COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 27. 11.1996 CSE (96) 7 final BE'ITER LAWMAKING" 1996 Commission Report to the European Council on the application of the subsidiarity andproportionautyprinciples, on si1nplifi~tion and on consplidation CONTENTS Introduction.......................... " Proposalsforlegistatlon..................................... . Proposals complying with the subsidiarity principle. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 -Legislating at the proper level Altemativestolegislation ......................... . Withdrawal of obsolete proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Proposals more closely targeted on the objectives pUrsued ......... 4 Initiativestopromptdebate ............................ . Interplay between national and Community legislation. . . . . . . . . . . 6 Review of existing legbtatlon and more accessible instruments. . . . . " . . 7 Reviewofexistinglegislation........................... . More easily accessible instrmnents Conclusions ................................................ . Annex I: Ways of making instrmnents more easily accessible Annex II: Individual simplification and recasting exercises INTRODUCTION The Edinburgh European Council in December 1992 and the Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on procedures for implementing the subsidiarity principle require Commission to report annually on the application oftb.e principle. The Commission made annual reports in 19932 and 1994. From 1995 it felt the need to extend the report's coverage to all measures designed to ensure that legislation is enacted at the appropriate level and is simple and accessible to the citizen. The . 1995 "Better Lawmaking" Report" accordingly covers measures that effectively contribute to clarifying Community law and making it more accessible notably through simplification and consolidation. The Commission has taken the same line in 1996, as was made clear in the interim report to the Florence European Council in June. That report described measures taken and the main developments in the first half of the year and was well received by the European Council. As in 1995, then. the Commission's initiatives have been guided by two main lines of action: new legislative proposals meeting the tests ofdgour, clarity and transparency. This provides confirmation of the trend towards limiting the mnnber of new proposals, giving preference to ftamework directives, rationalizing the legislative framework while taking steps to prevent fraud, making greater use of alternatives to legislation, encouraging prior consultation and improving the interplay between national legislation and Community legislation; review of existinglegisiatlon and moreaccesdble instruments. The review process already under way is continuing. A new simplification technique has been put in place in the internal market context: SLIM. Many practical simplification and consolidation exercises have been launched. And new results have been achieved with the programmes of both formal and infoiml)l consolidation of Community legislation. All these measures reflect new legislative culture described in "Better Lawmaking" 1995. To facilitate implementation, the Cmnmission adopted new "general guidelines for 1 in the fonn of internal operating instructions legiutive policy" in January this year designed to improve efficiency in the legislative "'function through coordination, Concluded on 29 October 1993: Bull. 10-1993, point 22. COM(93)545 f'mal, transmitted to the BnJSsels EiJropean Council , 29 November 1993. COM(94)533 f'maI, transmitted to the Essen EiJropean Council, 2S November 1994. CSE(9.5)580 f'm81, transmitted to the Madrid F1Iropean Council, 24 November 1995. CSE(96)2 f'maI, transmitted to the Florence F1Iropean Council, 14 Jlme 1996. Annex I contains def'mitions of recasting and consolidation. Bull. 1/2-1996, point 1.10. 11. programming and evaluation They conflnn the move towards more intensive prior consultation and set out a list of requirements in the form of a checklist. Since then, the Commission has embarked on a review of existing review systems and has issued instructions to all departments to be mindful of fraud prevention when drafting legislative instruments. The Commission, of course, remains open to all exchanges of views with the Member States on improvements to the application of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles and on all matters relating to betterlawmaking. rROPOSALS FOR LEGISLATION prin.le Proposals complyinl with the ."sidlarity convening of the As the Commission stated in its Opinion of 27 February 1996 on the Europe must do less, so as to do it better. It has already Intergovernmental Conference made a start by giving effect to the subsidiarity principle