ECSC: COMMISSION PLANS FOR POST-TREATY OF PARIS CLIMATE.

Protocol.The Protocol annexed to the Nice Treaty says all assets and liabilities of the ECSC, as they exist on 23 July 2002, are transferred to the European Union on 24 July 2002. The net worth of these assets and liabilities will be used exclusively for research in the sectors related to the coal and steel industries. The revenue from these assets will be used for research in the sectors related to the steel and coal industries. The Protocol, therefore, merely reflects and incorporates into the Treaty the approach outlined by Member States in their Resolutions as described in the above-mentioned Commission proposals.The Protocol also says that the Council - acting unanimously on a Commission proposal, and after consulting the European Parliament - shall implement the Nice decisions, particularly in respect of the decision-making procedure relating to the financial and research guidelines.--The first proposal for a Decision (COM(2000) 519) concerns the Framework Decision relating to the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC...