21.12.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 376/3

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 9 and 10 December 2013

2013/C 376/05

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLS that under Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities; as well as Union action is to complement national policies and be directed towards improving public health; it is also to encourage cooperation between the Member States in the field of public health and, if necessary, lend support to their action, and fully respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care;

RECALLS that the Council in its conclusions on modern, responsive and sustainable health systems, adopted on 6 June 2011, invited the Member States and the Commission to initiate a reflection process under the auspices of the Working Party on Public Health at Senior Level aiming to identify effective ways of investing in health, so as to pursue modern, responsive and sustainable health systems;

3.	RECALLS the commitment to achieve the ‘Europe 2020’ objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth including the coordination of national efforts through the yearly cycle of economic policy coordination, the European Semester;

RECALLS that the challenges, objectives and principles identified in the White Paper ‘Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU’ adopted by the Commission on 23 October 2007 and confirmed by Council conclusions of 5-6 December 2007 remain valid and contribute to the achievement of ‘Europe 2020’ target;

RECALLS Council conclusions ‘Towards social investment for growth and cohesion’ of 20-21 June 2013 (1), Council conclusions on the Annual Growth Survey and the Joint Employment Report in the context of the European Semester of 28 February 2013 (2) and the endorsement of the SPC Report on social policy reforms for growth and cohesion in the context of the Evaluation of the 2013 European Semester in employment and social policies of 15 October 2013 (3);

TAKES NOTE OF the progress achieved in the reflection process, in terms of including health in other policies in the frame of the implementation of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy, identification of themes for possible closer cooperation among Member States, exchange of best practices and progress towards more coordinated EU-level cooperation in order to support Member States, where appropriate, in their efforts to ensure that their health systems meet future challenges;

WELCOMES the on-going work on the reflection process on the five defined objectives:

—	enhancing the adequate representation of health in the framework of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy and in the process of the European Semester,

—	defining success factors for the effective use of Structural Funds for health investments,

—	cost-effective use of medicines,

—	integrated care models and better hospital management,

—	measuring and monitoring the effectiveness of health investments.

CONSIDERING THAT:

(a)

over the course of the first three European Semesters, the role of health issues has been consistently reinforced and the tone and context of references to health systems reforms have evolved, with the twin aim of ensuring equal and universal access to high quality healthcare as well as funding based on solidarity principle and a more efficient use of public resources now explicitly included as a policy aim in the Commission's Annual Growth Survey for 2013;

(b)	people’s health, in addition to being of a value in itself, can have a positive influence on economic outcomes such as labour supply and productivity, human capital, and overall public spending and therefore plays a key role in achieving ‘Europe 2020’ objectives and within the European Semester;

(c)

Member States should therefore tackle social and health risks throughout people’s lives, taking particular account of the benefits of early disease prevention and health promotion as well as care, ensuring universal access to high quality healthcare services, and modernising healthcare systems to improve their cost-effectiveness, accessibility and sustainability;

(d)	cost-effective and efficient health spending is a productive and growth-friendly type of expenditure and investing in health should be acknowledged as a contribution to economic growth and social cohesion;

(e)

Member States face common challenges due to an ageing population, the burden of chronic diseases, challenges related to communicable diseases changing population needs, health inequalities increasing patient expectations and growing costs of healthcare as well as diminishing resources available to Member States' health systems due to the current economic situation;

(f)	the enhanced economic policy coordination may necessitate stronger coordination at EU level in the field of health, while respecting Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

(g)	health promotion and disease prevention are key factors for the long-term sustainability of health systems as well as for increasing healthy life years;

(h)	policy-making and decision-making processes should be, as far as possible, evidence-based and supported by adequate health information systems;

(i)

health investments financed, inter alia, through Structural and Investment Funds can be an important factor of health systems sustainability, however the full potential for better use of Structural and Investment Funds for health investments by the Member States in the period 2014-2020 remains to be achieved;

(j)	integrated care models are perceived as important, innovative and promising ways to improve the quality and efficiency of health systems and therefore improve their sustainability;

(k)	the EU's role in the field of health system performance assessment (HSPA) in coordination and cooperation with other international organisations, in particular the OECD and the WHO, can further be intensified, while aligning with the existing systems;

(l)	the Member States need to sustain the provision of their population with affordable, innovative, effective and safe pharmaceuticals and medical devices while safeguarding the financial sustainability of health systems,

WELCOMES:

(a)	the results of the reflection process under the auspices of the Working Party on Public Health at Senior Level aiming to identify effective ways of investing in health, so as to pursue modern, responsive and sustainable health systems;

(b)	the results of the reflection process on innovative approaches for chronic diseases in public health and healthcare systems;

(c)

the approach outlined in the Commission Staff Working Document on ‘Investing in Health’ adopted as part of the Commission communication ‘Towards social investment for growth and cohesion’ (‘social investment package’) adopted on 18 February 2013 (4) emphasising that health is a value in itself as well as a precondition for economic prosperity and social cohesion;

(d)	the progress made by the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing in the implementation of its strategic plan, as well as the strengthening of regional cooperation initiated by the selection of reference sites;

(e)

further development and consolidation, while avoiding duplication of work, of a health monitoring and information system at EU level based on the European Core Health Indicators (ECHI) and existing health monitoring and reporting systems developed as a result of a cooperation between Member States supported by the programmes of Community action in the field of health,

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES TO:

(a)	assess, as appropriate, the possible impacts of health system reforms as presented in national reform programmes, including direct and indirect effects on health, population poverty, employment rates, productivity and competitiveness;

(b)

ensure appropriate coordination between the relevant Council formations (e.g. EPSCO, ECOFIN, etc.) dealing with the different aspects of health in the framework of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy and European Semester in order to improve the quality of the policy dialogue and to increase the added value of EU discussions on health policies which are facing challenges going beyond the mere fiscal sustainability;

(c)

continue the dialogue aimed at improving the effective use of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) for health investments and to exchange good practices on planning, implementation, monitoring and problem solving in the period 2014-2020 on the basis of the outcomes of the reflection process on that theme, and in particular the toolbox for the effective use of ESIF for health investments;

(d)

establish and develop, on voluntary basis, national policies and programmes on integrated forms of care and reshape fragmented delivery of health and social services by:

—	making the integrated care a priority in their health policies and programmes at national, regional and local levels,

—	supporting the development of processes and tools, with a special emphasis on the use of information and communication technology and financial instruments,

—	encouraging the health professionals organisations to have an active role in integrated care,

—	promoting the training of healthcare workers on integrated care,

—	empowering and informing patients through involvement of patient organisations in the development of policies and programmes on integrated care at all appropriate levels,

—	developing and promoting research and innovations on integrated care;

(e)	use health system performance assessment (HSPA) for policymaking, accountability and transparency;

(f)	consider development of the repository of good practices that can provide an illustration for successful modernisation of health and care systems and help to scale-up the best solutions, taking into account the work of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing;

(g)

request the Working Party on Public Health at Senior Level:

—	to steer the activities under Sections IV and V, as covered by its competences, using existing fora, as appropriate,

—	to develop and adopt methods to strengthen its capacities,

INVITES THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES TO:

(a)	continue the reflexions on the adequate representation of health in the framework of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy in order to ensure that this strategic issue will be included also during future exercises of the European Semester, subject to the forthcoming evaluation of this process;

(b)

ensure the necessary coordination at national and EU level in order to adequately represent the health sector in the process of the European Semester, and to streamline the on-going healthcare assessments at EU level, in particular through strengthened coordination and cooperation with the Social Protection Committee and the Economic Policy Committee, and by examining and establishing a working relationship between the Working Party on Public Health at Senior Level and the Social Protection Committee;

(c)

continue the monitoring exercise for the uptake of the health theme in the European Semester process, also by exchanging information with Member States about national developments, and to translate the concept of ‘access to good quality healthcare’ into operational assessment criteria, inter alia for the purposes of thematic summaries on health systems;

(d)

continue reflection, on a voluntary basis, on aspects that may have an impact on availability, accessibility, prices, costs, patient safety and innovation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices and, where relevant, on systems that facilitate access, while fully respecting areas of Member States' competence;

(e)

share knowledge, experience and best practice on:

—	integrated care programmes, structures and policies, including reporting and learning systems, with a view to addressing the cost,

—	effectiveness of integrated care interventions and solutions at the healthcare setting level and evaluation of their transferability;

(f)

improve the coordination on health systems performance assessment at EU level by:

—	streamlining the debate on the theoretical HSPA framework and identifying useful methodologies and tools to support policy maker in taking decisions,

—	defining criteria for selecting priority areas for HSPA at EU level and improving the availability and quality of relevant data and information;

(g)

cooperate with a view to establishing a sustainable and integrated EU health information system, built on what has been already achieved through different groups and projects, such as ECHI-ECHIm projects, exploring in particular the potential of a comprehensive European health information research infrastructure consortium as a tool;

(h)

improve EU level coordination and develop concrete EU action towards reducing the burden of chronic diseases, including by: identifying and disseminating good practice using the ‘Joint action addressing chronic diseases and promoting healthy ageing across the life cycle’, promoting modern and effective early prevention and management of chronic diseases as well as investments in health promotion and disease prevention, addressing multi-morbidity aligning the research agenda to public health needs, using insights from behavioural science and other disciplines, aligning with other international processes and cooperating with international organisations;

(i)	cooperate with a view to evaluate EU initiatives related to patient empowerment, and put forward ideas for policy actions towards creating favourable conditions and developing guidance for patient empowerment,

INVITES THE COMMISSION TO:

(a)	support exchanges of best practices and mutual learning among Member States on the effective and broader use of European Structural and Investment Funds for health investments;

(b)	support integrated care projects, with a special emphasis on patient empowerments and management and prevention of chronic diseases;

(c)	support Member States with using health system performance assessment (HSPA);

(d)	present the evaluation of the concept and approach of European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing in the first semester 2014, and report twice yearly on the state of play of European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, the progress made to date and next steps.

(1) 11487/13.

(2) 6936/13.

(3) 13958/1/REV1.

(4) 6380/13 ADD 7.

21.12.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 376/7

DRAFT STRATEGY ON EUROPEAN E-JUSTICE 2014-2018

2013/C 376/06

I. INTRODUCTION

The adoption of the multiannual action plan on e-Justice 2009-2013 has constituted a further step in the development of e-Justice. The dematerialisation of legal procedures and the use of electronic means in the communication between all those involved in judicial activities has become an important element in the efficient functioning of the judiciary in the Member States. The Member States and the European institutions share a willingness to continue the construction of the European e-Justice system.

European e-Justice aims at the use and development of information and communication technologies at the service of the Member States' judicial systems, in particular in cross-border situations, with a view to enabling greater access to justice and judicial information to citizens, businesses and legal practitioners and facilitating cooperation between judicial authorities of the Member States. It strives to enhance the effectiveness of the justice system itself whilst respecting the independence and the diversity of the judicial systems of the Member States as well as fundamental rights.

