Glossary of Institutions, policies and enlargement of the European Union
(Starting with "R")
©
European Communities, 1995-2007
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REACH
(regulatory framework for chemicals)
The "REACH" system establishes a single
regulatory framework for the registration, evaluation
and authorisation of chemicals. The aim is to ensure
greater safety in the manufacture and use of chemical
substances.
REACH will require operators to gather
full information on the properties of substances of
which they manufacture or import at least one tonne
per year and to demonstrate safety of use. Previous
legislation required the authorities of the Member
States to prove the existence of a risk in order to
ban a substance. This reversal of the burden of proof
allows the procedure to be more effective.
This information must then be sent
to the European Chemicals Agency created for the purpose.
The Agency, located in Helsinki, will manage registration
of the substances by setting up a database. Unregistered
substances may not be manufactured in the European
Union or imported into the EU market.
The authorities of the Member States
assess the registration dossiers and the substances
giving cause for concern. They are also responsible
for granting or refusing authorisations for substances
posing a risk to health or the environment. Restrictions
remain possible for certain dangerous substances,
but the procedure will henceforth be simpler.
Adopted at the end of 2006, the REACH
system replaces 40 previous legislative acts. Under
the previous legislation, chemicals placed on the
market before 1981 (nearly 99% of those now in circulation)
were not subject to testing. Moreover, since it was
unduly slow, the previous procedure penalised innovation
and the replacement of substances available on the
market.
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Recasting
of legislation
The recasting of legislation means
the adoption, when an amendment is made to a basic
instrument, of a new legal instrument which incorporates
the said amendment into the basic instrument, but
repeals and replaces the latter. Unlike formal consolidation,
it involves changes of substance. It also gives a
comprehensive overview of an area of legislation.
The new legal instrument is published in the Official
Journal (L series).
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Reinforced
qualified majority
When the Council acts without a Commission
Proposal being necessary (in the fields of foreign
policy and common security or police and judicial
cooperation in criminal matters), the qualified majority
must include at least two thirds of the Member States.
At the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference,
which led to the adoption of the Amsterdam Treaty,
the idea of a reinforced qualified majority was brought
up both by a large number of national delegations
and by the European Commission.
This proposal stems from the conviction
that if the unanimity requirement is maintained, it
would all too often result in stalemate in an enlarged
Union. Unanimity might therefore be replaced in certain
cases by a reinforced qualified majority that is greater
than the normal percentage of votes generally required
for majority voting.
The European Constitution, which is
in the process of being ratified, provides for the
threshold for a qualified majority to be raised to
72% for all acts other than those proposed by the
European Commission or by the Union Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
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Research
and development
Research and development policy is
one of the European Union's priorities, at the heart
of the Lisbon Strategy to boost employment and growth
in Europe. Research, with education and innovation,
forms the "knowledge triangle", which it is hoped
will allow Europe to maintain its economic dynamism
and social model. The Seventh Framework Programme
for Research (2007–2013) seeks to consolidate
the European Research Area (ERA) and stimulate the
national investment needed to reach the target of
3% of GDP.
Moreover, the creation of a European
Institute of Technology by 2009 should enable European
excellence to fully take shape.
Coordination of research and development
initiatives within the Community is based on various
instruments:
- The framework programmes for research
and technological development. These multi-annual
programmes, introduced in 1984, encompass more specific
programmes covering fields as varied as information
and communication technologies, the environment,
biotechnology, energy (including nuclear power),
transport and mobility of researchers. The Seventh
Framework Programme (2007–13) has the largest
budget since the creation of a European research
identity. It responds to the needs of industry and
of European policies, placing knowledge at the service
of economic, social and environmental progress.
- The Joint Research Centre (JRC)
— the research body which supports the action
of the Union — is made up of eight research
establishments distributed in the European Community
which meet the specific needs of the various policies
of the European Commission. It is at the forefront
of research in nuclear energy (especially safety)
and has diversified into sectors such as materials,
the environment, industrial risks and satellites.
It is funded through the EU framework programmes
for research and by its own earnings from commercial
contracts.
European research and development
policy is based on provisions in the three founding
treaties (ECSC, Euratom and Title XVIII of the EC
Treaty). The Single European Act introduced the concept
of technology into Community law and the Treaty on
European Union (EU Treaty) then developed the Community's
objectives in this field.
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Revision
of the Treaties
Article 48 (former Article N) of the
EU Treaty is the legal base which enables a conference
of representatives of the Member States' governments
(an IGC) to be convened for the purpose of amending
the Treaties. It stipulates that any Member State,
or the Commission, may submit to the Council proposals
for such amendments. If the Council, after consulting
Parliament and the Commission, delivers an opinion
in favour of calling a conference, it is convened
by the President of the Council. Any subsequent amendments
enter into force two months after being ratified by
all the Member States in accordance with their respective
constitutional requirements.
The European Constitution currently
being ratified provides for changes to the Treaty
revision procedure. Revisions will generally be prepared
by a procedure inspired by the Convention that drafted
the European Constitution. The Convention will adopt
a recommendation for changes by consensus for the
IGC to approve by common agreement (i.e. unanimously).
They will then have to be ratified by all the Member
States. The Constitution also gives the European Parliament
a right of initiative in regard to revision.
A simplified revision procedure is
laid down for Union policies and activities. The IGC
will not have to be convened, but unanimity in the
European Council and approval by all the Member States
is still required.
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Right
of initiative
So that it can play its role as guardian
of the Treaties and defender of the general interest
the Commission has been given a right of initiative
which empowers and requires it to make proposals on
the matters contained in the Treaty, either because
the Treaty expressly so provides or because the Commission
considers it necessary.
- This power of initiative is exclusive
in respect of Community matters, the principle being
that the Council takes decisions only "on a proposal
from the Commission", so that there is a coherent
framework for all initiatives.
- Under the common foreign and security
policy the Commission may make proposals, as may
the Member States. On the other hand it has no such
right in certain matters relating to justice and
home affairs.
The Council and the European Parliament
may also ask the Commission to put forward a proposal
if they consider it necessary.
The right of initiative is regarded
as a basic element in the institutional balance of
the Community.
The Treaty of Amsterdam has extended
the Commission's right of initiative to the new policies
(health and employment), to matters relating to the
free movement of persons, and to the third pillar.
In the case of the third pillar, the Commission shares
the right of initiative with the Member States.
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Rural
development
Rural development is the second pillar
of the common agricultural policy (CAP). It is in
line with the Lisbon objective on competitiveness
and the Gothenburg objective on sustainability and
focuses on four fundamental areas:
- the competitiveness of agriculture,
food products and forestry;
- land management and the environment;
- quality of life and diversification
in rural areas;
- the Leader Community initiative.
Competitiveness is to be improved
through measures targeting human and physical capital
and food products, including quality production. Measures
to protect natural resources and improve high nature
value farming and forestry systems and cultural landscapes
are being introduced. The quality of life in rural
areas is being improved by encouraging the diversification
of economic activities and the development of local
infrastructure. Finally, the Leader initiative promotes
diversification of the economic activities of rural
areas through innovative, integrated local development
schemes with an emphasis on participation.
Rural development policy has its own
integrated financing and programming arrangements.
The Council has drawn up a strategic approach for
the 2007-2013 period, which will be translated into
national strategic plans. As of 1 January 2007 all
the measures will be financed by a single fund: the
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
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