Environment European Agency: implementation of certain activities

OBJECTIVE: to delay the Council decision to allocate new tasks to the European Environment Agency by two years (30 October 1997 instead of 30 October 1995) and to call on the Member States to take all the measures needed to complete the implementation of the observation network provided for by the regulation in 1996. CONTENT: Article 20 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1210/90 (OJ L 120/90) officially establishing the Europe Environment Agency makes provision for the Council to decide on further tasks to be allocated to the Agency within two years of the entry into force of the regulation. This decision therefore needs to be taken by 30 October 1995, following consultation of the European Parliament and on the basis of a report from the Commission with appropriate proposals. Given that the Agency only started operating in mid-1994 and will not be fully staffed until the end of 1995, the draft resolution considers that it would be preferable to wait until it has been operating for a full two years before making any decision on the allocation of new tasks (i.e. 30 October 1997). Meanwhile, the draft resolution has two objectives: - to confirm that all decisions on the allocation of new tasks will be taken by 30 October 97 at the latest and - to urge the Member States to take the action needed in 1996 to ensure that the Agency's observation network is operational. The tasks already allocated to the Agency do in fact depend upon having a complete European environment information and observation network (based on topic centers, national focal points and other basic elements), but it is taking a particularly long time to implement. The Commission is also called upon to use existing Community instruments to help Member States overcome any obstacles to the implementation of the network. Finally, the proposal reiterates that the regulation makes provision for third countries to join the Agency and therefore calls for agreements to be concluded with institutions in third countries which can supply the Agency with information on the basis of the procedure set out in Article 228 of the Treaty on European Union.