In particular, European e-Justice must continue to be developed as a direct service for European citizens who will benefit from its added value, including via the e-Justice portal. It should be ensured that the users of the European e-Justice system, including citizens, can rapidly reap the practical benefits of the e-Justice tools.

The results already achieved, the constraints encountered and the objectives envisaged for the future require a comprehensive European e-Justice strategy in order to drive engagement and participation at a strategic level. The new strategy on European e-Justice 2014-2018 aims to build upon the work already undertaken.

II. CONTEXT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-JUSTICE AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

1. Background

5.	In June 2007, the JHA Council decided that work should be carried out with a view to developing at European level the use of information and communication technologies in the field of justice, particularly by creating a European portal to facilitate access to justice in cross-border situations.

In response to the Council, the Commission presented its communication ‘Towards a European e-Justice Strategy’ of June 2008 (1) aimed at promoting the development of e-Justice tools at European level in close coordination with the Member States. The objective was to create synergies between efforts at European and national levels in the area of e-Justice and to offer economies of scale at European level.

At its meeting on 19 and 20 June 2008 the European Council welcomed the initiative to ‘progressively establish a uniform EU e-Justice portal by the end of 2009’. The aim of this portal would be to provide a single, multilingual, user-friendly access point (‘one-stop shop’) to the whole European e-Justice system, i.e. to European and national information websites and/or services.

8.	The first multiannual European e-Justice action plan (2009-2013), prepared in cooperation with the Commission and the European Parliament, was adopted by the JHA Council in November 2008.

In conjunction with the adoption of the first action plan the Council endorsed the setting up of a new working structure. The Council Working Party on e-Law has subsequently carried out considerable work to deliver the mandate given to it by the Council. The objectives set out in the first action plan have largely been achieved and the related work is ongoing.

10.

The European Parliament has demonstrated its interest in the work carried out in the area of e-Justice. On 18 December 2008, it adopted a Resolution on e-Justice (2), in which it stated, inter alia, that a suitable machinery should be set up to ensure that future legislation is designed in such a way that it can be used in on-line applications. It also adopted a Resolution on e-Justice at its Plenary meeting on 22 October 2013 (3), calling for the use of electronic applications, the electronic provision of documents, the use of videoconferencing and the interconnection of judicial and administrative registers to be increased in order to further reduce the cost of judicial and out-of-court proceedings.

2. Main achievements

11.

The e-Justice portal, which is hosted and operated by the Commission in line with the guidelines of the Council, was launched on 16 July 2010. The development of this website by the Member States and the Commission has since steadily advanced in the form of new functionalities (such as dynamic electronic forms) and the regular addition of new content. The European e-Justice portal aims to serve as a ‘one-stop shop’ for European citizens and legal professionals, allowing them to obtain, in their own language, information on European and national procedures and the functioning of justice.

12.

Various Member States have already developed and participated in a number of pilot projects in the area of e-Justice, for example with a view to interconnecting Member States' insolvency registers and introducing significant technical developments. An infrastructure for European e-Justice is gradually being developed. An important element is formed by the technical and organisational infrastructure for the secure exchange of legal data between the judiciary, governmental organisations, legal professionals, citizens and businesses in the framework of the e-CODEX project.

13.

A large number of Member States have introduced videoconferencing systems to accelerate judicial procedures by facilitating the hearing of witnesses or of the parties. Work aimed at incorporating the websites of the European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters and that of the Judicial Atlas is underway. The Council has also adopted a decision establishing cooperation with the European Judicial Network in criminal matters.

14.	The results of the recent questionnaire on e-Justice (4) show that this area has evolved considerably in the Member States since the adoption of the first multiannual European e-Justice action plan. The strategy on European e-Justice 2014-2018 will build on this success.

15.

In the area of e-law important building blocks for the accessibility and semantic interoperability of legal sources have been developed. In 2009, the Council adopted conclusions on the European Case Law Identifier (ECLI) to improve the findability, and to facilitate the unequivocal citation of judgments issued by European and national courts. Several Member States have already implemented ECLI. The Commission and several Member States are preparing to introduce the European ECLI search interface on the e-Justice portal by the first quarter of 2014. The introduction of ECLI is also being prepared by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights.

16.

In 2011, the Council adopted conclusions on the European Legislation Identifier (ELI), introducing a voluntary standard for identifying, tagging, and electronically citing European and national legal instruments. The standard has been adopted for use in EUR-Lex and is being introduced by several Member States.

3. Consistency with the e-Government framework

17.

European e-Justice should strive for further consistency with the general framework of e-Government, which is specifically described in Commission communication (COM(2010) 744 final) introducing the European Interoperability Strategy (EIS) and the European Interoperability Framework. In these documents it is made clear that enhanced interoperability at legal, organisational, semantic and technical level, leading to the creation of a sustainable ecosystem, are essential to maximise the social and economic potential of information and communication technologies. The European e-Justice system must be developed in accordance with the principles of judicial independence and separation of powers.

III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

18.	Work in the area of European e-Justice is based on the following basic principles:

(a) Voluntary action

19.	Voluntary participation in European e-Justice projects is at the discretion of each individual Member State, except where a European Union legislative instrument has been adopted which includes a requirement to implement a specific project in the context of the European e-Justice system.

(b) Decentralisation

20.