enshrined in the Treaty. The Member States and the institutions must continue to advance along this road. This is the Community, national or regional only way Europe willfmd the most effective level ,,10 which to act. legislative business: where. the This principle has underpinned all the Commission's Community does not have exclusive powers, the Commission assesses the relevance of its action on the basis of criteria of necessity (could the same objectives be attained equally well by the Member States themselves?) and eft1dency (can these objectives be better attained by action at Community level?). Legislaticm at the appropriate level Only a limited number of new propOsals for legislation will have been sent to the Council and Parliament this year. Of the nineteen proposals for legislation scheduled in the work programme, six have been presented so far and a further five might be presented before the year is out. In the context of the SEM 2000 progrannne (phase ll) to combat ftaud, the Commission asked all departments, when drafting proposals with financial imPlications and right up to the fmal adoption stage, to ensure that they life capable of being l11onitored and protected against 1995 General Report on the Activities of the 00, Brussels, 1996, points 1007-1011. CJ attempted ftaud. There have been contacts with the Gennan and UK authorities this yellf. The Gennan Government in particular sent a report on the application of the subsidiarity principle in the s worlt Conununity in 1995, which offers a broadly favourable assessment of the Commission that year. "&i11forcing Political Union and Preparing for COM(96)90 fmal, Commission Opinion: Enlargement' paragraph 19, fourth subparagraph. p. An example will illustrate the Commission' s attitude to applying the subsidiarity principle. 1 it In the matter of the limitation of the emission oforganiccompounds,1 was .realized that action taken by the Member States alone would not achieve the objective pursued, namely the reduction of emissions of substances that contribute to ozone formation. as the problem transcended natio11al frontiers. CoI!JIIlmrity action - in the fonn of a directive was therefore called for. But to preserve maximum flexibility the proposed directive would empower the Member States to pursue the objective either by setting limit values for emissions or by adopting national plans to attain the same result by other means (e.g, agreements negotiated with industry), Its grounds in terms of subsidiarity are set out both in the preamble and in the explanatory memorandum, Alternatives to legislation In environmental matters, the Commission explores the possibilities of agreements negotiated with industry to give effect to objectives. It has adopted environment policy a communication12 and a recommendation13 to clarify the potential of such agreements so as to promote and facilitate the use of such instruments. It has adopted a ~de of conduct to give employers and the partners to collective agreements concluded at enterprise, industry or wider levels practical-advice to. help equal pay for work of equal value by men and women extending to all components of remuneratioIL secure the application of the principle of . Lastly, the Social Protocol offers- abundant opportunities for self-regulation through agreements between the social partners. One such agreement was concluded this year on parental leave; it was subsequently confirmed by a Commission proposal, 15 and the Council enacted a Directive transposing it into Community law,16 Since September negotiations have been in motion for another such agreement, relating to flexibility in working time. Withdrawal of obsolete proposals The Commission is continuing to withdraw proposals from time to time, when they are found to be no longer relevant (which may also be for reasons related to subsidiarity). It 17 One of them is the has recently withdrawn 48 pending prOposalS. proposal for a directive on a common definition of Community shipowner 18 which the Commission COM(96)538 fmal, transmitted on 6 November 1996. COM(96)561 fmal, adopted on 27 November 1996. C(96)3235 final, adopted on 27 November 1996. COM(%)336 fmal, transmitted on 18 July 1996. COM(96)26 fmal, transmitted on 29 February 1996. Directive 96/34/EC: OJ L 145, 19. 