PART III: THE POLICIES AND FUNCTIONING OF THE UNION
TITLE III - INTERNAL POLICIES AND ACTION
CHAPTER I - INTERNAL MARKET
SECTION 7 - COMMON PROVISIONS
ARTICLE III-172
1. Save where otherwise provided in the Constitution, this Article shall apply for the achievement of the objectives set out in Article III-130. European laws or framework laws shall establish measures for the approximation of the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States which have as their object the establishment and functioning of the internal market. Such laws shall be adopted after consultation of the Economic and Social Committee.
2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to fiscal provisions, to those relating to the free movement of persons or to those relating to the rights and interests of employed persons.
3. The Commission, in its proposals submitted under paragraph 1 concerning health, safety, environmental protection and consumer protection, shall take as a base a high level of protection, taking account in particular of any new development based on scientific facts. Within their respective powers, the European Parliament and the Council shall also seek to achieve this objective.
4. If, after the adoption of a harmonisation measure by means of a European
law or framework law or by means of a European regulation of the Commission,
a Member State deems it necessary to maintain national provisions on grounds
of major needs referred to in Article III-154, or relating to the protection
of the environment or the working environment, it shall notify the Commission
of these provisions as well as the grounds for maintaining them.
5. Moreover, without prejudice to paragraph 4, if, after the adoption of a harmonisation
measure by means of a European law or framework law or by means of a European
regulation of the Commission, a Member State deems it necessary to introduce
national provisions based on new scientific evidence relating to the protection
of the environment or the working environment on grounds of a problem specific
to that Member State arising after the adoption of the harmonisation
measure, it shall notify the Commission of the envisaged provisions and the
reasons for them.
6. The Commission shall, within six months of the notifications referred to
in paragraphs 4 and 5, adopt a European decision approving or rejecting the
national provisions involved after having verified whether or not they are a
means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between
Member States and whether or not they constitute an obstacle to the functioning
of the internal market.
In the absence of a decision by the Commission within this period the national
provisions referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 shall be deemed to have been approved.
When justified by the complexity of the matter and in the absence of danger to human health, the Commission may notify the Member State concerned that the period referred to in this paragraph will be extended for a further period of up to six months.
7. When, pursuant to paragraph 6, a Member State is authorised to maintain or
introduce national provisions derogating from a harmonisation measure, the Commission
shall immediately examine whether to propose an adaptation to that measure.
8. When a Member State raises a specific problem on public health in a field
which has been the subject of prior harmonisation measures, it shall bring it
to the attention of the Commission which shall immediately examine whether to
propose appropriate measures.
9. By way of derogation from the procedure laid down in Articles III-360 and
III-361, the Commission and any Member State may bring the matter directly before
the Court of Justice of the European Union if it considers that another Member
State is making improper use of the powers provided for in this Article.
10. The harmonisation measures referred to in this Article shall, in appropriate
cases, include a safeguard clause authorising the Member States to take, for
one or more of the non-economic reasons referred to in Article III-154, provisional
measures subject to a Union control procedure.
ARTICLE III-173
Without prejudice to Article III-172, a European framework law of the Council
shall establish measures for the approximation of such laws, regulations or
administrative provisions of the Member States as directly affect the establishment
or functioning of the internal market. The Council shall act unanimously after
consulting the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.
ARTICLE III-174
Where the Commission finds that a difference between the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States is distorting the conditions of competition in the internal market and that the resultant distortion needs to be eliminated, it shall consult the Member States concerned.
If such consultation does not result in agreement, European framework laws shall establish the measures necessary to eliminate the distortion in question. Any other appropriate measures provided for in the Constitution may be adopted.
ARTICLE III-175
1. Where there is reason to fear that the adoption or amendment of a provision laid down by law, regulation or administrative action of a Member State may cause distortion within the meaning of Article III-174, a Member State desiring to proceed therewith shall consult the Commission. After consulting the Member States, the Commission shall address to the Member States concerned a recommendation on such measures as may be appropriate to avoid the distortion in question.
2. If a Member State desiring to introduce or amend its own provisions does
not comply with the recommendation addressed to it by the Commission, other
Member States shall not be required, pursuant to Article III-174, to amend their
own provisions in order to eliminate such distortion. If the Member State which
has ignored the recommendation of the Commission causes distortion detrimental
only to itself, Article III-174 shall not apply.
ARTICLE III-176
In the context of the establishment and functioning of the internal market, European laws or framework laws shall establish measures for the creation of European intellectual property rights to provide uniform intellectual property rights protection throughout the Union and for the setting up of centralised Union-wide authorisation, coordination and supervision arrangements.
A European law of the Council shall establish language arrangements for the European intellectual property rights. The Council shall act unanimously after consulting the European Parliament.