Bulletin of the European Communities Commission
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ISSN 0378-3693 Bulletin of the European Communities Commission No 10 1989 Volume 22 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 Brus sels) and published 11 times a year (one issue covers July and August) in the official Community languages. 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 1-1987, point 1.1.3 or 2.2.36. Supplements to the Bulletin are published in a separate series at irregular intervals. They contain official Commission material (e.g. communications to the Council, programmes, reports and proposals). © ECSC- EEC- EAEC, Brussels • Luxembourg, 1989 Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium Bulletin of the European Communities Commission ECSC- EEC- EAEC Commission of the European Communities Secretariat-General Brussels N0 10 1989 Volume 22 Sent to press in November 1989 Bulletin information service Readers can obtain information on developments since this issue went to press (date of adoption of instruments by the Council, of opinions given by Parliament or the Economic and Social Committee, .of publication in the Official Journal, etc.) by telephoning the document services of the Information Offices at the following numbers: London 222 8122 Belfast 240708 Cardiff 371631 Edinburgh 225 2058 Dublin 712244 References in text and footnotes References to other parts of the same issue of the Bulletin are given in parentheses in text, thus (-+ point 2.1.53). References to other issues of the Bulletin, to a Bulletin Supplement, to an Official Journal etc. are given in footnotes. Standardized abbreviations for the designation of certain monetary units in the different languages of the Community: ECU European currency unit BFR Belgische frank I Franc beige OKR Oansk krone OM Deutsche Mark OR Greek drachma ESC Escudo FF Franc fran4;ais HFL Nederlandse gulden (Hollandse florijn) IRL Irish pound I punt LFR Franc luxembourgeois LIT Lira italiana PTA Peseta UKL Pound sterling USO United States dollar contents SPECIAL PART ONE FEATURES 1. Coordinated aid to Poland and Hungary 8 2. Facing the challenges of the early 1990s 11 3. News in brief 14 ACTIVITIES PART TWO IN OCTOBER 1989 1. Building the Community 16 - Economic and monetary policy 16 - Internal market 16 - Customs union 20 -Taxation 22 - Enterprise 23 - Industrial strategy and services 23 - Research and technology 24 - Telecommunications, information technology and innovation 27 - Competition 28 - Employment and social policy 32 - Human resources, education, training and youth 34 - Information, communication and culture 34 - Regional policies 35 - Coordination of structural policies 37 - Environment 37 - Consumers 39 - Agriculture 39 - Fisheries 50 -Transport 53 -Energy 54 2. External relations 55 - Commercial policy 55 - Industrialized countries 56 - Mediterranean, Gulf and Arabian Peninsula countries 58 -Asia 58 - Latin America 59 - African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and overseas countries and territories 59 - General development cooperation 62 - International organizations and conferences 65 - Diplomatic relations 65 3. Intergovernmental cooperation 66 - European political cooperation (EPC) 66 4. Human rights and fundamental freedoms 67 5. Financing Community activities 69 6. Statistics 71 7. Institutions and organs of the Community 72 - Parliament 72 -Council 87 - Commission 90 - Court of Justice 91 - Economic and Social Committee 103 - European Investment Bank 104 ·PART THREE DOCUMENTATION 1. The ecu 108 2. Address by Mr Jacques Delors at the College of Europe in Bruges 110 3. Infringement procedures 118 4 Additional references in the Official Journal 120 5. Index 122 Supplements 1989 1/89 Statement on the broad lines of Commission policy and reply to the ensuing Parliamentary debate 2/89 Programme of the Commission for 1989 3/89 Takeover and other general bids 4/89 Medium-term Community action programme to foster the economic and social integration of the least privileged groups 5/89 Statute for a European company 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 PART ONE SPECIAL FEATURES 1. Coordinated aid to Poland and Hungary Follow-up to the Paris Summit over ECU 100 million. This outlay should be supplemented by at lea~t ECU 400 million from the Commumty Member 1.1.1. The Group of 24 countries taking States and the other members of the Group part in Operation Phare (assistance with out of their national budgets. economic recovery in Poland and Hungary) met for the second time in Brussels on 26 The 24 welcomed the broad lines and September 1 as part of th~ c~ordinat~on individual components of the plan and process set in motion at thetr first meetmf reaffirmed the need for action in the areas on 1 August 2 when Operation Phare in question. In one of these areas, namely was launched. The International Monetary the supply of food to Poland, they noted Fund the World Bank, the OECD and 4 that deliveries with a total value of USD the Paris Club attended the meeting as 271 million had already been decided on observers. The meeting was presented with by several participants (other countries a second memorandum from Hungary, also joined in during October). The 24 which was more explicit than that pre encouraged the Commission to conti~ue pared for the 1 August meeting, and with its coordination efforts, for whtch a memorandum from Poland. President special working parties were essential. Delors and Vice-President Andriessen They also contemplated a further high referred to the critical economic situation level meeting, which was later arranged in the two countries and the urgent need for 24 November. for swift action on the part of the 24, since what was at stake was the establishment in Poland and Hungary of political and economic systems based on democratic values. Action by the Community The Commission had assessed the assist ance already being provided, and had come 1.1.2. Following this meeting the Com to the conclusion that additional efforts mission had the task of translating the were needed from the industrialized action plan into practical Community countries. It took the view that it should measures. On 3 October the Council (Gen not only coordinate the operation but also eral Affairs) welcomed the general submit its own proposals, which was why approach of the action plan. In particular, it submitted to the 24 an action plan for it endorsed the proposal to enter a sum coordinated aid to Poland and Hungary of ECU 200 million in the 1990 budget reflecting the main priorities already ident for this purpose, and agreed in principle to the acceleration of the timetable for ified: food supplies (Poland) and the re~~ruc turing of agriculture, measures to facthtate the liberalization of specific quantitative access to markets, investment promotion, restrictions vis-a-vis Poland and Hungary vocational training schemes and environ and to agricultural and tariff concessions. mental measures. The plan is intended as a It also welcomed the proposal to make framework for action by the Community Poland and Hungary eligible for European and as an incentive for the other members Investment Bank loans guaranteed by the of the Group of 24 to take similar and Community budget. coordinated initiatives. The plan submitted by the Commission provides for a financial outlay of around ECU 200 million ~Y. t~e t Bull. EC 9-1989, points 2.2.7 and 2.2.8. Community from its 1990 budget. Thts ts m 2 Bull. EC 7/8-1989, point 1.1.6. addition to the counterpart fund in Poland 3 Bull. EC 7/8-1989, point 1.1.2. 4 The Paris Club, which consists of creditor countries, raised from the sale of agricultural products examines the procedures for managing the debts of given by the Community with a value of debtor countries. 8 Bull. EC 10-1989 Coordinated aid to Poland and Hungary 1.1.3. The Commission's first proposal to of the progress made in the six weeks or so the Council, adopted on 4 October, 1 con since the Agreement was signed, 7 on 19 cerned the European Investment Bank: the September, between the Community and Council was asked to encourage the Bank Poland aimed at the phased removal of to lend to those two countries and to adopt restrictions by the end of 1994. The Agree a decision whereby the Community would ment concluded with Hungary in 1988 pro guarantee the loans. The Commission esti vided for the phased removal of restrictions mated that the volume of loans over the in 1995. 8 next three years could be of the order of ECU 800 to 1 000 million. 1.1.6. Still in the area of market access, and in accordance with its action plan, on 1.1.4. The Commission had also submit 11 October the Commission adopted for ted a draft letter of amendment 2 introdu transmission to the Council a proposal9 cing in the 1990 budget an item with an amending its earlier proposals concerning appropriation of ECU 200 million for the the opening of the Community's generalized Community guarantee for the funding of tariff preferences for 1990 so that Poland the economic assistance in question. The and Hungary would also benefit from these Council meeting (Economic and Financial preferences.