1996. Conunission document sent to the CoWlcil and Parliament on 21 November 1996. COM(89)226 fmal, transmitted to the Council on 18 May 1989 and to Parliament on 29 May 1989. European Council; this will complete the undertook to withdraw at the Edinburgh withdrawals foreseen on that occasion on subsidiarity grounds. Proposals more cIo"b' targeted on tb~ olQectives pursued The proportionality principle is another vital inspiration for legislative activity. It applied in the following forms, for instance: greater use of framework dkectlves, the technique followed in relation to 19 and for the revision of charging heavy gooth vehicles for use of irfrt1$tructure zo onpublic takeQver bids both ofwmch were on the Edinburgh list; the proposal the establishment of common minimum standards has been the preferred technique for guarantees and ofter-sales service in relation to consumer goods, where it was' realized that soft-law solutions and codes of conduct would not achieve the objective pursued, namely a minimum level of protection of The Commission consumers throughout the Union wherever they buy goods. accordingly opted for the approximation of the main pointS of national bodies of legislation. Initiatives to prompt d~bate Commission's concern to rethink the way Prior consultation is another reflection of the exercises its right of initiative. It enables the Commission to enter into discussions with interested parties on the different options before launching action.- It also gives it the opportunity of basing such action as it takes on the most open dialogue possible so that the subsidiarity and proportionality aspects can be properly assessed. it . Teaching and Learning: To take but one example, following its 1995 White Paper on Towards the Leaming Society,22 the Commission launched a wide-ranging debate on the issues at stake and the policy lines to be followed; one of its options culminated in this 23 which sets out among Learning in the Information Society, other things to promote the generalized use of multimedia teaching techniques in an envirornnent that is conducive to innovation. year's action plan entitled This year the Commission has devoted mUGh of its activity to stimulating debate. legal protection Since the year began it has so far published thirteen Green Papers, 24 on COM(96)331 fmal, transmitted on 13 November 199() . COM(95)()55 fmal, transmitted on8 February 199() . COM(95)520 fmal, transmitted on 23 August 19%. COM(95)590 fmal, transmitted to the Council on 4 December 1995. COM(96)471, transmitted to the Council on 4 October 1996. Among the legislative initiatives consumer (Xcess to and plans of action based on earlier debates, there are the proposals on Aulo/Ojl Programme (see justice (COM(95) 712 final, transmitted on 16 February 1996), the COM(96)313 fmeil, transmitted on 13 September 19%. Merger control: 6) and Green Papers set out initial avenues to be explored in some particular area where Connnunily review of the Merger--control Regulation, for encrypted services in the internal market 2S commercial communications, rl financial services,28 living and working in the irtformation society,29 the position and liability of the statutdry auditor 30 obstacles to transnational 32 numbering in mobility in education, training and research,31 jitture noise policy, telecommunications services 33 energyfor the jitture renewable sources 34 commerce and distribution,3S the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual an.dirtfonnation relations between the Union and the ACP countries. servicer6 and Two more Green Papers are in preparation and should be out by the end of the year on public procurement and pensIon jitnds. energy policy,39 air-traffic management Three WhIte Paperr8 have been issued, on and revitalizing the railways.41 Apart from its Green and White Papers, a significant rwmber of initiatives have been taken to la1Dlch debate, some of them on matters of great importance. They take the form of reports, communications or action plans. They include: taxation in the Union; a report on hnplementing Community envircnment law 43 general rsview of the Community's waste management strategy,44 standardization and.the global coIl1Immications on information society,4S equal opportunities for persons with disabilities 46 the prevention of sexual harassment at work.47 tkvelopment of the sociaI dialogue the action might be envisaged. COM(96)76 fmal, transmitted to 'the cowcn on 8 March 1996. COM(96)19 fmal, transmitted to the cowcn on 2 February 1996. COM(96)192 fmal, transmitted to the Council on 13 May 1996. COM(96)209 fmal, adopted on 29 May 1996. COM(96)389, fmal, transmitted on 2 August 1996. COM(96)338fmal, transmitted on 29 July 1996. COM(96)462 fmal, transmitted on 4 October 1996. COM(96)540 fmal, transmitted on 5 November 1996. COM(96)590 fmal, transmitted on 22 November 1996. COM(96)576 fmal. transmitted on 22 November 1996. COM(96)530 fmal, transmitted on 25 NoveIDber 1996. COM(96)483 fmal, transmitted on 12 November 1.996. COM(96)570 fmal, transmitted on 20 November 1996. White Papers present more precise options for Community actiolL COM(95)682 fmal, transmitted on 18 December 1995. COM(96)57 fmal, transmitted on 8 March 1996. COM(96)421 fmal, transmitted on 31 July 1996. SEC(96)487 fmal, dated 20 