Thirty-Eighth Review of the Council's Work 1 January to 31 December 1990
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General Secretariat of the Council of the European Communities THIRTY-EIGHTH REVIEW OF THE COUHCIL'S WORK 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 1990 General Secretariat of the Council of the European Communities THIRTY-EIGHTH REVIEW OF THE COUHCIL'S WORK 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 1990 Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1993 ISBN 92-824-0932-5 © ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1993 Printed in Germany Contents Introduction Chapter I — Functioning of the institutions 7 A — Council 7 Β — German unification 9 C — Institutional affairs 11 D — Parliamentary affairs 12 E — Court of Justice 24 F — Economic and Social Committee 25 G — Conventions 26 Chapter II — Internal market 29 A — Customs union — Free movement of goods — Approximation of laws — Rules on competition — Industrial policy 29 Β — Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 44 C — Intellectual property 53 Chapter III — Economic and social policy 57 A — Economic, financial and tax questions and export credits 57 Β — Social policy 64 C — Regional policy 73 D — Community energy policy 75 E — Transport 84 F — Research and technological development 94 G — Environment — Civil protection 98 H — Public health policy — Consumers 106 I — Education — Culture Ill Chapter IV — External relations and development cooperation 117 A — Commercial policy 117 Β — Relations with the industrialized countries 122 C — Relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union 129 D — Development cooperation 135 E — Relations with the ACP States and the overseas countries and territories 143 F — Mediterranean — Gulf States — Euro-Arab Dialogue 148 G — Latin America — Asia — South Africa 168 H — North-South Dialogue 176 Chapter V — Common fisheries policy 181 A — Community arrangements for the conservation and management of resources 181 Β — Fisheries structures policy 186 C — Common organization of the market 187 D — Fisheries relations between the Community and certain third countries 188 E — International organizations 196 F — German unification 197 Chapter VI — Common agricultural policy 199 A — Guidelines for the common agricultural policy 199 Β — Management of the common agricultural policy 208 C — International agricultural context 220 D — Harmonization of legislation 221 E — Agricultural structures policy 228 Chapter VII — Community budget — Staff Regulations 231 A — Financial perspective 231 Β — Budgetary procedures 234 C — Other budgetary matters 242 D — Staff Regulations 244 Table — Number of days spent on Council meetings and meetings of preparatory bodies 246 Abbreviations 247 Index 251 Introduction The year 1990 was one of significant progress towards European integration. In line with the agreements of principle reached at the European Councils in Strasbourg (8 and 9 December 1989) and Dublin (28 April and 25 and 26 June 1990) and the political guidelines laid down at the European Councils in Rome (2 7 and 28 October and 14 and 15 December 1990), two intergovernmental conferences opened in Rome on 15 December to amend the Treaties in order to set up a political union and an economic and monetary union. During that same year, the territory of the former German Democratic Republic became an integral part of the Federal Republic, and hence an integral part of the Communities also. The institutions coped with this exceptional turn of events by set• ting up, within a very short space of time, a unique legal mechanism whereby the new territory could be incorporated in an orderly and satisfactory manner. At the same time, the Community tried to find the quickest and most fitting ways of making an effective contribution to economic reconstruction in the other coun• tries of Central and Eastern Europe, whilst keeping open the possibility of negotiating closer forms of association in due course. The Community also sought to forge closer links with the EFTA countries by opening negotiations on the creation of a European Economic Area. Lastly, the Community took an active part in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) process and sought to extend and enhance its relations with the United States of America and Canada by means of transatlantic declarations. Regarding the Community's relations with other parts of the world, the June Euro• pean Council confirmed the will of the Community to act in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation with respect to those areas which, due to inadequate levels of development, necessitate an increased level of coordinated and multifaceted in• tervention of the Community and the Member States'. The Council thus emphasized that the Community's attention to the situation in Central and East European coun• tries in no way detracted from its commitment to the less-favoured countries and that the fears that had been expressed in some quarters in this regard were unfounded. Accordingly, the Council adopted, amongst other things, a set of precise