no overall agreement by the national parliaments at the same had been reached on internal Community time; it is already envisaged that, subject to policy problems. a unanimous decision by the Council and ratification by the national parliaments, this Nevertheless, considerable progress was rate could be raised to 7.60/o on I made and subject to an overall agreement, January 1988. the following points were agreed: (i) confirmation of the agreement on the The discussion of the British budget contri- overall compromise regarding the reform of bution could be summed up in this way: the common agricultural policy obtained at was a mechanism necessary? If so, for how the Council meetings from 11 to 13 March long? On the basis of what figures? and 16 andlT March: limits to milk produc- The Ten agreed on the principle of the tion, flexibility of national quotas, advan- following mechanism: the imbalance to be tages for small-scale producers, fixing of corrected in a given country would be calcu- agricultural prices and the gradual disman- lated by comparing its share of VAT pay- tling of MCAs. However, the problems ments and its share of Community budget which the Agriculture Ministers had left for expenditure. Thus no account would be the European Council were not resolved taken of agricultural levies and customs dut- (special arrangements for Irish milk-lre- ies which belong to the Community and land pleading a vital national interest on which derive from purchases made outside this point-Community participation in the Community. The principle of Commun- compensation for German farmers follow- ity preference remained fundamental. ing the dismantling of the MCAs, measures Any imbalance above a certain threshold products to for other than milk). Solutions would be corrected to an extent varying these problems were found at the Council with the relative wealth of the Member meeting on 30 and 31 March;3 State in question. (ii) the launching of a number of new The correction would be made by a deduc- policies and the integrated. Mediterranean tion from the VAT own-resources payments programmesl an increase in financial resources allocated to the Funds; (iii) a decision to activate the enlargement I Bull. EC 1-1984, point 2.4.3; Bull. EC 2-1984, point 2.4.9. negotiations so that they could be com- 2 Bull. EC 12-1983, point l.l.l et seq. pleted by September this year (national par- 3 Point 1.2.7 et seq. Bull. EC 3-1984 Brussels European Council due from the country concerned the terrand's efforts and that he had been very following year. The resulting cost would cooperative and steadfast in seeking a sol- be divided among all the Member States ution. She hoped that the problems would according to their normal share of VAT be solved by the European Council in June payments. The mechanism would be Iinked or even earlier. to the lifetime of the new own resources set While Mr Bettino Craxi, the Italian Prime up by the decision to raise the VAT ceiling. Minister, spoke of a 'paralysed Community' This formula had been accepted by all the and Mr'Wilfried Martens, the Belgian Prime Member States. For the agreement to be- Minister, deplored 'the failure of the Euro- come operative, there had to be further pean Council and its inability to settle the agreement on the amount of the correction Community budget problem', the West that would be produced by application of German Chancellor, Mr Helmut Kohl, said the mechanism to the 1983 budget figures. that although the actual outcome has been This would then enable the Council to fix the worst imagined, Esential progress had the parameters of the mechanism (threshold nevertheless been made on a great many and rate of compensation). This was where specific matters. the difficulties arose: despite various com- promises offered, it proved impossible to 1.1.2. Mr Thorn told the press that the eliminate completely the gap between the Commission would prepare proposals to British Government and the other Member enable the Council to give shape to the States. points on which agreement had been reached within the European Council. Presi- Did that mean then, asked Mr Mitterrand dent Mitterrand had listed the points of President of the European Council, at his agreement and had also specified that these press conference, that Europe was in serious would be presented to the various Council difficulties over a matter of two or three meetings so that decisions could be taken hundred million ECU? Certainly not, but on them. negotiations had ended in discussions about principles. The fundamental principles of The Foreign Ministers accordingly met the Community had been called into ques- again on 27 March to resume discussions tion. on the basis of the draft conclusions of the Presidency. They confirmed the points of The United Kingdom's initial position had agreement and re-opened negotiations on been to include agricultural levies and cus- the issue which had proved the stumbling toms duties when calculating its contribu- block of the European Council, the British tion.

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