March 1996, and COM(96)546 fmal,4ransmitted on 23 October 1996. COM(96)500 fmal. transmitted on 5 November 1996. COM(96)399 final, transmitted on 1 August 1996. COM(96)359 fmal, transmitted on 2 August 1996. COM(96)406 fmal, transmitted on 2 August 1996. COM(96)373 final, transmitted on 26 July 1996. in relation to aid schemes;49 the at Community levers -and the de minimis rule environmental taxer, coIDlIlunlcations now in prep8IatiQIl include one on an action programme for integrated groundwater protection and nianagement, a work programme (or the introduction of a cO11l11lon system of VAT. The Commission Is also pursuing consultations with interested elides where specific research field, for expertise is helpful with the preparation of new proposals. In the instance, task forces have been set ~p with i11dustry to improve the impact and coordination of research activity in several areas of major technological interest. Likewise, the Auto/Oil Programme is the ftuit of scientific research .conducted in S2 In the field of competition technical cooperation with the oil and automotive industries. policy applying to enterprises, the Commission routinely consults interested circles before , regulations and interpretative notices. This year, for instance, it drafting directives cooperation between the Commission and the Member published a draft proposal on 85 and 86 States' competition aUthorities for the tipplication of Articles of the HC TreatY3 prior to transmission to the Economio and Social Committeearol the European Parliament. Intel1J~Y haw".. national and Co~monity legidatioD under For more than ten years now there has been a special information procedure Council Directive 83/189/EEC of26 March 1983, S4 whereby the Commission is informed of all new technic8I standards and regulations plarmed by the Member States. The Commission and the Member States can then identify any barriers to trade in the internal market which may ariSe and pinpoint the need for Community action. The result is to confine new Community measures to what is strictly necessary. The Commission's concern to extend the procedure to new areas prompted a proposal that isa proposal for extending the directive s coverage to irifonnation society services directive amending for the third time Directive 83/189/EHC to apply a similar ss notification procedure in this field The Commissions report of this year. on the operation in 1992, 1993 .and 1994 of Directive 83/1 89/EEC (infonnation procedure for technical standards and regulations) COM(96)448 fmal, transmitted on 23 September 1996. OJ C 68, 6.3. 1996. COM(96)315 fmal, transmitted on 9 September 1996. COM(96)328 fmal.. transm1tted on 23 July 1996. The A1.ltoiOiI package (COM(96)248 fmal, transmitted on 29 August 1996), consists .of: 1. a comn:wnication on future strategy for the control of atmospheric emissions ftom road transp 00; a proposal for a directive on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels; a proposal for a directive on measures to be taken against pollution by emissions from motor vehicles. OJ C 262, 10. 1996. OJ L 109, 26.4. 1983. COM(96)392 fmal, transmitted on 30 August 1996. shows that national rules and regulationsapplicabl~ to products in the single mar~t '8!e vastly greater in number, volume and complexity than Community measures. REVIEW OF EXISTING LEGISLATION AND MORE .CCFSSIJLE INSTaUMENTS Review of exlstlnlle8l.tIon As already stated, the Commission has . undertaken an extensive review of existing legislation with a view to lightening the burden. The proportionality principle, more strictly applied, commonly underpins these exercises. Business operators expect the Community - and the national - legislator to provide clear rules that .are easy to apply and do not impose excessive burdens. Improving legislation meets an aspiration of the general public and the business world. An Innovative linapllftcatlon medaodhas been applied lit the area of the internal market: SLIM (Simpler Legislation for the Internal MllrketJinitiative launched by the Commission in May 1996S'1 'and written into the Confidence Pact for Employment in Europe:s8 The novel aspect of tbisinitiative is that a few representatives of the Member States' authorities and an equal number of representatives of the legislation's business users are associated in small teams led by the Com:1'IJissi.on. At the pilot stage, four sectors have been selected: Intrastat(statistics on Community internal trade), CO1'J$truction products, recognition of qutJ/ifications The Florence Emopean ornamenttJ/ plants. and Council (21 and 22 June 1996) called on the Commission "It) submit to the Council before the end of the year the initial results of its initiative on practical simplification measures (SLIM)" The Commission accordingly sent the