91998E1884

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1884/98

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(16 June 1998)

Subject: SMEs

The Commission's report to Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the coordination of activities to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the craft sector (COM(97) 0610) (p. 30) states that in 1997 a reform was undertaken of the operating procedures of the Committee on Commerce and Distribution (CCD). At present there is also a parliamentary intergroup on commerce and distribution.

Can the Commission provide information on this reform and the nature of the changes?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 1998)

The committee on commerce and distribution (CCD), established by Commission decision 81/428/EEC of 20 May 1981(1), is a consultative body made up of entrepreneurs and reporting to the Commission. In order to improve the committee's efficiency, a number of steps have been taken to alter the way it functions.

Participation in plenary sessions is now limited to full members of the CCD so as to achieve a more focused entrepreneurial discussion. In order to keep the professional organisations of the trade sector properly associated, an annual CCD conference is now organised separately from the CCD plenary session. The member of the Commission responsible for the sector attends this conference as do representatives from other European institutions including the Parliament.

The members of the CCD working groups are now selected to a greater degree on the basis of their background knowledge of the matters discussed and not just on the basis of their interest in the immediate topic under discussion. This and the fact that the working group meetings are now smaller has increased the CCD's efficiency. CCD opinions are more quickly prepared and voted, using a written procedure. They are communicated both to the Commission and to the Member States Directors general of commerce and to governmental experts. A wider dissemination of CCD documents is envisaged, including the use of the internet.

The information flow between the Commission and CCD members has been improved by using electronic mail. This also helps to improve the communication flow between CCD members and the relevant professional organisations and their members.

(1) OJ L 165, 23.6.1981.