The European e-Justice concept is based on the principle of a decentralised system at European level interlinking the various independent and interoperable national systems in the Member States. According to this overall principle of decentralisation, it is incumbent upon each Member State to ensure the technical implementation and management of the national e-Justice systems needed to facilitate interconnection between Member States' systems.

21.	However, a certain degree of centralisation at EU level is necessary. Centralisation may also be envisaged in some specific situations, e.g. when this is a more cost-effective solution or where a legislative instrument has been adopted.

22.

Interoperability, which allows the interconnection of the Member States' systems and the use of centralised solutions when necessary, is a fundamental element of decentralised systems. Compatibility between the various technical, organisational, legal and semantic aspects selected for the judicial system applications should be ensured, while guaranteeing maximum flexibility for the Member States.

(d) European dimension

23.	The strategy on European e-Justice is intended to cover projects with a European dimension in the areas of civil, criminal and administrative law.

24.

Projects developed under European e-Justice, in particular all projects to be included in the portal, must have the potential to involve all the Member States of the European Union and all Member States should be encouraged to participate in all projects in order to ensure their long-term viability and cost-efficiency. All projects should have the potential to give a direct practical benefit in particular to citizens, businesses and/or the judiciary.

25.	The development of the European e-Justice system should also take into account national projects offering European added value.

IV. THE OBJECTIVES OF EUROPEAN E-JUSTICE

(a) Access to information in the field of justice

26.	The objective is to improve access to information in the area of justice in the European Union. The e-Justice portal has an important role to play in achieving this objective.

(b) Access to courts and extrajudicial procedures in cross-border situations

27.	The European e-Justice should aim to offer better access to courts and facilitate the use of extrajudicial proceedings by using electronic communication in cross-border situations.

28.	Therefore it is necessary to continue the work already initiated at national level in a number of Member States and to create the conditions for interactive cross-border judicial services at European level.

29.	The dematerialisation of judicial and extrajudicial proceedings should be continued in accordance with the principle of voluntary action by the Member States.

30.	Simplifying and encouraging electronic communication between the judicial authorities of the Member States is of particular importance (e.g. via videoconferencing or secure electronic data exchanges).

31.	Members of the judicial authorities should be given secure access to the various functionalities reserved for them; they should have differentiated access rights and a uniform or interoperable authentication method should apply.

V. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

1. The European e-Justice portal

32.	The European e-Justice portal must continue to be developed as a one-stop shop. This does not preclude other means of communication (e.g. via network-to-network transmission).

33.	The e-Justice portal should provide information to citizens, businesses and legal practitioners about the law of the EU and its Member States. The portal should also be a means of offering access to other related information at national, European and international level in the field of justice.

2. Interoperability

34.

Organisational, legal, technical and semantic interoperability should be ensured. To that end, technical solutions for European e-Justice should be developed for the secure exchange of data between the judiciary, national administrations, legal professionals, citizens and businesses. Available open technical standards and already developed solutions (e.g. projects like e-CODEX) should be taken into account before developing new ones. The Member States should also play an active role in the development of these solutions and the decision-making thereon.

3. Legislative aspects

35.

The need to ensure consistent use of modern information and communication technologies in the implementation of new EU legislation in the area of justice, including amendments and recasts of existing legislation, should be taken into account in the legislative process. Data that have to be transferred must be described just by their contents, and not by any possible visual representation. Means of transferral of data or documents must be described in a functional, technology-neutral way.

4. European legal semantic web

36.	The exchange of legal information across borders, and in particular data relating to European or national legislation, case law and legal glossaries, is hampered by the lack of effective means for sharing this type of data.

37.

Different projects can address this issue and increase the exchange and semantic interoperability of legal data throughout Europe and beyond. Work should continue on a voluntary basis on the development of the European legal semantic web, aimed at improving the accessibility and processability of legal information by making the identification and semantics of legal data interoperable.

5. Interconnection of registers

38.	The interconnection of national registers containing information that is relevant to the area of justice should be promoted. The necessary technical and legal preconditions should be ensured to make such interconnections possible.

39.	Action in this area should be focused on the interconnection of registers which present an interest for citizens, businesses, legal practitioners and the judiciary.

6. Networks

40.

The e-Justice system can create the conditions for facilitating the functioning of various existing European level networks in the area of justice, such as the European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters and the European Judicial Network in criminal matters. To that end, the possibilities offered by the European e-Justice system and the e-Justice portal should be further explored in consultation with the relevant authorities.

7. Cooperation with legal practitioners and other users of European e-Justice

41.

The implementation of the European e-Justice strategy calls for the participation of the judiciary and other relevant legal practitioners in the Member States. Therefore these legal practitioners should be involved in discussions and projects in the area of the European e-Justice in order to ensure that the solutions to be developed meet the actual needs of each target group.

42.

Accordingly, it is essential that the representatives of the judiciary of the Member States have the opportunity to contribute to the work on European e-Justice, especially on the solutions to be put in place for European e-Justice in such a way that their points of view and user needs can be taken into account.

43.	In addition, it is desirable that other legal practitioners, for example lawyers, notaries, judicial officers and others, be involved in future discussions on European e-Justice to ensure that the solutions to be developed meet their real needs.

44.	It is in this context that a cooperation mechanism with such legal practitioners should be put in place to ensure that issues of mutual interest are taken into account in the context of the European e-Justice strategy.

45.	Consideration should also be given to gathering the views and feedback from representatives of the greater public, including portal users, as well as business operators.

8. Translation

46.