Council a reportS9 setting out . the recommendations for simplification made by the four SLIM groups examining legislation at.the pilot stage and its planned response. As regards Intrasta.t the Commission is already' taking measures to give effect to some of the SLIM Group s recommendations. It will be propo.;ing a simplification of the combined nomenclature to takeetrect on 1 January 1998. From 1997it will be making proposals relating to Directive 911682/EEC on the marketing of ornamental plants as well as . rationalization and simplification of certain aspects of the sectoral directives on recognition of qualifications. It will look into the possibility of simplifying .the provisions applicable to the occupations covered by these directives by transrernng them to the general mutual recognition system, which is due for review in 1999. And there will be Commission proposals for simplification of the legislation relating to construction products. In its report to the Council, the Commission gives a positive assessment of the S~IM working method It is planning to confunle the exercise and extend it to new sectors at a second stage. But if that is to be possible, the Member States will have to support the COM(96)286 fmal, transmitted on 27 June 1996. COM(96)204 fmal, transmitted on 13 May 1996. CSE(96)1 fmal, adopted on 5 June 1996. COM(96)559 fmal, transmitted on 8 November 1996. measures to simplify Commmrity legislation proposed by the Commission and devote , comparable attention to their nationallegislatirin where appropriate. ThesimpUfication process already In motion in five other areas has been pursued: The vast simplification process in energy is proceeding apace; The Commission's initial simplification report was laid before the Council in 1995. It proposed the repeal of fifteen instruments (relating to oil and rational energy use) and the recasting of one regulation.6o The Council subsequently resolved to repeal three regulations and five recommendations. This year a secOnd, fuller report went the Council. 61 It calls for the review of. general legislation. oil legislation and legislation governing nahn'al gas, electricity and energy efficiency. It also calls for the repeal of five later instruments. There will be a follow-up exercise in theCommission's two-yearly report on energy policy. In the context of simplification of environmental legislation, the Commission has announced a new water policy strategy, 62 to be followed bya ftamework directive that will replace at least five existing instruments. Likewise, the reform of the common agricultural policy is continuing its course: the Commission has presented a proposal for the refonn of the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetable productS.63 The proposal would recast all the existing legislationon the subject. The Commission has. also embarked on substantial reorientation of the basic rules goveI1linfi the organization of the market so that a raft of decisions taken hitherto at Community level will now be taken by producers' organizations under Commission supervision; here the Commission has also undertaken. a thorough review of the arable crops regulations. Regulation (Rb) N() 658/9664 replaces 27 implementing regulations enacted over the years and thus reduces substantially the volume of legislation to be consulted. To lighten the burden of formalities and administrativeob/igatio17S on small businesses the Commission: in the context of its proposal for a Coun9il Decision on a (1997- (1997- third multiannua/ programme for small and mediwn-sized enterprises in the European Union 2000)6S proposed more specific and more practical procedures to evaluate the impact of Cormmmity legislation on such businesses; Council Regulation No 1056/72 of 18 May 1972 on irwestment projects of interest to the . Community in the petrolewn. natural gas and electricity sectors: OJ L 120, 26. 1972. COM(96)320, transmitted on 11 July 1996. COM(96)59 tIDal, transmitted on 26 Februmy 1996. COM(95)434 tIDal, transmitted on 4 October 1996, adopted by the Cooncil on 28 October 1996. OJ L91, 124.1996. COM(96)98 tIDal, transmitted to the Council on 22 March 1996. adopted a Recommendatiori laying down a common definition of small and medium-$ized businesse! 