14.10.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 266/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2166/1999 of 8 October 1999 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 as regards minimum standards for the treatment of products in the health, education and social protection sectors in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995 concerning harmonised indices of consumer prices (), and in particular Articles 4 and 5(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, After consulting the European Central Bank (3), Whereas: 1) by virtue of Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2494/ 95, each Member State is required to produce a Har- monised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) starting with the index for January 1997; Commission Regulation (EC) No 1749/96 (*) defines the coverage of the HICP as those goods and services which are included in household final monetary consumption expenditure; goods and services in the health, education and social protection sectors are part of the coverage of the HICP; household final monetary consumption covers the expenditure incurred by individuals living in institu- tional households and should be grouped in accordance with the COICOP/HICP categories as laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2214/96 (*); by virtue of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1749/96, in particular Article 3 and Annex Ia thereof, extended coverage in the health, education and social protection sectors should be implemented in December 1999 and take effect with the index for January 2000, whereby the methodological details of inclusion should be specified () O] L 257, 27.10.1995, p. 1. (}) Opinion delivered on 24 August 1999. () O] L 229, 10.9.1996, Regulations (EC) No 1687/98 (O] L 214, 31.7.1998, p. 12) and (EQ) No 1688/98 (O] L 214, 31.7.1998, p. 23). . 3. Regulation as amended by Council (*) OJ L 296, 21.11.1996, p. 8. Regulation as last amended by Regula- tion (EC) No 1749/1999 (O] L 214, 13.8.1999, p. 1). (4) in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of the framework Regulation (EC) No 2494/95, the timetable of inclusion for hospital services and social protection services provided within the home, retire- ment homes and residences for the disabled should be specified in accordance with the same procedure; there is considerable scope for procedural differences in the treatment of goods and services in the health, educa- tion and social protection sectors in the HICP; a har- monised methodology for such goods and services is necessary to ensure that the resulting HICPs meet the comparability requirements as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95; the treatment of goods and services in the health, educa- tion and social protection sectors is consistent with the definitions laid down in the European System of Accounts (ESA) 1995 set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 (); the Statistical Programme Committee (SPC) has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman; in this case, following the procedure laid down in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2494/95, the Commission has to, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Aim The aim of this Regulation is to set minimum standards for the treatment of goods and services in the health, education and () OJ L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 448/98 (O] L 58, 27.2.1998, p. 1).