Regulation (EC) No 596/2009 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

3.5. Regulation (EC) No 450/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 February 2003 concerning the labour cost index (1) U.K.

As regards Regulation (EC) No 450/2003, the Commission should be empowered in particular to adapt the definitions and amend the technical specifications, include new sections in the survey, adapt the breakdown of indices by economic activities, define the quality criteria, establish feasibility studies and take decisions pursuant to their results, and determine the methodology to be used for chaining the index. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of Regulation (EC) No 450/2003, inter alia, by supplementing it with new non-essential elements, they must be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of Decision 1999/468/EC.

Accordingly, Regulation (EC) No 450/2003 is hereby amended as follows:

1.

Article 2(4) shall be replaced by the following:

‘4. The Commission may take measures to redefine the technical specification of the index and revise the weighting structure. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).’;

2.

Article 3(2) shall be replaced by the following:

‘2. The inclusion of economic activities defined by NACE Rev.2 sections O to S in the scope of this Regulation shall be determined by the Commission, taking into account the feasibility studies defined in Article 10. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).’;

3.

Article 4 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 4 Breakdown of variables

1. The data shall be broken down by economic activities defined by NACE Rev. 2 sections and by further disaggregations, defined by the Commission, not beyond the level of NACE Rev. 2 divisions (2-digit level) or groupings of divisions, taking account of contributions to total employment and to labour costs at Community and national levels. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).

Labour cost indices shall be provided separately for the three labour cost categories identified below:

(a) total labour costs;

(b) wages and salaries, defined by reference to item D.11 in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1726/1999;

(c) employers’ social contributions plus taxes paid by the employer less subsidies received by the employer, as defined by the sum of items D.12 and D.4 less D.5 in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1726/1999.

2. An index estimating total labour costs, excluding bonuses, where bonuses are defined by D.11112 in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1726/1999, shall be provided, broken down by economic activities defined by the Commission, and shall be based on the NACE Rev. 2 classification, taking into account the feasibility studies defined in Article 10. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).’;

4.

Article 8 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 8 Quality

1. The current data and back data transmitted shall satisfy separate quality criteria to be defined by the Commission. That measure, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).

2. The Member States shall provide annual quality reports to the Commission, beginning in 2003. The content of the reports shall be defined by the Commission. That measure, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).’;

5.

Articles 11 and 12 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 11 Implementing measures

The following measures for implementing this Regulation, including measures to take account of economic and technical changes, shall be laid down by the Commission:

(a)

the definition, in accordance with Article 4(1), of the disaggregations to be included in the fixed structure;

(b)

the technical specification of the index (Article 2);

(c)

the inclusion of NACE Rev. 2 sections O to S (Article 3);

(d)

the breakdown of indices by economic activities (Article 4);

(e)

the format for transmission of results and the adjustment procedures to be applied (Article 6);

(f)

the separate quality criteria for current and back data transmitted and contents of quality reports (Article 8);

(g)

the transition period (Article 9);

(h)

the establishment of feasibility studies and decisions pursuant to their results (Article 10); and

(i)

the methodology to be used for chaining the index (Annex).

The measures referred to in points (e), (g) and (h) shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure referred to in Article 12(2).

The measures referred to in points (a), (b), (c), (d), (f) and (i), designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).

Article 12 Committee procedure

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee established by Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom(2).

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.’;

6.

point 3 of the Annex shall be replaced by the following:

‘3. The methodology for chaining the index will be defined by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).’.

(1)

OJ L 69, 13.3.2003, p. 1.

(2)

OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.’;