With the launch of the euro, CAP and regional aid reforms in preparation for enlargement dominating the year ahead, the Commission's programme for 1999 is notably thin on substantial proposals for legislation. Most of the 26 new proposals are technical, with four relating to amendments to competition policy legislation, two concerning details of agricultural policy, one to protect the euro against counterfeiting, and seven on the internal market.
However, the Commission wants to strengthen the directive on money laundering and introduce measures to supervise cross-border venture capital. Long-awaited reforms of the system for collecting VAT were also announced. There are to be several proposals in the social field including one to combat discrimination, but only one on the environment - designed to reduce pollution from heavy lorries.
As far as transport is concerned, the Commission wants to review regulations governing ports and it has announced its intention to use the new provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty to push for a joint approach to immigration and asylum questions.
For MEPs however, the priority is for the Commission to come up with concrete proposals for institutional reforms of the treaties with a view to improving decision making as enlargement approaches. There is also a danger of existing legislation piling up since some 181 proposals are awaiting a response from Council. Furthermore, as next June's elections draw closer, there is mounting pressure to clear the backlog. MEPs also want to see a more concentrated effort to enable the EU to meet the commitment it has made to reduce CO2 emissions by 8 per cent.