European Parliament resolution on the Commission's five-year Strategic Programme
29. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 339/255 European Parliament legislative resolution on the draft Council Act establishing the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union (9636/99 ! C5-0091/1999 and SN 5060/1999 ! C5-0331/1999 ! 1999/0809(CNS)) Thursday 17 February 2000 (Consultation procedure) The European Parliament, having regard to the draft Council act and revised draft act (9636/1999 and SN 5060/1999) (1), having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 34(2)(d) of the EU Treaty (C5-0331/1999), having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the report of the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (A5-0019/2000), 1. 2. Approves the draft Council Act as amended; Calls on the Council to alter its draft accordingly; 3. Calls on the Council to initiate without delay the relevant proceedings leading to the adoption, within the shortest possible time, of a set of rules to supplement, in an effective and detailed fashion, the regula- tions on the interception of communications, whilst fully safeguarding basic rights and freedoms and legal guarantees; 4. Calls on the Council to initiate without delay the relevant proceedings leading to the adoption, within the shortest possible time, of a set of rules to supplement, in an effective and detailed fashion, the regula- tions on videoconferences in hearings involving accused persons, co-defendants or persons under investi- gation, whilst fully safeguarding basic rights and freedoms and legal guarantees; 5. ment; 6. 7. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parlia- Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the draft substantially; Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council. (1) OJ C 251, 2. 9. 1999, p. 1. 6. Strategic objectives of the Commission B5-0143, 0144 and 0145/2000 European Parliament resolution on the Commission’s five-year Strategic Programme The European Parliament, 1. Welcomes the strategic objectives as set forth in the communication from the Commission; 2. Believes that the common objectives of EU policies, and of the reform of EU institutions, must be to put the European Union at the service of the citizen, requiring policies which reflect the priorities and aspirations of Europe’s citizens and institutions worthy of their trust; 3. Considers that this maiden global statement of the Commission’s medium-term vision, priorities and intentions represents an important step forward in the democratic accountability of the Commission to the people of Europe; C 339/256 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 11. 2000 Thursday 17 February 2000 4. Believes these objectives need to be developed through setting priorities, timetables and benchmarks; 5. Shares the Commission’s analysis of the four main challenges facing the European Union, but reminds the Commission that its first duty is to fulfil the expectations of Europe’s citizens; underlines, therefore, the special importance of economic, social, environmental and consumer protection issues; 6. Emphasises the overriding significance of making a success of EU enlargement; 7. Is in favour of an ambitious reform of the Institutions of the Union, as a necessary prerequisite to guarantee the success of enlargement, and the expeditious accession of candidate countries having met the required criteria; 8. Recognises, in addition to the need for political and financial programmes for the candidate coun- tries, that special attention must be paid to the countries of South-Eastern Europe, including those for which membership is not imminent; Promoting new forms of European governance: 9. Proposes an agenda for reform of the Union, commensurate with the ambitious enlargement pro- gramme, which enhances the Union’s legitimacy and aims to reconnect citizens with the European project, in particular through a form of governance which respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportion- ality; Strongly endorses internal reform of the Commission, Council and Parliament as essential to 10. improve the efficiency, openness and transparency of EU institutions; insists that the Commission, while becoming more transparent and focusing on core issues, must remain fully involved in the implementation and follow-up of EU policies; 11. Welcomes the fact that the Commission acknowledges the need to establish new forms of cooper- ation between the different levels of decision-making in Europe and looks forward to the White Paper on this subject being accompanied by specific steps in this direction; Insists that a Charter of Fundamental Rights focusing on the relationship between citizens and the 12. EU institutions must become an integral part of the new Treaty; On specific issues: Stresses that the next five years will be crucial in order to fulfil European commitments to the 13. Kyoto Conference regarding the 8 % reduction of CO2 before 2008; 14. In the light of the Treaties, insists on a clear demonstration to citizens of the added value and efficiency of Union action in the establishment of core Commission objectives and activities and in this regard calls on the Commission to identify the policies and programmes which should be subject to review and possible repeal; 15. Stresses that the most important economic and social achievement over the life of the new Com- mission will be to generate a successful European economy; welcomes the Commission’s commitment to full employment and believes that the closer co-ordination of employment and social policies at EU level can enhance the role of Member State governments and social partners in creating employment; 16. Welcomes the strategic objective of reducing the disparities between Europe’s regions and territories and calls for the timely preparation of the adjustment of the structural funds for the enlargement of the Union; 17. Insists on the development of an area of justice including a common asylum and immigration policy; urges the Commission to present the ‘scoreboard’ with priorities, firm deadlines and the financial and human resources necessary for this task; 29. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 339/257 Thursday 17 February 2000 18. Calls on the Commission, in view of the renewed threat of racism and intolerance, to strengthen its commitment to guaranteeing equal rights, equal opportunities and the protection of minorities throughout the Union, in order to ensure that all Europeans share in the benefits of growing prosperity, security and solidarity, which would sustain and support the development of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and diverse Europe; 19. Wishes to strengthen Europol to tackle cross-border crime and fraud, subject to appropriate accountability, including review by the European Court of Justice; Insists on the completion of the single market through the elaboration of a European framework for 20. e-commerce, an efficient implementation of the public procurement directives, the creation of more effi- cient public utilities and a single European company statute, with particular reference to small and med- ium-sized enterprises; this also requires additional objectives for the new economic and social agenda including the improvement of the working environment, basic social protection, gender mainstreaming and economic and social cohesion; 21. Welcomes the intention to restore consumer confidence in food safety, inter alia by the proposal to establish a European Food Authority; 22. Welcomes the proposal to improve air safety through the creation of a single European airspace and a European Air Safety Agency; 23. Welcomes the commitment to fostering effective cooperation with our immediate neighbours and underlines, in particular, the need to prioritise relations with the Mediterranean countries in addition to those countries on the EU’s eastern borders; calls in this context for a specific focus on strengthening the conflict-prevention capacities of the EU; 24. Underlines, in the light of the pending EU-Africa summit, the importance of developing stronger political relations between North and South, in addition to the existing role of the Commission in devel- opment cooperation; 25. Insists on the need to restore a millennium round of trade talks which includes the wider issues of protection of the environment, the widespread concerns of developing countries, public health and social concerns; welcomes the Commission’s commitment to boosting Europe’s voice in the world, particularly as regards the reform of global governance; emphasises that the aim of reforming the UN, the WTO and the international financial institutions must be to enhance their democratic dimension; Considers that the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy due to take place in 2002 should be 26. mentioned in the five-year working programme of the Commission; 27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council. * * *