. rssN t378.369ir LEBffiffiRY Bulletin OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES uommtsstonArr No 2 1984 Volum e 17 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, 8-1049 Brussels) and published eleven times a year (one issue covers July and August) in the otficial Community languages Spanish and Portuguese' 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 digit or digits the point number. citations should therefore read as follows: Bull. EC 1-1979, point 1 .1 .3 or 2.2'36. Suptements to the Bultetin are published in a separate senes at irregu- lar intervals. They contain officiat Commission material (e.9. communica- tions to the Council, Programmes, reports and prqosals). The Supple' ments do not aryear in Spnish and Portuguese. Printed in Belgium Bulletin OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ECSC_EEC-EAEC Commission of the European Communities Secretariat-General Brussels No2 1984 Sent to press in April 1984 Volume 17 contents PART ONE PET9Ii*''' 1. Draft Treaty establishing the European Union 7 2. Preparation for the Brussels European Council 28 3. lnformation technology Adoption of the first phase of the Esprit programme - 34 4. Future relations with Greenland 37 5. Commission programme 40 PART TWO fi,'IL'JILTRY 1e84 1. Building the Community 42 - Economic and monetary Policy 42 - lnternal market and industrial affairs 43 - lndustrial innovation and the information market 50 - Customs union 51 - Competition 52 - Financial institutions and taxation 58 - Employment, education and social policy 59 - Regional policy 62 - Environment and consumers 63 - Agriculture 65 - Fisheries 70 - Transport 72 - Energy 74 - Research and development 75 2. Enlargement and external relations 78 Enlargement and bilateral relations with applicant - countries 78 - Commercial policy 79 - Relations with industrialized countries 81 - Relations with other countries and regions 84 o Mediterranean countries 84 o Asia 85 o Latin America 85 - Development 85 - lnternational organizations and conferences 90 - Diplomatic relations 92 3. Financing Community activities 93 4. lnstitutional and political matters 94 - European political cooperation 94 - European policy and relations between the institutions 96 lnstitutions and organs of the Communities' 97 - o Parliament 97 o Council 't02 o Commission 103 o Court of Justice 105 o Economic and Social Committee 112 o European lnvestment Bank 115 PART THREE DOCU M ENTATION 1. ECU 120 2. Additional references in the Official Journal 121 3. lnfringement procedures 122 Publications of the European Communities Supplements 1 984 -1184 Unfair terms in contracts concluded with consumers ' l" p*p"r*- \ PART @[\[ E SPECIAL FEATURES \ \ Standardized abbrevialions lor lhs designation ol cortain monetary units in the ditferent languages of the Community: ECU = European currenry unit BFR = Bolgische frank / Franc b€lg€ DKR = Dansk krone DM = Deutsche Mark DR : Greek drachma FF = Franc frangais HFL : Nederlandse gulden (Hollandse florijn) IRL = lrish pound / punt LFR = Franc luxembourgeois LIT : Lira italiana UKL = Pound sterling USD = United Siatss dollar 1 . Draft Treaty establishing the European Union 1.1.1. On 14 February Parliament appro- simply by the Member States. This would ved the draft Treaty establishing the Euro- mean that the matters currently dealt with pean Union, presented by its Committee on in European political cooperation could be Institutional Affairs, by 237 votes to 31 with associated more closely with the institutions 43 abstentions.l The accompanying resolu- of the Union than would have been the case tion was passed by 238 votes to 32 with 34 under the terms of the resolution. abstentions. Article 82, on ratification and implementa- This was the culmination of well over tivo tion, is undoubtedly one of the most contro- years' work,2 which had begun f,iith the' versial articles. Parliament has agreed that, setting-up of the Committee on Institutional once the Treaty has been ratified by a ma- jority Affairs in July 1981.3 of the Member States representing two thirds of the population of the Com- President The of Parliament will now sub- munity, their governmenrs will meet at once mit the draft Treaty of Union to the national to decide on the procedures and date for governments parliaments. and The new Par- entry into force and on relations with the liament elected in June will take whatever Member States which have nor yet rarified. steps it thinks fit to take into account the Article 23(3), which, for a transitional expressed views by the national parlia- period of 10 years, sanctions unanimity vot- ments. ing within the Council