Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission^f1,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament^f2,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

Whereas by Council Decision 77/586/EEC of 25 July 1977^f3 the Community approved the Convention for the protection of the Rhine against chemical pollution, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Chemical Convention’, and the Additional Agreement to the Agreement signed in Berne on 29 April 1963 concerning the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine against Pollution, hereinafter referred to as the ‘International Commission’;

Whereas under Article 5 of the Chemical Convention the International Commission proposes limit values for the discharge of certain substances into the surface waters of the Rhine basin by way of amendments to Annex IV to the Chemical Convention; whereas under Article 14 of the Chemical Convention, unanimous acceptance by the Contracting Parties is necessary for the entry into force of those amendments;

Whereas the International Commission has established limit values for cadmium in the form of a proposal designed to supplement Annex IV to the Chemical Convention;

Whereas Directive 83/513/EEC^f4 lays down limit values for the discharge of cadmium into the aquatic environment of the Community; whereas these limit values are identical to those set out in the proposal of the International Commission;

Whereas it is desirable that the Community, as a Contracting Party to the Chemical Convention, adopts the abovementioned proposal,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: