No L 231/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 13.8. 92 'COUNCIL DECISION of 13 July 1992 on a Community action plan to assist tourism (92/421/EEC) 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 (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas tourism occupies an important place in the economy of the Member States, with tourist activities representing a large potential source of employment; Whereas tourism allows people of all kinds to gain a better knowledge of Europe’s cultural roots and of the cultures and ways of life in the Member States, thus making a contribution to the progress of the idea of ‘European citizenship’; Whereas the results of the European Year of Tourism should be taken into account; " Whereas, in view of the above, Community action regarding tourism should take the form of a strengthening of the horizontal approach to tourism in Community and national policies, and of the implementation of specific measures, and whereas that apporach should also include coordination of the measures undertaken by Commission departments which affect tourism; whereas certain Community policies, in particular transport policy, have a major impact on tourism in the various regions of the Community; Whereas the Community can contribute to improving the quality and competitiveness of the Community’s tourism services on offer, by encouraging a joint apporach to the medium-term problems facing European tourism, by promoting the development of the tourist industry and the diversification of tourist activity and the development of transnational measures, and by developing the promotion of European tourism on the main markets of third countries; ) (1) O] No C 120, 12. 5. 1992, p. 13. (2) O] No C 67, 16. 3. 1992, p. 235. (3) O] No C 49, 24. 2. 1992, p. 43. Whereas tourism can make an effective contribution to achieving economic and social cohesion in the Community and whereas it can promote in the Community a harmonious development of economic activity, continuous and balanced expansion, a higher standard of living and closer relations between the States which it links; Whereas the measures to be implemented under the action plan must comply with certain criteria in particular the need to comply with the subsidiarity principle; Whereas tourism in the Community will have to show consideration for local populations and for the natural and cultural environment in order to improve the quality of services offered; Whereas free competition should be preserved in the sector, both for the benefit of consumers and in order to promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); Whereas it is necessary to encourage not only better integration of tourism into the various Community policies ‘but also close cooperation between all public and private bodies in the sector, including representatives of tourist regions, and whereas the implementation at Community level of a number of $pecific measures, complementary to those taken at national level, is the best way of achieving such cooperation, while avoiding any distortion of competition which may be caused; Whereas statistics on tourism should be developed and forward analysis of new types of tourism carried out; Whereas a plan of three years’ duration is called for; Whereas an amount of ECU 18 million is deemed necessary to implement this plan;