Cultural heritage: Community action programme 1997-2000, Raphaël

In its opinion on the common position, the Commission states that, while in general it accepts the adjustments made by the Council in its common position (particularly regarding the structure of the programme), it considers the budget proposed by the Council to be far too small in relation to the objectives and the measures to be taken under the programme. Meanwhile, as regards commitology, the Commission suggests that the evaluation report which the Commission is to submit to the committee after two years of implementation of the programme should be purely informative and should be presented outside the ambit of any 'commitology' procedures. The Commission considers that these procedures apply only in cases where it possesses implementary powers. The evaluation report concerning the results of Raphael should not constitute a proposal for measures to be adopted. Otherwise the Council would be required to state its position a priori (under the management committee procedure) on a report which the Commission is required to submit to it by virtue of its own institutional powers. The Commission expresses itself in favour of deleting the provisions concerning the regular evaluation reports (Article 11) to be submitted to the EP and Council, after consultation of the committee, and the individual projects of more than ECU 30 000 which are likewise to be submitted to the committee; the Commission considers the management committee procedure too cumbersome for dealing with these. �