guidelines for redirecting Mediterranean policy and for cooperation with the Asian and Latin American developing countries in the 1990s. This activity in the field of external relations went hand in hand with consolidation of internal achievements, in particular by speeding up the legislative process essential to completing the internal market in 1992, adoption of the third framework pro• gramme for research and technological development (1990-94) and a series of major decisions on environmental protection and transport. The ground was also prepared for implementation of the 'Social Charter', and the agreement reached, after long negotiation, on right of residence was a major step towards a true 'people's Europe'. During its 90 meetings in 1990 the Council adopted a total of 402 regulations, 127 decisions and 71 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. Ireland held the Presidency of the Council during the first half of 1990, and Italy during the second. The Presidents of the meetings during the first six months were: Mr Bertie Ahern Minister for Labour and Social Welfare Mr Searnus Brennan Minister for Tourism and Transport Mr Gerard Collins Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Pádraig Flynn Minister for the Environment Mrs Maire Geoghegan-Quinn Minister of State for European Affairs Mr Robert Molloy Minister for Energy Mr Rory O'Hanlon Minister for Health Mr Michael O'Kennedy Minister for Agriculture and Food Mr Desmond J. O'Malley Minister for Industry and Commerce Mrs Mary O'Rourke Minister for Education Mr Albert Reynolds Minister for Finance Mr Michael Smith Minister for Science and Technology Mr Joe Walsh Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food Mr John P. Wilson Minister for the Marine The Presidents of the meetings during the second six months were: Mr Adolfo Battaglia Minister for Industry, Trade and Craft Trades Mr Carlo Bernini Minister for Transport Mr Gerardo Bianco Minister for Education Mr Guido Carli Minister for the Treasury Mr Franco De Lorenzo Minister for Health Mr Gianni De Michelis Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Carlo Donat-Cattin Minister for Employment and Social Security Mr Ferdinando Facchiano Minister for Cultural Assets Mr Rino Formica Minister for Finance Mr Vito Lattanzio Minister for Civil Protection Mr Oscar Mammi Minister for Posts Mr Calogero Mannino Minister for Agriculture Mr Pierluigi Romita Minister for Community Policies Mr Emilio Rubbi State Secretary for the Treasury Mr Antonio Ruberti Minister for Scientific and Technological Research Mr Giorgio Ruffolo Minister for the Environment Mr Renato Ruggiero Minister for Foreign Trade Mr Vito Saccomandi Minister for Agriculture Mr Carlo Tognoli Minister for Tourism Mr Claudio Vitalone State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr Carlo Vizzini Minister for Merchant Shipping and Mr Piet Bukman, the Minister for Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Fisheries of the Netherlands. The 90 meetings during 1990 were devoted to the following subjects: 16 Agriculture 13 General affairs 10 Economic and financial affairs 7 Internal market 5 Environment' 4 Research 4 Industry 4 Transport 4 Development cooperation2 3 Labour and social affairs 3 Fisheries 3 Energy' 2 Education 2 Telecommunications 2 Budget 2 Consumer protection and information 2 Health 2 Cultural affairs 1 Civil protection 1 Tourism 1 Foreign trade Β — German unification 2. At its special meeting in Dublin on 28 April the European Council expressed its pleasure at the fact that German unification was taking place under a European roof, and its confidence that the integration of the territory of the German Democratic Republic into the Community would be a positive factor for Europe. It asked the Commission to submit proposals to the Council as soon as possible with a view to adoption of the necessary transitional measures, on the understanding that the Treaties should not be revised. 1 Including a joint meeting on energy and the environment. : Including one devoted solely to relations with the ACP States. In response to this request the Commission submitted a communication on 21 August with proposals for the technical adjustments and transitional measures necessary for integration of the territory of the former German Democratic Republic into the Community. Under the Treaty of Union concluded between the two German States on 31 August, the acquis communautaire was to be fully applicable in the ter• ritory of the united Germany from 3 October. In an initial stage coinciding with the establishment of the monetary, economic and social union between the two Germanys as a result of the 'Staatsvertrag' of 18 May 1990, the Council and the Commission had previously adopted measures creating as of 1 July a defacto customs union between the Community and the Ger• man Democratic Republic during the period preceding unification.' 3. As the process of German unification was to reach completion on 3 October, the Council did not have enough time to act on the proposals for technical adjustments and transitional measures submitted by the Commission.