RESOLUTION OF THE ECSC CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE LEVEL OF THE LEVEL OF THE ECSC LEVY (adopted unanimously at the 289th Session of 18 December 1990, with five abstentions) (91/C 10/05)

The ECSC Consultative Committee: - having taken note of the aide-memoire of the Comisssion (doc. SEC(90) 1495 final) of 6 September 1990 on the fixing of the ECSC levy rate and on the drawing up of the ECSC operating budget for 1991, on the one hand, and the amendment of 13 November 1990 concerning the said budget (doc. SEC(90) 1884 final), on the other, -having also taken note of the explanations and comments furnished during the session by the representatives of the Commission, 1. regrets, that the Commission has decided to propose, within the framework of the 1991 budget, that the ECSC levy should be maintained at its present level of 0,31 %, which will lead to an increase of the burden in absolute terms; 2.stresses once again that this tax is levied exclusively on the coal and steel industries of the Community; 3.denounces the specific nature of this tax, which does not burden imported steel products and materials in competition with steel, such as plastics and aluminium; 4.notes the existence of ECSC reserves amounting to ECU 760 million, which were built up by means of the levy; 5.insists: - that these reserves be used progressively in the interests of the coal and steel industries; -that, at the same time, the Commission implement a substantial reduction of the ECSC levy in the immediate future; 6.is of the opinion that the existence of the ECSC budget should not prevent the coal and steel industries from having access to general sources of finance provided for in the EEC budget, in particular with regard to social expenditure and funds for research; 7.also considers that, with regard to loans for the coal and steel sectors, recourse should be effected towards a greater use of the resources of the European Investment Bank; 8.calls for greater transparency and more detailed consultation with the industries concerned when it comes to the administration and the use of the ECSC reserves, as well as the drawing up, administration and use of the ECSC budget.