Chairing the Committee, the European Commission reported on progress made to date including the signature of contracts worth over €200 million for the construction and equipping of school buildings for refugee children and their host communities, as well as on the increasing humanitarian support to the refugees through the Emergency Social Safety Net.

Bearing in mind that the Council conclusions of 10 June 2011 on the Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 stressed that buildings represent 40 % of the Union’s final energy consumption, and in order to capture the growth and employment opportunities in the skilled trades and construction sectors, as well as in the production of construction products and in professional activities such as architecture, consultancy and engineering, Member States should ...[+++] establish a long-term strategy beyond 2020 for mobilising investment in the renovation of residential and commercial buildings with a view to improving the energy performance of the building stock.

The EEA Council : - reaffirmed its commitment to the principles outlined in the Agreement and in particular the creation of a dynamic and homogeneous European Economic Area ; - underlined the important role which the EEA Agreement is playing in the process of European integration ; - noted with satisfaction that the Agreement is functioning effectively under the management of the EEA Joint Committee and took note of the Interim Report which that Committee had submitted ; - noted with satisfaction that the Joint Parliamentary Committe ...[+++]e and the Consultative Committee of the EEA have also begun their activities in a spirit of constructive co-operation and that the European Investment Bank has already taken the necessary measures to implement the financial mechanism as soon as all other necessary institutional procedures are finalised ; - welcomed in particular the Decision of the EEA Joint Committee to integrate the "interim acquis" published by the Community between 31 July 1991 and 31 December 1993 and therefore not included in the Agreement signed in Oporto on 2 May 1992 ; - noted the Assent given to this Decision by the European Parliament at its Plenary Session on 5 May 1994 and expressed the hope that the ratification would be completed in time for the afore-mentioned decision to enter into force throughout the EEA from 1 July 1994 ; - strongly supported the EEA Joint Committee in its efforts to continue developing further the Agreement, in parallel with the internal market rules of the EU.

In order to facilitate this task, the European Organisation of Technical Approvals (EOTA), which groups together the national approvals bodies, would be in a position to draw up technical approvals guidelines in respect of a construction product or family of construction products, acting on a mandate from the Commission and after consulting the Standing Committee on Construction.

Where the threat is attributable to the technical specifications, to their application or to omissions inherent therein, the Commission will decide, after consulting the Standing Committee on Construction, whether the European or national technical specification should or should not continue to enjoy presumption of conformity.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Considering Article 3(2) of Council Decision 90/238/Euratom, ECSC, EEC of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 17 May 1990 adopts a 1990 to 1994 action plan in the context of the "Europe against Cancer" programme, (1) Whereas a report on the evaluation of the effectiveness of action undertaken in the context of the "Europe against Cancer" programme (1987 to 1992) was submitted by the Commission on 23 March 1993, RECOGNIZES the importance of the programme, which remains e ...[+++]ntirely valid today, in particular in its role as a catalyst for, and spur to, action in the Member States to combat cancer; CONSIDERS that backing projects carried out in Member States and undertaking Community action are appropriate means of implementing the programme; UNDERLINES, however, the need to redefine and strengthen, as provided in the programme, forms of co-operation between the Commission and Member States and - as one of the means available for that purpose - to ensure improved co-ordination between the various committees under the programme with a stronger role for the Consultative Committee; INVITES the Commission to submit in due course a draft third action plan, taking into account the Council Resolution of 27 May 1993 on future action in the field of public health as well as the objectives and improvements set out in below.