Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005, establishing a framework for the setting of eco-design requirements for energy-using products (EuP) and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC and Directives 96/57/EC and 2000/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council^f1, and in particular Article 18 thereof,

Whereas:

In accordance with Article 18 of Directive 2005/32/EC, the Commission should ensure that in the conduct of its activities it observes, in respect of each implementing measure, a balanced participation of Member States and interested parties.

Directive 2005/32/EC provides that those parties should meet in a Consultation Forum. It is therefore necessary to define the tasks and the structure of that Consultation Forum.

The Consultation Forum should assist the Commission to establish a working plan, and contribute to defining and reviewing implementing measures, to examining the effectiveness of the established market surveillance mechanisms, and to assessing voluntary agreements and other self-regulation measures.

The Consultation Forum should be composed of Member States' representatives and the interested parties concerned with the product or product group in question, such as industry, including SMEs and craft industry, trade unions, traders, retailers, importers, environmental protection groups and consumer organisations.

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the Consultation Forum should be provided for, without prejudice to the rules on security annexed to the Commission's Rules of Procedure by Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom^f2.

Personal data relating to members of the Consultation Forum should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data^f3,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: