The European Parliament adopted by 538 votes to 2, with 7 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 1999/2/EC, 2000/14/EC, 2011/24/EU and 2014/53/EU as regards certain reporting requirements in the fields of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure by taking over the Commission's proposal.

Directive 1999/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2014/53/EU of European Parliament and of the Council contain provisions of a similar type, which impose obligations that have become unnecessary with time. Amending the mentioned Directives in the proposed manner will result in the rationalisation of reporting obligations in all of the affected legal frameworks.

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ (NI, HR) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 1999/2/EC, 2000/14/EC, 2011/24/EU and 2014/53/EU as regards certain reporting requirements in the fields of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading taking over the Commission's proposal.

The proposal concerns limited and targeted changes of legislation in view of rationalising reporting requirements.

Directive 1999/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2014/53/EU of European Parliament and of the Council provide for a certain number of reporting requirements in the field as of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment.

All the above-mentioned pieces of legislation affected by this proposal contain provisions of a similar type, which impose obligations that have become unnecessary with time. Amending the mentioned Directives in the proposed manner will result in the rationalisation of reporting obligations in all of the affected legal frameworks.

PURPOSE: to amend Directives 1999/2/EC, 2000/14/EC, 2011/24/EU and 2014/53/EU as regards certain reporting requirements in the fields of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: reporting requirements play a key role in ensuring proper monitoring and correct enforcement of legislation. Reporting requirements can however also impose disproportionate burdens on stakeholders, particularly affecting SMEs and micro-companies, also given organisational and technological developments that call for original reporting requirements to be adjusted. Their cumulation over time can result in redundant, duplicating or obsolete obligations, inefficient frequency and timing, or inadequate methods of collection.

Streamlining reporting obligations and reducing the administrative burden are therefore a priority.

Directive 1999/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2014/53/EU of European Parliament and of the Council provide for a certain number of reporting requirements in the field as of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment.

All the above-mentioned pieces of legislation affected by this proposal contain provisions of a similar type, which impose obligations that have become unnecessary with time. Amending the mentioned Directives in the proposed manner will result in the rationalisation of reporting obligations in all of the affected legal frameworks.

In line with the Commission’s Communication on ‘ Long-term competitiveness of the EU: looking beyond 2030 ’, this proposal is part of a first package of measures to rationalise reporting requirements. This is a step in a process looking comprehensively at existing reporting requirements, with a view to assess their continued relevance and to make them more efficient.

CONTENT: the proposal concerns limited and targeted changes of legislation in view of rationalising reporting requirements .

This proposal aims to simplify initiatives included in headline ambition ‘An Economy that works for the people’, A ‘European Green deal’ and ‘Promoting our European way of life’ in the policy area of the Internal Market, Food safety and Health and impacting respectively the outdoor equipment and the radio equipment industry/sectors as well as sectors related to food treated with ionising radiation and on cross-border healthcare.

The proposal aims to rationalise reporting obligations by a combination of measures:

- for Directive 1999/2/EC on foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation, and for Directive 2000/14/EC on the noise emission of outdoor equipment, this proposal aims to remove reporting obligations that are not necessary;

- for Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment, this proposal aims to reduce the frequency of the reporting obligation of Member States. The Directive provides that Member States shall submit to the Commission, every two years, a report on the application of the Directive which is to contain a presentation of the market surveillance activities performed by the Member States and whether requirements of that Directive have been attained. The current frequency of that obligation does not match the reporting obligation from the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council which takes place every five years;

- for Directive 2011/24/EU on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, this proposal aims to reduce the frequency of the reporting obligation. The evaluation of the functioning and operations of all European Reference Networks is a key part of the content of the reports on the operation of Directive 2011/24/EU. Consequently, the current frequency of reporting is disproportionate and does not have added value in the absence of a parallel evaluation of the European Reference Networks. It is proposed to provide for the reporting on the operation of Directive 2011/24/EU to be carried out every 5 years.