ISSN 0378-3693 Bulletin of the European Communities Sam mission No 3 1988 Volume 21 The Bulletin of the European Communities reports on the activities of the Commission and the other Commumty institutions. It is edited by the Secretariat-General of the Commission (rue de Ia Loi 200, B-1 049 Brus­ sels) and published eleven t1mes a year (one issue covers July and August) in the official Community languages. 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 dig1t 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). Pflnted tn Belgium Bulletin of the European Communities Commission ECSC- EEC- EAEC Corrmission of the European Communities Secretariat -General Brussels No 3 1988 Volume 21 Sent to press in May 1988 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 abbrev1at1ons for the des1gnat1on of certatn monetary un1ts 1n the d1fferent languages of the Community ECU European currency un1t BFA Belg1sche frank I Franc beige DKR Dansk krone DM Deutsche Mark DR Greek drachma ESC Escudo FF Franc franc;:a1s HFL Nederlandse gulden (Hollandse florl]n) IRL lnsh pound I punt LFR Franc luxembourgeo1s LIT Ltra 1tal1ana PTA Peseta UKL Pound sterling USD Untted States dollar contents SPECIAL FEATURES 1 . Implementation of the Single European Act 8 2. Proposals on agricultural prices and related measures for 1988/89 14 3. Community- Central America dialogue 18 4. 'Europe 1922- The overall challenge' 19 5. News in brief 22 ACTIVITIES IN MARCH 1988 1 . Building the Community 24 - Economic and monetary policy 24 - Internal market 25 - Businesses 28 - Industrial strategy and services 29 - Research and technology 30 - Telecommunications, information industries and innovation 33 - Customs union and indirect taxation 34 - Competition 35 - Financial institutions and company law 43 - Employment. education and social policy 44 - Regional policy 47 - Coordination of structural instruments 47 - Environment and consumers 49 - Agriculture 54 - Fisheries 80 - Transport 82 - Energy 84 - Nuclear safety 85 2. External relations 86 - New multilateral trade negotiations 86 - Commercial policy 86 - Relations with industrialized countries 89 - Relations with other countries and regions 91 • Mediterranean countries 91 • Countries of the Gulf and the Arabian peninsula 93 • Asia 94 • Latin America 95 • State-trading countries 95 - Development 96 - International organizations and conferences 102 3. Financing Community activities 104 - Budgets 104 - Financial operations 107 4. Political and institutional matters 108 - European political cooperation 108 - European policy and relations between the institutions 109 - Institutions and organs of the Communities 109 • Parliament 109 • Council 117 • Commission 119 • Court of Justice 120 • Court of Auditors 132 • Economic and Social Committee 133 • ECSC Consultative Committee 135 • European Investment Bank 135 5. Statistics 137 '-''. ·" 4.~ w, '4. •• ·~~ « ~ • ' DOCUMENTATION 1. ECU 142 2. Additional references in the Official Journal 144 3. Infringement procedures 145 Supplements 1987 1/87 The Single Act: A new frontier-Programme of the Commission for 1987 2/87 25 March 1987-30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome 3/87 European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) *4/87 A fresh boost for culture in the European Community Supplements 1988 1 /88 Programme of the Commission for 1988 • In preparatoon SPECIAL FEATURES 1. Implementation of the Single European Act Initial reactions to the Brussels with Parliament to produce an interinsti­ tuti.onal agreement on budgetary discipline European Council whtch would last until 1992 and make 1.1.1. The high foint of Parliament's annual disputes over the budget a thing of March part-session was its debate, follow­ the past. On external relations, he spoke at ing speeches by Chancellor Kohl and Mr some length about the contribution which Delors, on the results of the Brussels Euro­ the revamped common agricultural policy pean Council in February. 2 In his speech, would make to improving the situation on Lord Plumb, President of Parliament, ex­ world markets. It was now up to the Com­ pressed his pleasure at the acceptance by munity's partners to follow suit and in the Twelve of at least some of the desiderata particular, to the US Congress to com~re­ he had pressed upon them. Most of the hend the implications and sacrifices Members who spoke expressed similar involved and in turn reject protectionism. qualified satisfaction: while they did not Finally, he set out the Council's priorities wish to question the contents of the pack­ for th~ ru~-up t~ the Hanover European age, most of them drew attention to the Counctl wtth a vtew to completion of the major issues not covered by the compromise internal market and pondered the further (the social area, monetary union and politi­ steps needed to make the development of cal cooperation). European Union irreversible: economic and monetary union and a common security policy. Speeches by Chancellor Kohl and Mr Delors The lessons for Mr Delors Chancellor Kohl's satisfaciton 1.1.3. Mr Delors welcomed the success of 1.1.2. In his speech, Chancellor Kohl, the European Council but noted that much President of the Council, ascribed much remained to be done, particularly a further of the. success of the February European boost for European Union. He felt there Councli 2 to the efforts, commitment and wer~ three lessons to be learned; confir­ creative approach of the Commission and matiOn of the validity of the method advo­ its President and to the preparatory work cated by Jean Monnet, namely that the accomplished prior to the Copenhagen greater the number of considerations enter­ European Council. 3 What had been ing into a decision, the clearer the case for achieved was more than just a compromise, getting all concerned to focus their efforts more than just conciliation of the interests on a higher, motivating objective (in this of the Member States; it was evidence of case, the single market) working to a firm the existence of a genuine firmly-knit Com­ schedule that they have all agreed upon; munity. acknowledgement of the fact that the inter­ dependence of European countries tends to After giving a rundown of the results prevail over differences of interest; and the obtained as regards the structural Funds, need for the Twelve to learn to live and the common agricultural policy and own prosper together. He restated his confidence ~esources, he pointed to the price now will­ in the ability of the Twelve to bring about mgly accepted: 'Every Member State will in t~e quiet revolution needed to complete the the coming years have to put more money smgle market by 1992, stressing both its into the coffers of Europe. But everyone knows that Europe is not to be had for nothing'. Turning to relations with Parlia­ I OJ c 94, 11.4.1988. ment, he stressed that the European Council Bull. EC 2-1988, pomt 1.1.1 et seq. had asked the Council to start a dialogue Bull. EC 12-1987, potnt 1.1.1 et seq. 8 Bull. EC 3-1988 Initial reactions to the Brussels European Council importance and the demands that it would taken into account by the Heads of State or make. Government at the European CounCil meeting in Brussels. This is brought out by the fact that the issue of annual ceilings on resources was held The three lessons to be learned over pending the outcome of the tnalogue on the from the European Council interinstitutional agreement ... 'I would just remind you that our aim was to equip Coping with diversity the Community with the means With wh1ch to put the Single Act into practice-the whole of the Act, The second point to emerge from Brussels was the and each and every one of the objectives set out need to cope With diversity. The interdependence in it: the single market, economic and social of European countries has to prevail over differ­ cohesion, the social dimension, the common policy ences of interest, however marked they may be. on research, strengthening of the European Monet­ When all is said and done, they share the same ary System on the path to economic and monetary higher interest. This interdependence means that union, and joint measures on the environment. We we need to learn a new way of communal life. are able to say that, on all these points, the Brussels It means that we have to learn a new way of agreement is a good agreement ... acknowledging differences for what they are. Let I propose to draw your attention to the work that me take just one example: if we managed to reach still has to be done and to the need to revive the an agreement on adapting the common agncul­ debate on the European Union. Before doing so, tural policy, it is because the Member States however, I should like to discuss three simple eventually accepted the demonstration-which things that we learned at the Brussels meeting: the you have often heard from me--of the diversity of validity of the method advocated by Jean Monnet, agncultural production models in the Community.