The concern that European citizens should be able to enjoy easy access to the European e-Justice system will mean that robust and cost-efficient long-term measures for translation will have to be considered. The e-Justice portal should offer reliable translations of its content in all official languages of the European Union.

9. Rules and rights in the area of e-Justice

47.

Future developments in the area of European e-Justice will bring new challenges for the protection of personal data. It is foreseeable that the scale of data collection and sharing will increase with the implementation of the future strategy on European e-Justice. Personal data protection therefore plays an important role in this context. Future work in the framework of e-Justice will have to take into account the rules on protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the rules on the free movement of personal data.

48.

Rules on ownership of information should be established, as necessary, to determine liabilities regarding data content to be published on the e-Justice portal. In principle, each content provider is solely responsible for its work and must comply with intellectual property rights and any other applicable legal requirements.

49.	Similar rules should be established for the use of electronic functionalities allowing information exchange, including the exchange of personal data, between Member States' judicial authorities and for the electronic submission of documents to be used in court proceedings.

50.

In this context in particular, the Commission is invited to continue examining the need to adopt a proposal for a legislative instrument in the field of e-Justice. This instrument should define the overall legal framework and the means of implementing a concrete e-Justice strategy at European level.

10. Promotion

51.	In the implementation of the European e-Justice strategy, consideration should be given to the promotion of the available functionalities among the users of the European e-Justice systems.

11. Financing

52.

The development of European e-Justice requires considerable financial resources. Therefore it is important to provide adequate financing at EU level, in particular to:

(a)

encourage the setting up of e-Justice systems at national level to pave the way for European e-Justice, as will be implemented in the light of this strategy, including actions such as those mentioned in paragraph 30 and the interconnection of national registers; attention should also be given to ensuring the sustainability of the results of projects such as e-CODEX and e-SENS;

(b)	enable projects at European level to be developed, including the operation, maintenance and further development of the European e-Justice portal;

(c)	ensure that the e-Justice portal can continue to be offered in all official languages of the Union.

53.

European level financing of the work in the area of e-Justice (both at national and European level), including the concrete projects to be defined and implemented under the future action plan, must be guaranteed by the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 and in particular the financial envelope for the justice programme 2014-2020.

54.	e-Justice related projects within the meaning of this strategy and related action plan can also be funded under other existing Union programmes provided they meet the criteria laid down in those programmes (5).

12. External relations

55.	The Union and its Member States should, to the extent feasible, develop cooperation with third countries in the area of e-Justice.

56.	This possible cooperation has to be implemented respecting the institutional rules established at the European Union level.

13. Multiannual action plan on e-Justice 2014-2018

57.

A multiannual action plan should be adopted during the first semester of 2014 in order to implement this strategy and to serve as a practical guide for its follow-up. The action plan should contain a list of the planned projects for the period in question with clear indications of those wishing to participate, actions for their practical implementation and an indicative timetable to allow a concrete follow-up of the action plan by the Working Party on e-Law (e-Justice) and, where appropriate, by relevant stakeholders. Results of the previous multiannual action plan on e-Justice and the related roadmap will be taken into account and, if appropriate, followed up in the new action Plan.

58.	The Working Party will prepare the action plan in consultation with the Commission and will at least once per semester monitor its implementation, which should be adapted if so required by on-going developments.

59.	If necessary, informal groups of the Member States involved in specific projects can meet in order to make progress in these areas of work. The results of these meetings should be presented to the Working Party on e-Law (e-Justice).

(1) COM(2008) 329 final.

(2) (2008/2125 (INI)).

(3) (2013/2852 (RSP)).

(4) See 15690/1/12 REV 1 EJUSTICE 73 JURINFO 46 JUSTCIV 331 COPEN 244 CONSOM 139 DRS 126 DROIPEN 159.

(5) The Commission is invited to present a table of all the potential financing mechanisms available for projects at EU and national level which could be used to finance e-Justice.

21.12.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 376/12

Euro exchange rates (1)

20 December 2013

2013/C 376/07

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3655
JPY	Japanese yen	142,66
DKK	Danish krone	7,4607
GBP	Pound sterling	0,83480
SEK	Swedish krona	8,9905
CHF	Swiss franc	1,2263
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	8,4160
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	27,660
HUF	Hungarian forint	298,83
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7022
PLN	Polish zloty	4,1653
RON	Romanian leu	4,4780
TRY	Turkish lira	2,8583
AUD	Australian dollar	1,5405
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4600
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,5890
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6725
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,7310
KRW	South Korean won	1 450,05
ZAR	South African rand	14,2900
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	8,2889
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,6388
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	16 651,42
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,4898
PHP	Philippine peso	60,830
RUB	Russian rouble	45,0800
THB	Thai baht	44,515
BRL	Brazilian real	3,2489
MXN	Mexican peso	17,8300
INR	Indian rupee	84,7160

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

21.12.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 376/16

Applicable Transport Arrangements in the euro-area Member States

Article 13(5)

Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011

2013/C 376/14

CIT COMMITTEE

For CIT of banknotes, euro-area Member States must choose at least one of the options laid down in Article 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 of the Regulation.

For CIT of coins, euro-area Member States must choose at least one of the options laid down in Article 19 and 20 of the Regulation.

Euro-area Member States must confirm that the transport arrangements opted for are comparable to the transport arrangements allowed for domestic CIT transport.

Country

Applicable arrangements for transport of banknotes

Applicable arrangements for transport of coins

Confirmation on comparability with domestic CIT transport arrangements

Art. 14-18

Art. 19-20

Art. 16 and Art. 18.

