A4-0321/98

Proposal for a Council Decision on the Community Statistical Programme 1998 to 2002 (COM(97)0735 - C4-0197/98 - 98/0012(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 3a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the equality of women and men is one of the objectives of the Community, and whereas the Community must seek in all its activities to eliminate inequality between women and men; whereas, in this respect, the production of separate statistics for women and men in all relevant policy areas is of vital importance; whereas, in the context of this programme, methods must be developed to obtain specific statistics for each sex;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 5a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, for the purposes of implementing this programme, a partnership should be established between the Commission, the national authorities and, where appropriate, their regional partners, and the respondents (households, individuals or companies);

(Amendment 3)

Recital 5b (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, when it presents its annual legislative programme, the Commission shall provide information on the state of progress of this partnership on the basis of an annual report drawn up by Eurostat;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 5c (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas objective and reliable statistics are very important for decision-making at European Union and Member State level; whereas the independence of Eurostat and the national statistics offices must be ensured and they should therefore be endowed with adequate financial resources;

(Amendment 5)

Recital 5d (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas within the European Union, the work of statisticians within the Community Statistical System and the transmission and publication of their work has remained and needs to remain independent from political pressure; whereas sufficient resources are needed in order to ensure this independence;

(Amendment 6)

Recital 5e (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas under the five-year statistical framework programme for the period 1998 to 2002, Eurostat and the national statistical offices will be faced with new challenges, such as the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, enlargement, the functioning of the single currency and in particular the development of harmonised statistics for the Euro area, the Growth and Stability Pact, the development and monitoring of the labour market and the preparations for the definitive VAT regime;

(Amendment 7)

Article 4

>Original text>

During the third year of implementation of the programme the Commission will present an intermediate report showing its stage of development.

>Text following EP vote>

During the third year of implementation of the programme the Commission will present

a mid-programme evaluation showing how the programme is developing.

>Original text>

At the end of the period covered by the programme the Commission, after consulting the Statistical Programme Committee, shall present an appropriate evaluation report on the implementation of the programme. That report is to be completed by the end of 2003 and subsequently submitted to the European Parliament and the Council.

>Text following EP vote>

At the end of the period covered by the programme the Commission, after consulting the Statistical Programme Committee, shall present an appropriate evaluation report on the implementation of the programme

, taking into account the views of independent experts. That report is to be completed by the end of 2003 and subsequently submitted to the European Parliament and the Council.

(Amendment 8)

Annex 1, Introduction (iii)(d), 1st subparagraph

>Original text>

Other areas of statistical data collection not covered above are nevertheless required for policy purposes.

>Text following EP vote>

Other areas of statistical data collection not covered above are nevertheless required for policy purposes.

Should any further substantial statistical requirement arise, these will be accompanied by corresponding budgetary appropriations.

(Amendment 9)

Annex 1, Title II, Summary, indents 2 to 4

>Original text>

* plan the development of a new generation of agricultural statistics with the aim to meet the future needs of the CAP;

>Text following EP vote>

*

plan the development of a new generation of agricultural statistics with the aim to meet the future needs of the CAP, thereby enabling forecasts to be made of the movement in agricultural spending in the various CAP areas;

>Original text>

* develop comparable data for the negotiations on the enlargement of the Union;

>Text following EP vote>

*

develop comparable data for the negotiations on the enlargement of the Union;

>Original text>

* consolidate and improve the fishery statistics data flows.

>Text following EP vote>

*

consolidate and improve the fishery statistics data flows to improve reliability, data availability, comparability and timeliness.

(Amendment 10)

Annex 1, Title VIII, Summary, indent 7

>Original text>

* the consolidation of Social Protection Statistics.

>Text following EP vote>

*

the consolidation of Social Protection Statistics, in particular improving availability of data concerning gender specific activities;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* pursuing the development of harmonised statistics relating to unemployment and the labour market.

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* the provision of common indicators to monitor employment measures within the framework of the four pillars of the Employment Guidelines;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* the comparability of statistical indicators used by the Member States and the reduction in the time-lapse in the collection of data;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* the provision of adequate statistical data in the field of education and training.

(Amendment 11)

Annex 1, Title XII, Summary, indents

>Original text>

* consolidating and improving trade statistics in the field of energy;

* develop a set of statistics on the environmental impact of energy.

>Text following EP vote>

*

consolidating and improving trade statistics in the field of energy to enable a real follow-up of the internal market in the energy domain;

* developing a set of statistics on the environmental impact of energy within the framework of the post-Kyoto strategy.

(Amendment 12)

Annex 1, Title XIII, Summary, indent 3

>Original text>

* the development of a set of future steel statistics;

>Text following EP vote>

*

the development of a set of future steel statistics compatible with current standards of quality and timeliness;

(Amendment 13)

Annex 1, Title XVI, Summary, indents

>Original text>

* pursue the development of environment statistics and improve their dissemination;

>Text following EP vote>

*

pursue the development of environment statistics, with the emphasis on the collection of basic data, and improve their dissemination;

>Original text>

* continue the production of pressure indexes;

>Text following EP vote>

*

continue the production of environmental indicators that can be related to the various sectors of the economy;

>Original text>

* develop a set of statistics linking environment and economy;

>Text following EP vote>

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develop a set of statistics linking environment and economy;

>Original text>

* develop a set of satellite accounts for the environment.

>Text following EP vote>

*

develop a set of satellite accounts for the environment with which developments in the areas of the economy, the environment and social affairs (including employment) can be jointly analysed;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* increase cooperation with the European Environment Agency.

(Amendment 14)

Annex 1, Title XVII, Summary, indent 2a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

* ensuring that technical cooperation with developing countries continues at the same level as in previous years.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on the Community Statistical Programme 1998 to 2002 (COM(97)0735 - C4-0197/98 - 98/0012(CNS))(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(97)0735 - 98/0012(CNS),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 213 of the Treaty (C4-0197/98),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, the Committee on External Economic Relations, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media, the Committee on Development and Cooperation, the Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on Fisheries and the Committee on Women's Rights (A4-0321/98),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

5. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.