Official Journal C 374 Volume 42 of the European Communities 23 December 1999
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ISSN 0378–6986 Official Journal C 374 Volume 42 of the European Communities 23 December 1999 English edition Information and Notices Notice No Contents Page I Information ...... II Preparatory Acts Committee of the Regions Session of September 1999 1999/C 374/01 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission on A northern dimension for the policies of the Union’ . 1 1999/C 374/02 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Amended proposal for Council Directive on assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment’ . 9 1999/C 374/03 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 of 7 May 1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Information and Observation Network’ . 10 1999/C 374/04 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Commission report to the European Council “Better lawmaking 1998 — a shared responsibility”’ . 11 1999/C 374/05 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Institutional Aspects of Enlargement “Local and Regional Government at the heart of Europe”’ . 15 1999/C 374/06 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Implementation of EU law by the regions and local authorities’. 25 Price: 19,50 EUR EN (Continued overleaf) Notice No Contents (Continued) Page 1999/C 374/07 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘the Proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision amending Decision No. 1254/96/EC laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks’ . 30 1999/C 374/08 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication entitled Moderniz- ing the organization of work — A positive approach to change’ . 32 1999/C 374/09 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘1999 — International Year for Older People’......................................................................... 36 1999/C 374/10 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee Final Annual Report on progress in implementing the Action Plan for the Introduction of Advanced Television Services in Europe’ . 41 1999/C 374/11 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) concerning the financial instrument for the Environment (LIFE)’. 45 1999/C 374/12 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The Proposal for a Council recommendation providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States’ . 48 1999/C 374/13 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Independent local and regional authority initiatives as instruments of regional policy in a competitive Europe’. 51 1999/C 374/14 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The European Model of Sport’ . 56 1999/C 374/15 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Annual Report of the Cohesion Fund — 1997’ . 67 1999/C 374/16 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products’ 71 1999/C 374/17 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — The Common Transport Policy: Sustainable Mobility: Perspectives for the Future’ . 76 1999/C 374/18 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive amending Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorized dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic’ 82 1999/C 374/19 Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive on a transparent system of harmonised rules for driving restrictions on heavy goods vehicles involved in international transport on designated roads’. 85 EN 23.12.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 374/1 II (Preparatory Acts) COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission on A northern dimension for the policies of the Union’ (1999/C 374/01) THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS, having regard to the Communication from the Commission on A northern dimension for the policies of the Union (COM(1998) 589 final); having regard to the decision taken by the Bureau on 10 March 1999, under the fourth paragraph of Article 198C of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to draw up an Opinion on this subject and to instruct Commission 1 ‘Regional Policy, Structural Funds, Economic and Social Cohesion and Cross-border and Inter-regional Cooperation’ to draw up the relevant opinion; having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 107/99 rev. 1) adopted by Commission 1 on 30 June 1999 (Rapporteurs: Mr Kauppinen (FI/ELDR) and Mr Virtanen (FI/PES); having regard to the Committee of the Regions Opinion on The northern dimension of the European Union and cross-border cooperation on the border between the European Union and the Russian Federation and in the Barents region (CdR 10/96 fin)(1); having regard to the Committee of the Regions opinion on Current and future EU policy on the Baltic Sea region with specific reference to local and regional aspects (CdR 141/96 fin)(2); having regard to the Committee of the Regions opinion on Spatial Planning in Europe (CdR 340/96 fin)(3); having regard to the Committee of the Regions Opinion on Cross-border and transnational cooperation between local authorities (CdR 145/98 fin)(4); having regard to the report by DG XVI of 28 July 1997 on the Commission’s first meeting on the Northern Dimension held in Rovaniemi on 18 March 1997; having regard to the report of the European Parliament on the new strategy for arctic agriculture (1999); having regard to the draft report of the European Parliament on the Commission Communication on A northern dimension for the policies of the Union, (1) OJ C 337, 11.11.1996, p. 7. (2) OJ C 42, 10.2.1997, p. 6. (3) OJ C 116, 14.4.1997, p. 1. (4) OJ C 51, 22.2.1999, p. 21. C 374/2 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 23.12.1999 adopted the following opinion at its 30th plenary session of 15 and 16 September 1999 (meeting of 15 September). General comments both need to be taken into account when it is being developed. A specific issue which relates to the external relations of the northern dimension is how the EU-Russia border region and The Committee of the Regions is pleased to note that in cross-border cooperation should be developed. accordance with the proposals adopted by the Committee at its plenary session on 12 June 1996, the Commission has taken steps to define a European Union action programme on 1.4. Closer links with north-west Russia and greater cooper- the northern dimension. ation with the EU are, however, also extremely important to the EU as a whole, particularly as regards energy, transport, environmental and security policy, as well as the removal of The Finnish government’s initiative of 12 December 1998 and obstacles to trade. the European Council decision relating to it provided a good basis for the proposal by the Committee of the Regions to draw up a definition of the EU’s northern dimension and for 1.5. Besides Malta and Cyprus, the next enlargement of the the northern dimension to be taken into account in the EU’s EU will be to the east and the north, and the Baltic States and policies. the Baltic Sea will fall within this area. The Baltic will become an internal sea of the EU. As the accession of Finland and the other new Member States has given the EU a common border with Russia and many of the CIS states, it has been argued that a Mediterranean-style strategy is also necessary for the north. 1. Introduction: acquiring a northern dimension 1.6. The northern dimension has emerged in many different policy contexts. Because of low population density and climatic 1.1. Finnish and Swedish accession to the European Union factors, the northern dimension already became an issue during meant that the EU acquired a new northern dimension. The Finnish and Swedish membership negotiations. Regional, region is significantly different in terms of climate, location, structural and agricultural policy support has been directed at economic geography and geopolitics from other EU regions. the region on the grounds of its remoteness, severity of Northern regions are characterised by low population density climate, particularly low population density and border coop- and long distances, which also differentiate local and regional eration with Russia. The Agenda 2000 decisions taken in authorities in Nordic countries from those in the rest of spring 1999 guaranteed the continuation of these measures. Europe. 1.7. The role of northern regions overall has grown con- 1.2. In geographical terms the northern dimension siderably during the last decade. By now the cooperation in encompasses regions with difficult conditions. The northern the Baltic Sea region has developed into an outstanding periphery is a long way from the centre of the EU, which example of regional cooperation in Europe, encompassing entails higher costs for operators in the region. For example, nearly all areas of politics, society and the economy. the natural environment and weather conditions are harsh and unproductive. Taken together the above factors mean that the economy and industry in these regions have not reached the same level as in the EU’s wealthiest regions.