Belgium has decided that the obligation set out in Article 13(4) of the Regulation is to be applied.

Article 20 of the Regulation

The options set out in Articles 16, 18 and 20 of the Regulation are similar to the transport arrangements authorised for the transport of cash in Belgium.

The obligation in Article 13(4) applies by virtue of the Belgian regulation concerning national transport.

Art 17

Art 19

yes

(a)	As regards the transport of banknotes, in accordance with the provisions in the European Regulation on the obligation to opt for at least one of the methods in Articles 14 to 18, the method permitted in accordance with our own legislation is the one in Article 17 of the European Regulation.

(b)	As regards coins, the method to be authorised in line with our legislation is the one in Article 20 of the European Regulation.

yes

Article 17

Article 20

yes

Coins and banknote paper for printing banknotes must be transported:

either in armoured vehicles with a crew of at least three people, including the driver, in accordance with Article 4;

(Article 4:

I —

Armoured vehicles must be fitted out to ensure the security of the crew and the cash, jewellery or precious metal being transported.

It must at least be equipped with:

a communication and alarm system connected to the alarm centre of the CIT company. In order to ensure approval of armoured CIT vehicles imported from other Member States or parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, test reports and certificates are accepted if they are drawn up by an approved or certified body in these States and guarantee that the armoured vehicle complies with technical and regulatory conditions ensuring a level of protection equivalent to that laid down in this decree and the order referred to in the previous subparagraph;

2.	a remote tracking system enabling the company to check its location at all times;

3.	bulletproof vests and gas masks, at least one for each member of the crew and, possibly, one for any other person with a legitimate reason for being in the vehicle.

II —

The vehicle types, armoured sides and windows, and the characteristics of other components contributing to the security of the armoured vehicles are subject to prior authorisation by the Minister of Home Affairs, based on minimum standards, in particular resistance, set down by the Minister in an order which also establishes the contents of the dossier to be submitted when applying for approval.

All substantial changes to the conditions of manufacture of the vehicles or the conditions of manufacture or installation of the armoured parts, windows and other components referred to in the previous sub-paragraph must be authorised in each case.

Authorisation can be withdrawn if the materials referred to in point II of this Article are no longer sufficient to ensure the security of the staff or of the funds transported.)

Or in armoured vehicles, in accordance with Article 4, and equipped with devices guaranteeing that the cash transported can be rendered unfit for use under the conditions set out in Article 8(1).

(Article 8(1) lays down the conditions with which devices to neutralise valuables must comply)

If these vehicles are equipped with at least one of the devices referred to in the previous subparagraph for each pick-up/delivery point, their crew must consist of at least two crew members including the driver. The provisions in point II of Article 4 can, in this case, apply only to the cabin of the vehicle.

If these vehicles are equipped with fewer of the above devices than there are pick-up/delivery points, the crew must consist of at least three people including the driver.

Or in unmarked vehicles with a crew consisting of at least two people including the driver, in line with the conditions in Articles 7 and 8, provided that the cash is placed in devices that will render it unfit for use and that there are at least as many such devices as there are pick-up/delivery points, or that the devices are equipped with a collection system that can only be opened in a secure place or area.

However, in order to service cash dispensers located in certain areas at risk, the cash must be transported in line with the conditions in paragraph 1 and the cash dispensers must be refilled by one of the crew members.

(II.	concerns jewellery and precious metal)

III.

Coins and investment gold within the meaning of Article 298 sexdecies A of the General Taxation Code must be transported in armoured vehicles with a crew of at least three people including the driver, in line with the provisions in Article 4.

By way of derogation from the previous subparagraph, Banque de France coin shipments consisting of at least EUR 115 000 in 1 and 2-euro coins must be transported:

1.	in armoured vehicles on which the name of the CIT company is not featured, with a crew of at least two armed, uniformed guards, including the driver, under the conditions set out in the first three subparagraphs of Article 8;

or, if the total volume transported does not exceed EUR 500 000 and if the pick-up/delivery points under the responsibility of the Banque de France, the CIT companies, the national police or gendarmerie are secure places, in semi-armoured vehicles on which the name of the CIT company is not featured, with a crew of at least two armed, uniformed guards, including the driver, under the conditions in the first three subparagraphs of Article 8.

(Article 8: all unmarked vehicles used to transport cash placed in the devices referred to in Article 2(I)(3) or used to transport jewellery or precious metal must be equipped at least with the following:

1.	A communication and alarm system, linked to the alarm centre of the CIT company responsible for transporting the cash;

2.	A remote tracking system making it possible for the CIT company to check the location of the vehicle at all times).

Confirmation:

Notes: compatibility of Article 2 with Articles 14, 16 and 17 of the EU Regulation.

National legislation to be amended:

to ensure compatibility of Article 2 point III with Articles 19 and 20 of the EU Regulation

Articles 15, 16, 17 and 18

(in relation to the provision of DM.269/2010)

Articles 19 and 20

(in relation to the provision of DM.269/2010)

yes

Articles 16 and 17

(Under the condition that bill of law 6400 and the relevant executing grand-ducal regulation will be adopted as proposed by the Government).

