COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 14 November 1989 on internal trade in the context of the internal market (89/C 297/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Having regard to the Council resolution of 19 June 1989 on the implementation of a plan of priority actions in the field of statistical information : Statistical programme of the European Communities (1989-1992) (1),

Having regard to Council Decision 89/490/EEC of 28 July 1989 on the improvement of the business environment and the promotion of the development of enterprises, and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, in the Community (2),

Having regard to Commission Decision 81/428/EEC of 20 May 1981 establishing a Committee on Commerce and Distribution (3) and the opinions of that Committee on, inter alia, electronic payments, franchising and selective distribution,

Having regard to the conclusions of the meeting of the Directors-General responsible for Trade, held in Brussels on 19 July 1989 at the Commission's instigation, dealing in particular with statistics, legal information, integrated distribution networks (franchising) and electronic means of payment,

Emphasizing the socio-economic importance of trade in goods and services, which represents the second largest sector of activity in the Community, employing 20 million people and making a contribution of 15 % to Community wealth and some 20 % to the Community's external trade,

ASKS THE COMMISSION TO:

continue its work in greater detail, dealing in particular with the following matters: (a) with regard to statistics: - improving trade statistics by making them compatible with Community definitions,

- increasing, as far as necessary, the supply of such statistics to the Statistical Office of the European Communities,

- rapidly embarking on the sectoral programme for commerce without increasing the administrative burden on undertakings;

(b) with regard to cooperation and the exchange of information with a view, inter alia, to improving the transparency of the sector: - establishing a data bank, accessible to the administrations, professional organizations, undertakings and study and research bodies concerned, designed to gather and keep up to date the provisions of national and Community law governing or directly affecting trade in goods and services,

- involving the commercial sector more closely in the preparation of Community policies in particular through consultation of the Committee on Commerce and Distribution, and analysing the impact of such policies on commercial activity,

- at the same time and for the same purposes strengthening cooperation between the Commission and the Member States by means of meetings between officials responsible for internal trade;

(c) with regard to the sector's development: - undertaking with the assistance of the existing advisory bodies, taking account of the diversity of commercial undertakings and national legislation the constraints on small and medium undertakings, consideration of certain areas such as the conditions governing the operation of integrated distribution networks, e.g. franchising, including information prior to the conclusion of membership contracts, (1) OJ No C 161, 28.6.1989, p. 1. (2) OJ No L 239, 16.8.1989, p. 33. (3) OJ No L 165, 23.6.1981, p. 24.

- ensuring that, as regards payment systems, and, in particular, the relationship between cardholder and card issuer subject to Recommendation 88/590/EEC (1), account is taken in the future of the views of existing consultative bodies and of the principles laid down in the European Code of Conduct relating to electronic payment which appears in Recommendation 87/598/EEC (2) ; a study of the impact on trade of these new methods of payment would also be necessary,

- highlighting the role that commerce can also play in the Community's other policies, in particular protecting the environment and consumers,

while endeavouring to use existing structures and to avoid setting up new procedures, to make the proposals it deems appropriate in these areas and to draw up a programme of activities for 1990.

(1) OJ No L 317, 24.11.1988, p. 55. (2) OJ No L 365, 24.12.1987, p. 72.