Brussels, 09/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Speaking before the plenary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee (in Brussels on 1 March), President Göke Frerichs recalled that the Committee's Bureau had adopted a Code of Conduct at its meeting on 27 February. This Code authorises it to follow certain rules for the simplification and transparency of the work it carries out. "This Code of Conduct fixes more specific rules concerning our own work. It will probably have an influence on our internal regulations and make them more binding", explained Thomas Jansen, Chef de Cabinet for President Frerichs.
In order to make an immediate contribution both to the simplification process and to the codes of conduct which it is recommending to the EU Institutions, the Committee: -1) first and foremost undertakes to keep a "watching brief on what has to be done to achieve simplification, and on the quality and efficacy for users of the draft regulations referred to it"; - 2) undertakes to take the necessary steps, when organising its work, "to enable it to respond in good time to any early consultations by the Commission, the European Parliament or the Council, when the latter wish in this way to take greater account of the Committee's opinion on questions relating to simplification of the rules"; - 3) decides to draft an annual information report on the progress of the multiannual simplification plan, to contribute to the Commission's annual assessment for the Spring European Council" - 4) agrees to establish a dialogue with the European economic and social players, the Committee of the Regions (to establish cooperation on the regional dimension and simplification), and the economic and social councils existing in Member States (so that they play in these States a role similar to that which the Committee set itself at European level to contribute to the success of the simplification process).