Article 20

(Under the condition that bill of law 6400 and the relevant executing grand-ducal regulation will be adopted as proposed by the Government).

yes

Articles 17 and 18

Article 20

yes

Articles 17 and 18

Article 20

The options referred to correspond partly to national requirements applicable to the transport of valuables in Portugal, however the criterion as regards the amount transported is equal to or greater than EUR 10 000 (Order (Portaria) No 247/2008 of 27 March, amended by Order No 840/2009 of 3 August 2009, in force until the publication of the Order provided for in Article 34(3) of Law No 34/2013 of 16 May 2013).

National transport in non-armoured vehicles is permitted for valuables of under EUR 10 000.

The use of approved uniforms and professional identity cards is compulsory (Article 29 of Law No 34/2013 of 16 May 2013).

All the conditions laid down in Articles 14 to 18 of the Regulation are applicable in the sense of national law of the Slovak Republic pursuant to the Act, No 473/2005 Coll. of 23 September 2005 on services in the private security sector and amending certain Acts (alias Act on private security)

All the conditions laid down in Articles 19 and 20 of the Regulation are applicable in the sense of national law of the Slovak Republic pursuant to the Act, No 473/2005 Coll. of 23 September 2005 on services in the private security sector and amending certain Acts (alias Act on private security)

Partial compliance and differentiation applies to the abundance of security officers and accompanying vehicles. The decisive criterion is the amount of EUR 1 660 000

Article 17 and 18 or any of national rules under Rules on the transport and protection of cash and other valuable deliveries (Official Gazette of the RS No 96/05, 16/08, 81/08, 86/09 and 17/11) article 16 to 20.

Article 16 (transport of class 1 protected delivery value does not exceed the euro counter value of EUR 30 000)

1.	A transport of class 1 protected delivery shall be carried out with two armed security guard.

The transport shall be carried out in a modified vehicle with the following equipment:

—	physically separate passenger and cargo section of the vehicle with a fixed and hard partition wall which allows for the storage of the protected delivery from the passenger into the cargo section;

—	cargo section without glass;

—	built-in cash register made from sheetmetal in the cargo section which shall allow the placement of the delivery into the cargo section through a slot or an opening in the passenger section;

—	alarm device to be triggered upon forced entry;

—	blocking of engine which prevents the removal of the vehicle;

—	communication and surveillance system.

Irrespective of the provision in Indent 3 of the preceding Paragraph, a transport of protected delivery may be carried out if the delivery is technically secured by being stored in a modified briefcase, bag or cassette that is separately marked and of such construction that renders forced opening difficult and alerts the taking with a sound, light, smoke or technical signal. It shall be transported in a cargo section of the vehicle.

4.	Irrespective of the provision in paragraph 1, a transport of protected delivery may be carried out with one armed security guard, in case the protected delivery is secured with a certified system for colouring or destroying cash.

5.	Security guards shall wear bulletproof jackets or bulletproof shirts.

Article 17 (transport of class 2 protected delivery value up to the euro counter value of EUR 200 000 per each transport vehicle)

1.	A transport of class 2 protected delivery shall be carried out with two armed security guards.

The transport shall be carried out in a modified vehicle with the following equipment:

—	physically separate passenger and cargo section of the vehicle with a fixed hard partition wall;

—	cargo section without glass;

—

built-in cash register in the cargo section that is constructed from bulletproof sheet metal that renders drilling and cutting difficult, that is installed on the vehicle chassis from the internal side, and that allows for the cash to be placed inside it through a slot or an opening from the passenger section;

—	alarm device to be triggered upon forced entry;

—	blocking of engine which prevents the removal of the vehicle;

—	communication and surveillance system.

4.	Security guards shall wear bulletproof jackets or bulletproof shirts.

Article 17a (transport of class 3 protected delivery value up to the euro counter value of EUR 800 000 per each transport vehicle)

1.	A transport of class 3 protected delivery shall be carried out with at least two armed security guards.

The transport shall be carried out in a bulletproof vehicle with the following equipment:

—	separate section for the crew and for the cargo;

—	section for the crew protected with antiballistic protection M2/C2 from all four sides;

—	section for cargo which is bulletproof and has an external door with an additional cross bar lock;

—	alarm device;

—	system installed for a remote blocking of the vehicle or the engine with the possibility for its activation from the security control centre (hereinafter: SCC);

—	communication system without opening the door (intercom);

—	communication and surveillance system.

3.	Security guards shall wear bulletproof jackets.

Article 18 (transport of class 4 protected delivery value up to the euro counter value of EUR 4 000 000 per each transport vehicle)

1.	A transport of class 4 protected delivery shall be carried out with at least three armed security guards.

The transport shall be carried out in a bulletproof vehicle with the following equipment:

—	separate section for the crew and for the cargo

—	place for the crew protected with antiballistic protection FB 3 from all four sides

—	section for cargo without windows and an external door with an additional cross bar lock

—	alarm device

—	system installed for a remote blocking of the vehicle or the engine with the possibility for its activation from the security control centre (hereinafter: SCC)

—	communication system without opening the door (intercom)

—	communication and surveillance system.

3.	Security guards shall wear bulletproof jackets.

Article 19 (transport of class 5 protected delivery value up to the euro counter value of EUR 8 000 000 per each transport vehicle)

1.	A transport of class 5 protected delivery shall be carried out with at least three armed security guards.

Security guards shall at least wear the following protective devices:

—	bulletproof jackets, and

—	security helmets.

