Brussels, 31/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - In the framework of the consultation procedure, the European Commission will proceed on Monday with examining the Iannis Koukiadis Report (Greek, PES) on the Commission's 17th annual report relating to the implementation of Community legislation (1999).
Adopted on 23 June 2000, the Commission's report highlights the growing number of complaints it received in 1999 (up 16% on 1998). It stresses better performance and speed in dealing with issues by the European Executive and states that the number of warnings has remained stable compared to the previous year, that those of reasoned opinions has dropped slightly, and that referrals to the Court have increased. The report also notes that the level of transposition of directives by Member States has fallen since 1998 (94.53% in 1999 against 95.7% in 1998), which tends to demonstrate the need for further efforts on the part of Member States.
In his report, Koukiadis calls on the Commission to make a systematic assessment of the causal relationship between the different reasons for infringements to Community legislation and the types of infringements, and to seek ways of reducing the number. It also calls on the Commission to do all it can to shorten the time it takes to deal with a complaint or a petition. It being a question of delays in directive transposition, the rapporteur urges the Commission to use all appropriate measures - including fines exercising a deterrent effect when the law allows - to impose their implementation. Targeted, notably are: - delays in the transposition of "social" directives; - provisions relating to free movement; - co-ordination of social security provisions concerning migrant workers; - equal treatment between men and women; - health and safety at work. Mr. Koukiadis urges Member States and the Commission to submit proposals aimed at automatically inflicting sanctions on Member States that do not transpose Community legislation in the prescribed manner, and at the same time pleads in favour of continuing to simplify EU legislation, especially through the SLIM initiative.