6 to boost the. coherence and efficacity of the whole range of policies affecting small businesses and reduce the risk of distortions of competition; will present a recommendation by the end of this year to simplify administrative procedures imposed on newly-formed small and medium-$ized busiriesses in their relations with public authoritieS, especially at the initial formation stage; presented. a more general integrated programme for small and medium-$ized enterprise!7 aiming to set up a comprehensive project for the streamlined, transparent management of all the measures taken at whatever level - Community, national or regional. Still with a view to lightening the burden of administrative formalities the Commission has pressed ahead with the work of simplifying the rules of origin applicable in preferential trade relations between the Community and the associated countries of central and eastern Europe and EFTA. IIi December 1995 it presented a proposal for amendments to the Protocols to the Agreementsbetween the EC and the cowrtriesof central and eastern Europe and EFTA. 68 A second amended proposal will be approved by the end of the year. Lastly, there have been a number of specific COmmission Initiatives for shnpWleation or recasting, listed in ANNEX II. The Commission would recall, as it did in the introduction to its 1995 "Better. Lawmaking" Report and in the June 1996 interim report, that greater recourse to the recasting procedure depends on the conclusion of an interinstitutional agreement. If theEuropean ColD1cil- shares this approach" itsh9u1d call on the institutions to create the conditions for such an agreement as was done at Edinburgh as regards formal consolidation. The Commission. acting on its ongoing commifment, has entered this item 69 in its 1997 work programme. More easQy accesdble instruments The first point to be made here concerns the formal and express repeal of instruments or provisions that have lapsed or become obsolete. Having repeatedly ascertained that Community instnunents had often lapsed or become obsolete in whole or in part (where the objective pursued has been attained or where there is a change in the circumstarices of fact or law on which it depended) but had not been actually repealed, the COnn:nission decided for the sake of ce$inty in the law to take repeal mei!SUl'es as a matter of course. C(96)280 00: OJ L 107, 30. 1996. COM(96)329 final, transmitted on 16 July 1996. SEC(95)2122, transmitted on 4 December 1995. COM(96)507 final, transmitted on 23 October 1996. Consolidation work has continued An amended proposal for formal consolidation has been presented to the Comcil and Parliament concerning technical conservation measures for fishery resources.70 Three other such proposals should be presented by the end of the year: they concern and technical regulations and standards, machinery collective redundancies. In the areas of beet seed and the common catalogue of varieties the Commission has complete~ for Finnish and Swedish, the consolidation ex.ercises started last year.'1 The overall effect is the repeal of 58 instrmnents. Informal consolidation is also proceeding. Between the begimring of 1994 and October 1996, more than 160 basic instrmnents were consolidated, which involved about 2 000 instrmnents in all in nine or eleven languages. These have been made available through the Publications Office s sales network since the begimring of 1996; a catalogue is published each month. The Commission has published a containing fourteen veterinary directives guide gOverning the production, marketing and import of animal products for human consumption. to make it easier to read and understand the relevant legislation .and thus embark on simplification in this area. It has likewise adopted a recommendation on the use of a. common procurement vocahulary72 so as to standardize the concepts used in invitations to tender. COM(96)317 tIDal, transmitted on 9 July 1996. COM(95)622-02, transmitted on 19 September 1996; COM(95)628-03, . transmitted on 26 September 1996. C(96)1974: OJ L 222, 3. 1996. CONCLUSIONS , ).. . The 1996 "Better Lawmaking" Report demonstrates that the Commission.is continuing to work for the commitments it.has given - presenting proposals for new legislation based ona rigorous drafting process respecting the subsidiarity and proportionality principle and reviewing existing legislation to make it simpler and more easily accessible. The Commission is resolved to make further progress along these lines. But it is looking for more genuine cooperation, with the institutions and the Member States playing their full part. The Florence European COuncil shared this view on 22 1une when. upon presentation of the Commissions interim report on subsidiarity and proportionality, it called on the Community institutions and the Member States to reiriforce their action along these lines' The point of subsidiarity is not to protect this or that interest .as circumstances may seem to require. It carmot be appli~"a la carte . As the Commission stated in its 1997 Work Subsidiarity and proportionality must not be used as pretexts to call into question all that the Community has already achieved or to return to the intergovernmental method, which is neither efficient nor democratic. Programme: And "better lawmaking" is not just a task for the Commission; the other institutions and the Member States, as national legislators. must also be active in this respect. National rules and regulations are the commonest source of legislative and .administrative burdens. 