Decision No 1149/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Decision No 1149/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

of 25 September 2007

establishing for the period 2007-2013 the Specific Programme ‘Civil Justice’ as part of the General Programme ‘Fundamental Rights and Justice’

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 61(c) and Article 67(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty(1),

Whereas:

(1) The Community has set itself the objective of maintaining and developing an area of freedom, security and justice, in which the free movement of persons is assured. To this end, the Community is to adopt, inter alia, measures in the field of judicial cooperation in civil matters necessary for the proper functioning of the internal market.

(2) Following previous programmes, such as Grotius(2) and the Robert Schuman project(3), Council Regulation (EC) No 743/2002(4) established, for the period 2002-2006, a general Community framework of activities to facilitate the implementation of judicial cooperation in civil matters.

(3) The Brussels European Council of 4 and 5 November 2004 adopted the Hague Programme: Strengthening freedom, security and justice in the European Union(5) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Hague Programme’).

(4) In June 2005, the Council and the Commission adopted the Action Plan implementing the Hague Programme(6).

(5) The ambitious objectives set by the Treaty and the Hague Programme should be achieved through the establishment of a flexible and effective programme that will facilitate planning and implementation.

(6) The programme ‘Civil Justice’ should provide for initiatives taken by the Commission, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, for actions in support of organisations promoting and facilitating judicial cooperation in civil matters, and for actions in support of specific projects.

(7) A general programme in the field of civil justice aimed at better mutual understanding of the legal and judicial systems of the Member States will contribute to lowering the barriers to judicial cooperation in civil matters, which will improve the functioning of the internal market.

(8) According to the Hague Programme, strengthening mutual confidence requires an explicit effort to improve mutual understanding among judicial authorities and different legal systems. European networks of national public authorities should be given special attention and support in this respect.

(9) This Decision should provide for the possibility to co-finance the activities of certain European networks to the extent that the expenditure is incurred in pursuing an objective of general European interest. However, such co-financing should not imply that a future programme would cover such networks, nor should it prevent other European networks from benefiting from support to their activities in accordance with this Decision.

(10) Any institution, association or network receiving a grant under the programme ‘Civil Justice’ should acknowledge the Community support received in accordance with the visibility guidelines to be laid down by the Commission.

(11) This Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial envelope constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 37 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management(7), for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure.

(12) Since the objectives of this Decision cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects of the programme, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(13) Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities(8) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Financial Regulation’) and Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002(9), which safeguard the Community financial interests, have to be applied taking into account the principles of simplicity and consistency in the choice of budgetary instruments, a limitation on the number of cases where the Commission retains direct responsibility for implementation and management, and the required proportionality between the level of resources and the administrative burden related to their use.

(14) Appropriate measures should also be taken to prevent irregularities and fraud, and the necessary steps should be taken to recover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used in accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the Communities’ financial interests(10), Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities’ financial interests against fraud and other irregularities(11) and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)(12).

(15) The Financial Regulation requires a basic act to be provided to cover operating grants.

(16) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(13), with a distinction being made between those measures which are subject to the management procedure and those which are subject to the advisory procedure, the advisory procedure being in certain cases, with a view to increased efficiency, the more appropriate.

(17) In accordance with Article 7(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC, the European Parliament should be informed by the Commission of committee proceedings relating to the implementation of this programme. In particular, the European Parliament should receive the draft annual programme when it is submitted to the management committee. In addition, the European Parliament should receive the results of voting and summary records of the meetings of that committee.

(18) In accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the United Kingdom and Ireland have notified their wish to take part in the adoption and application of this Decision.

(19) In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark does not take part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

(20) The European Economic and Social Committee has delivered an opinion on this Decision(14).

(21) In order to ensure the effective and timely implementation of this programme, this Decision should apply from 1 January 2007,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

(1)

Position of the European Parliament of 14 December 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 13 June 2007 (OJ C 171 E, 24.7.2007, p. 1) and Position of the European Parliament of 11 July 2007 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Council Decision of 18 September 2007.

(2)

Joint Action 96/636/JHA of 28 October 1996 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on a programme of incentives and exchanges for legal practitioners (Grotius) (OJ L 287, 8.11.1996, p. 3); Council Regulation (EC) No 290/2001 of 12 February 2001 extending the programme of incentives and exchanges for legal practitioners in the area of civil law (Grotius-civil) (OJ L 43, 14.2.2001, p. 1).

(3)

Decision No 1496/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 establishing an action programme to improve awareness of Community law within the legal professions (Robert Schuman project) (OJ L 196, 14.7.1998, p. 24).

(4)

OJ L 115, 1.5.2002, p. 1.

(5)

OJ C 53, 3.3.2005, p. 1.

(6)

OJ C 198, 12.8.2005, p. 1.

(7)

OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

(8)

OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006 (OJ L 390, 30.12.2006, p. 1).

(9)

OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 478/2007 (OJ L 111, 28.4.2007, p. 13).

(10)

OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.

(11)

OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.

(12)

OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1.

(13)

OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, p. 11).

(14)

OJ C 69, 21.3.2006, p. 1.