Thirty-Seventh Review of the Council's Work
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General Secretariat of the Council of the European Communities THIRTY-SEVENTH REVIEW OF THE COUNCILS WORK 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 1989 General Secretariat of the Council of the European Communities THIRTY-SEVENTH REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL'S WORK 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 1989 Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1992 ISBN 92-824-0778-0 Catalogue number: BX-59-90-031-EN-C © ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1990 Printed in Germany Contents Introduction 5 CHAPTER I — Functioning of the Institutions 7 A — Council 7 Β — Institutional affairs 9 C — Parliamentary affairs 10 D — Court of Justice 14 E — Economic and Social Committee 22 F — Conventions 23 CHAPTER II — Internal market 27 A — Free movement of goods — Customs union — Rules on competition — Industrial policy and approximation of laws — Iron and steel industry 27 Β — Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 36 C — Intellectual property 48 CHAPTER HI — Economic and social policy 51 A — Economic, financial and tax questions and export credits 51 Β — Social policy 57 C — Regional policy 69 D — Preparation of a Community energy policy 70 E — Transport 79 F — Research and technological development 88 G — Environment 92 H — Public health policy 97 I — Education x 98 J — Culture — Consumers 103 CHAPTER IV — External relations and development cooperation 107 A — Commercial policy 107 Β — Relations with the industrialized countries 113 C — Relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe 119 D — Development cooperation 125 E — Relations with the AC Ρ States and the overseas countries and territories 129 F — Mediterranean — Gulf States — EuroArab Dialogue 134 G — Latin America — Asia 150 H — North-South Dialogue 153 CHAPTER V — Common fisheries policy 159 A — Community arrangements for conservation and management of resources 159 Β — Common organization of the market 164 C — Fisheries structures policy 166 D — Fisheries relations between the Community and certain third countries 167 E — International organizations 173 CHAPTER VI — Common agricultural policy 175 A — Guidelines for the common agricultural policy 175 Β — Management of the common agricultural policy 182 C — Coordination of the Member States' position in an international context 194 D — Harmonization of legislation 195 E — Agricultural structures policy 201 CHAPTER VII — Community budget — Staff Regulations 207 A — Annual adjustment to the financial perspective 207 Β — Budgetary procedures 207 C — Other budgetary matters 214 D — Staff Regulations 215 Table 219 List of abbreviations 221 Index 225 Introduction The Community made a confident start to 1989: the agreement reached at the begin• ning of 1988 had ended several years (almost a decade) of internal conflicts linked directly or indirectly to the question of the financing of Community policies. It was therefore clear that, freed from any major internal tension, the Community could concentrate on its own development in 1989. In 1989 the objectives of the Single European Act began to be realized: the European Council was able to consider that the movement towards the single market had become 'irreversible', since more than half the necessary legislation had been adopted by the Council. Furthermore, the prospect of economic and monetary union ceased to be purely a theoretical concept: throughout the year those working in the Com• munity at all levels cleared the way towards this essential objective of European in• tegration, and the conclusions of the European Council in Madrid and Strasbourg resulted in a political commitment to hold an intergovernmental conference on this subject before the end of 1990. Even if there had been no other outstanding events in 1989, this significant change in the climate and outlook would have been enough to give 1989 a very special place in the history of the Community. In addition to this rediscovered confidence, observers both within and outside the Community were unanimous in finding that the Community, having settled its own problems, was asserting itself internationally as a protagonist fully aware of its role and its responsibilities, whether in strengthen• ing its relations with the rest of the industrialized world and in particular the EFTA countries, Japan and the United States, seeking greater cooperation with the Mediterranean countries, solidarity with the less-favoured countries of Asia and Latin America or strengthening its special links with the ACP countries. Towards the end of the year, some completely different events helped to make 1989 a special year: the upheavals in the neighbouring countries of Central and Eastern Europe which led to the collapse of a geopolitical order which had remained un• changed for more than a generation. At the moment the curtain is slowly rising on a completely new scene, all the aspects and the full potential of which are even now (early 1990) not easy to discern. With its new dynamism, the Community was clearly in a good position to play a leading role (particularly in the Group of 24) in defining policy towards its neighbours in Eastern Europe and in the movement of solidarity to provide the aid essential in oilfields. At the same time, since all the ideas and schemes for the organization of the continent of Europe were now called into question, the Community began to con• sider the possible configuration of the new Europe in the longer term and the Com• munity's role in it. At the end of 1989, discussions on defining new contractual relations with the Com• munity's partners in EFTA were well under way and ideas on future relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe were beginning to take shape. The con• tinuation of this delicate process, which forms part of what is now known as the new European architecture, will be one of the Council's main tasks in 1990. The flexibility and adaptability of the Council and the bodies responsible for prepar• ing its discussions enabled it to deal with the unexpected events of 1989 without slow• ing down the continuing legislative process which building the Community requires. Each of the Community's many policies has been pursued and developed on the basis of the jointly defined general objectives and this is particularly true for all those which are linked directly or indirectly to the achievement of the single market. On all these issues the Council gave the necessary political impetus and sought the essen• tial compromise solutions in close collaboration with the Commission and the Euro• pean Parliament. This was the case with Community action infields as varied as the environment, technical and financial harmonization, the common agricultural policy, research programmes, social policy, transport policy, negotiations for the fourth Lomé Convention, strengthening relations with other trading partners throughout the world, and many other issues. In its position at the centre of the Community's decision-making process and with the special responsibilities that entails, the Council endeavoured in 1989, as in previous years, to reconcile the legitimate interests and points of view of all the Member States so that the Community could progress towards an ever closer union of the countries and peoples of which it is composed. In conclusion, during its 89 meetings in 1989 the Council adopted a total of 410 Regulations, 151 Decisions and 80 Directives. This Review, like previous editions, has been drawn up by the General Secretariat of the Council and is intended as a work of reference for the public. Chapter I — Functioning of the institutions A — Council 1. Spain held the Presidency of the Council during the first half of 1989, and France during the second. The Presidents of the meetings during the first six months were: Mr C. Aranzadi Minister for Industry and Energy Mr J. Barrionuevo Peña Minister for Transport, Tourism and Communications Mr M. Chaves González Minister for Labour and Social Security Mr F. Fernández Ordóñez Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr J. Garcia Vargas Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs Mr E. Mugica Herzog Minister for Justice Mr C. Romero Herrera Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Mr J. L. Saenz Cosculluela Minister for Public Works and Town Planning Mr J. Semprún Minister for Culture Mr J. Solana Madariaga Minister for Education and Science Mr R Solbes State Secretary for the European Communities Mr C. Solchaga Catalán Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Mr L. Yáñez Barnuevo State Secretary for International Cooperation and Latin America The Presidents of the meetings during the second six months were: Mr R Bérégovoy Minister of State, Ministry of Economic and Financial Affairs and the Budget Mr M. Charasse Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance and the Budget, with responsibility for the Budget Mrs É. Cresson Minister for European Affairs Mr H. Curien Minister for Research and Technology Mr M. Delebarre Minister for Infrastructure, Housing, Transport and the . Sea Mr R. Dumas Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr C. Évin Minister for Solidarity and for Health and Social Security Mr R. Fauroux Minister for Industry and Town and Country Planning Mr L. Jospin Minister of State, Ministry for Education, Youth and Sport Mr B. Lalonde State Secretary for the Environment (Prime Minister's Office) Mr J. Mellick Minister for the Sea (Ministry of Transport and the Sea) Mr H. Nallet Minister for Agriculture Mrs V. Neiertz State Secretary for Consumer Affairs (attached