73 By the Resolution on legislative and administrative simplification in the internal market, 74 the Member States undertook to promote a culture of simplification and to review .the possibilities of simplifying existing legislation. It is vital that these. undertakings be complied with so as not to jeopardize the efforts being made at Community level. This point is made particularly clearly in the Commission commlU1ication on the impm:t and effectiveness oj the intemd market: COM(96)520 final, transmitted on 8 November 1"996. OJ C 224 8.1996. ANNEX INSTRUMENTS TO HELP MAKE LEGISLATION MORE ACCESS1BLE Recasting Formal consolidation Informal consolidation: involves amending an existing instrument by repealing it and incorporating the amendments in a new instrument. legislative or formal consolidation involves the adoption of a new legal instrument, incorporating and repealing the instruments being consolidated, without changing their substance (i.e. the opposite of recasting, which presupposes amendments to the substance). Consolidation may be vertical (the new legal instrument incorporates a single basic instrument and subsequent amendments thereto) or horizontal (the new instrument incorporates several basic instrmnents in one field). has no legal effect in itself The incorporation of various amendments in the basic instrument does not require the adoption of a new instrument. In practice informal consolidation amomts simply to an exercise in informatiOn and clarification by the CoIIlIIlission. ANNEX IIIl Specific simplification .andrecasting initiatives Proposal for simplification or amendment of six directives relating to foodstuffs (honey, coffee and chicory extracts, preserved milk, cocoa ood chocolate, fruit juices ood Similar products, certain auglll"S,jams and marmalarks). The aim here is to abolish the specific provisions of these vertical directives that are now covered by the provisions of horizontal directives relating to labelling, additives, hygiene, etc. Commission Regulation applying Article 85(3) of the EC Treaty to certain categories of technology transfer agreements which merges and simplifies the provisions of two instruments (themselves repealed) as regards patent and know-how licensing agreements. Proposal for a Commission Regulation amending Council Regulation No 4064/89 (Merger-Control Regulation), to provide for more efficient control of mergers with a Community dimension and change the thresholds for the Regulation to be triggered. Measures to simplify and clarify the legal framework for State aids and reduce the administrative burdel\ notably: new Community framework for aids to the man-made fibres industry; changes to the Community ftamework for aids to small businesS; updating of the guidelines for scrutiny of aids to fuheries and fish-flll"ming. Proposal for amendment of Directive .9012197 on the contained use of genetically to simplify tlie administrative procedures. modified micro-organisms Proposal for a Directive establishing a system of mutual recognition of qualifications in respect of the professional activities covered by liberalization directives and laying down transitional measureSJ to improve and simplify the rules governing crafts and trades. 35 existing directives would be repealed COM(95)722 fmal, transmitted on 30 May 1996. Regulation (EC) No 240196: OJ L 31, 9.2.1996, p. COM(96)313fmal, transmitted on 13 September 1996. OJ C 94, 30. 1996. OJ C 213, 23. 1996. . To be published shortly. OJ L 117, 8.5. 1990, . COM(95)640 fmal, transmitted on 28 March 1996. COM(96)22 final, transmitted on 9 February 1996. ANNEX IY2 Proposal for a Directive on the apprClXim4tion of the law$, regulations and administrative provisions 0/ the MetnhlJr States relating to the ,classification packaging and lablJlling o/dangerous preparations,IO being a recasting of Directive 88/379/EEC. Amended proposal for amenchnent of Directive 89/552/EECII Television without frontiers to make the legal ftamework clearer, more certain and more effective . and thus promote the development of television broadcasting in the Union. The recasting of legislationreIating to agricultural tractors currently consisting of a ftamework directive and 23 specific directives is in progress. TheCommission believes that the proposal for recasting the framework directive can be made in the first half of 1997 and the proposal for recasting all the instruments by the end of 1998. COM(96)347 fmal, transmitted on 19 July 1996. COM(96)200 fmal, transmitted on 7 May 1996; the Council adopted a common position on 8 July 1996.