The transport shall be carried out in a bulletproof vehicle with the following equipment:

—	separate section for cargo, driver and security guard

—	vehicle must be bulletproof against at least FB 3 category from all four sides;

—	section for cargo without glass, with a back door and an access to deliveries from the crew section;

—	alarm device;

—	communication system without opening the door (intercom);

—	video surveillance system at the back of the vehicle with an engine in the driver’s cabin;

—	communication system;

—

surveillance system which allows for the online monitoring of movements of the delivery in intervals of no more than one minute, in an area of service without interruption from the security control centre (hereinafter: SCC) and which allows for the determination of the exact location of a secured delivery at any time;

—	system installed for a remote blocking of the vehicle or the engine which cannot be deactivated from the vehicle.

4.	The delivery shall be escorted by a personal vehicle with two armed security guards. The escorting vehicle shall have equipment for direct communication with the security control centre (hereinafter: SCC).

Article 20 (transport of class 6 protected delivery value above the euro counter value of EUR 8 000 000 per each transport vehicle)

1.	A transport of class 6 protected delivery shall be carried out with at least three armed security guards.

Security guards shall at least wear following protective devices:

—	bulletproof jackets; and

—	security helmets.

3.	The transport shall be carried out in a bulletproof vehicle which shall have the equipment laid down in Paragraph 3 of the preceding Article and antiballistic protection against bullets of FB 4.

The transport must be accompanied by a bulletproof vehicle with antiballistic protection against bullets at least FB 3 from all four sides, with three armed security guards. The accompanying vehicle must be equipped with device for direct communication with security control centre (hereinafter: SCC).

Regulation on the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011 is in adoption procedure and have some special regulation:

—	allows that foreign CIT companies may under the conditions by Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011 transport in Slovenia also other cash (not just euro cash) above the 20 % like regulated in Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011

—

allows that foreign CIT companies may under the conditions by Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011 transport in Slovenia also other valuable (not just euro cash or other cash) which is not regulated in Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011. Valuables are precious metals, precious stones, works of art, cultural heritage, valuable documents, etc.. An object of cultural heritage is an object that is classified as such according to the regulations applicable to classifying types of objects of cultural heritage, national wealth accordance with the rules that provides protection and storage of national treasures and museum material accordance with the rules that provides protection and storage of museum material. In case that this is not possible of specific circumstances the national rules from Article 22 from Rules on the transport and protection of cash and other valuable deliveries (Official Gazette of the RS No 96/05, 16/08, 81/08, 86/09 and 17/11) could be used.

Article 20 or any of national rules under Rules on the transport and protection of cash and other valuable deliveries (Official Gazette of the RS No 96/05, 16/08, 81/08, 86/09 and 17/11) article 16 to 20 as described for banknotes.

Partial compliance.

National rules and special conditions based on the amount of valuable of transport.

		ISSN 1977-091X doi:10.3000/1977091X.C_2013.376.eng
Official Journal of the European Union		C 376

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 56 21 December 2013

Notice No	Contents	page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2013/C 376/01	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.7101 — Brookfield Property/Starwood/Interhotel Portfolio) ( 1 )	1

2013/C 376/02	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.7118 — AXA/Norges Bank/SZ Tower) ( 1 )	1

2013/C 376/03	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.6982 — Altor Fund III/TryghedsGruppen/Elixia/HFN Group) ( 1 )	2

2013/C 376/04	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.7087 — Vitol/Carlyle/Varo) ( 1 )	2

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	Council
2013/C 376/05	Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 9 and 10 December 2013	3

2013/C 376/06	Draft strategy on European e-Justice 2014-2018	7

	European Commission
2013/C 376/07	Euro exchange rates	12

	NOTICES FROM MEMBER STATES
2013/C 376/08	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	13

2013/C 376/09	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	13

2013/C 376/10	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	14

2013/C 376/11	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	14

2013/C 376/12	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	15

2013/C 376/13	Information communicated by Member States regarding closure of fisheries	15

2013/C 376/14	Applicable Transport Arrangements in the euro-area Member States — Article 13(5) — Regulation (EU) No 1214/2011	16

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2013/C 376/15	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.7133 — Investindustrial/KKR/Resort Holdings) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	24

Date and time of closure	27.11.2013
Duration	27.11.2013-31.12.2013
Member State	United Kingdom
Stock or group of stocks	MAC/2A34.
Species	Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Zone	IIIa and IV; EU waters of IIa, IIIb, IIIc and Subdivisions 22-32
Type(s) of fishing vessels	—
Reference number	75/TQ40

Date and time of closure	25.10.2013
Duration	25.10.2013-31.12.2013
Member State	Spain
Stock or group of stocks	RED/51214D.
Species	Redfish (Sebastes spp.)
Zone	EU and international waters of V; international waters of XII and XIV
Type(s) of fishing vessels	—
Reference number	76/TQ40

Date and time of closure	2.12.2013
Duration	2.12.2013-31.12.2013
Member State	Portugal
Stock or group of stocks	GFB/89-
Species	Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides)
Zone	EU and international waters of VIII and IX
Type(s) of fishing vessels	—
Reference number	FS79/DSS

Date and time of closure	3.12.2013
Duration	3.12.2013-31.12.2013
Member State	United Kingdom
Stock or group of stocks	HER/4AB.
Species	Herring (Clupea Harengus)
Zone	EU and Norwegian waters of IV north of 53° 30′ N
Type(s) of fishing vessels	—
Reference number	80/TQ40

Date and time of closure	4.12.2013
Duration	4.12.2013-31.12.2013
Member State	Spain
Stock or group of stocks	GHL/N3LMNO
Species	Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides)
Zone	NAFO 3LMNO
Type(s) of fishing vessels	—
Reference number	82/TQ40


	(1) Text with EEA relevance