52003AE0939

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in pigmeat (codified version)

(COM(2003) 297 final - 2003/0104 (CNS))

(2003/C 234/22)

On 7 July 2003 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 36 and 37 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

On 17 June 2003 the Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee instructed the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

In view of the urgency of the work, at its 401st Plenary Session on 16 and 17 July 2003 (meeting of 16 July) the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Caball i Subirana as rapporteur-general and adopted the following opinion by 26 votes to one with one abstention.

1. The purpose of this proposal is to codify Council Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organisation of the market in pigmeat(1). The new Regulation will supersede the various acts incorporated in it; their content is fully preserved, and they are brought together with only such formal amendments as are required by the codification exercise itself.

2. The Committee regards it as very useful to have all the texts integrated into one Regulation. In the context of a People's Europe, the Committee, like the Commission, attaches great importance to simplifying and clarifying Community law so as to make it clearer and more accessible to ordinary citizens, thus giving them new opportunities and the chance to make use of the specific rights it gives them.

It has been ensured that this compilation of provisions contains no changes of substance and serves only the purpose of presenting Community law in a clear and transparent way. The Committee expresses its total support for this objective and, in the light of these guarantees, welcomes the proposal.

Brussels, 16 July 2003.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger Briesch

(1) Carried out pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Codification of the acquis communautaire, COM(2001) 645 final.