Adapting a number of instruments to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny, "omnibus" Regulation, Part Five

The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the report by József SZAJER (EPP-HU) amending, under first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council adapting a number of instruments subject to the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty to Council Decision 1999/468/EC with regard to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny (RPS) – Adaptation to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny - Part Five.

The committee made certain amendments to both Directive 64/432/EEC and Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000. These amendments are intended to expand the areas to which the regulatory procedure with scrutiny will apply.

It should be recalled that in response to the Parliament's resolution adopted on 23 September 2008 which contained recommendations to the Commission as regards comitology alignment, the European Commission presented this proposal, covering only two legislative acts to be adapted to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

Among the remaining 12 acts from the Parliament's list, six were found to have already been aligned, one act not suitable for alignment as it was not being covered by codecision, one act adopted after the new comitology procedure was available, and four acts not containing (in the view of the Commission) provisions falling under the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

The Rapporteur proposed to the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety that this package should be adopted as soon as possible, in order for the RPS procedure to start applying to the two acts before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon (which contains important provisions on delegated acts, which will replace RPS, but which will take time to be adopted via codecision).

The present draft Report thus contains only one amendment, but other amendments will most probably be received separately from the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in its formal Opinion.

With regard to the other acts from the list annexed to its resolution, the Parliament should reserve its right to verify the findings of the Commission, and act accordingly in the near future.