of the Union in the The draft will be the mainspring of the event of a vital national interest being invo- forthcoming election campaign. ked by a Member Srate and recognized as such by the Commission, also caused con- There is Iittle difference in substance be- siderable dissent. tween the draft Treaty as finally adopted by Parliament and the original resolution4 Apart from these two major changes re- adopted in September 1,983.2 ferred tci above, the draft Treaty includes a number of other points that do not corre- However, two major changes have been spond entirely to the resolurion, notably: made. First, there is a new section contain- deletion of the clause 'The European Coun- ing general and final provisions, which were cil shall represent the identity of the Union' deliberately left out of the resolution. They (Article 737 of the resolution); deletion of lay down the procedures for entry into force the reference to framework laws, as all laws and revision of the Treaty and determina- are to be designed to leave as much leeway tion of the seat of the institutions, as well as possible for the authorities responsible as various technical provisions. for their implementation (Article 22 of rhe Second, important changes have been made resolution and Article 34(1) of the draft); to the section on international relations. elimination of the reference to 'potential The distinction made in the original resolu- competence' (Article 20 of the resolution) tion between economic external relations with the introduction of a procedure for on the one hand and diplomatic and politi- transferring new areas of competence to the cal relations on the other has been altered. Union; and tightening-up of the legislative Whereas the resolution places the former procedure of the Union ro eliminate loop- within the exclusive jurisdiction of the holes left in the preliminary draft (Article Union and provided for the latter to be dealt 130 of the resolution and Article 38 of the with by cooperation between the Member draft). States within the European Council, the draft Treaty introduces a more subtle dis- I OJ Cn, D.3.1984; for the views of the different political tinction, whereby matters dealt with by co- 2groups see point 2.4.12. operation could be delegated for purposes oJ c2n,17.10.1983; Bull. EC 9-1983, point t.l.l et seq. : Bull. EC7/8-1981, points 2.3.4 to 2.3.9. of implementation to the Commission and 4 Resolution conccrning the substance of the preliminary the Council rather than.being dealt with draft of the Trcaty estabhshing the European Union. Bull. EC 2-1984 European Union The texts of Parliament's resolution on the rent degree of unity, is compatible with the draft Treaty, of the draft Treaty itself and guidelines it adopted in its resolution of 14 extracts from the speech by Mr Gaston September 1983: Thorn, President of-the Commission, are Approves the preliminary draft, which given below her-eby becomes the draft Treaty establish- ing the European Union, and instructs its President to submit it to the parliaments Resolution on the draft Treaty and governments of the Member States; establishing the European Union Calls on the European Parliament which will be elected on 17 June 1984 to arrange contacts and meetings with 1.1.2. The European Parliament, all appropriate the national parliaments and to take any Having regard to its decision of 9 July 1981 other useful initiatives to enable it to take settingup a Committee on Institutional Af- account of the opinions and comments of fairs,l the national parliaments; Having regard to its resolution of 5 July Hopes that the Treaty establishing the 1982 concerning the reform of the Treaties European Union will ultimately be appro- and the achieve-ment of European Union,2 ved by all the Member States in accordance Having regard to its resolution of 14 Sep- with their respective constitutional proced- tembei 1983 concerning the substance of ures. the preliminary draft Treaty establishing the European Union,3 Having regard to the report of the Commit- . Draft Treaty establishing the tee on Institutional Affairs, European Union Persuaded that, having regard to the present difficulties, there is an urgent and vital need Preamble for a revival of European integration; such a revival should include a further develop- With a view to continuing and reviving the ment of existing policies, the introduction democratic unification of Europe, of which of new policies and the establishment of a the European Communities, the European new institutional balance; Monetary System and European Political Recalling that European Union has been Cooperation represent the first achiev-