30. 3. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 83/7 
At its 243rd Plenary Session (meeting of 28 January 1987) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion unanimously: 
The Committee reaffirms its support, in precisely the same terms as set out in the previous 
Opinion (*), for the Erasmus proposal on promoting student mobility throughout the European 
Community, recognizing the flexible nature and effectiveness of the programme which directs the 
major proportion of funds to non-administrative activities. 
The Committee regrets the delay that arose in Council on this enlightened initiative and strongly 
urges the full adoption of the programme in its original form: budgetary coverage and levels of 
financial support to those students involved need to be implemented as quickly as possible in 
accordance with the general endorsement of the proposal expressed at the European Summit in 
London on 5/6 December 1986. 
(!) OJ No C 189, 28. 7. 1986. 
Done at Brussels, 28 January 1987. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No­
on the Common Organization of the Market in Wine 
(87/C 83/06) 
On 10 November 1986 the Council decided, in accordance with Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty 
establishing the European Economic Community, to ask the Economic and Social Committee for 
an Opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Agriculture, which was responsible for preparatory work, issued its Opinion on 8 
January 1987, in the light of an oral report from Mr Yverneau. 
At its 243rd Plenary Session, held on 28 and 29 January 1987 (meeting of 28 January) the Economic 
and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion with one vote against: 
1. Preliminary comments 
1.1. The Economic and Social Committee supports the 
Commission's proposal. 
1.2. The Committee notes that the main aim is to reduce 
the amount of wine being distilled by providing another 
outlet for grape must. 
1.3. The Committee is well aware that the wine 
distillation measures decided under the wine regulations 
are a costly way of absorbing wine surpluses and create in 
their turn alcohol surpluses; it is therefore in favour of 
seeking new uses for vine products. 
1.4. Such a search forms part of the measures laid down 
by Regulation (EEC) No 861/83, which provides finance for research having the general aim of finding more outlets 
for surpluses. 
1.5. But the Committee wonders whether the 'animal 
feed' outlet is really important, bearing in mind that one is 
still at the experimental stage. It would like experiments to 
continue concerning: 
— practical methods and techniques for using concen­
trated must in feed for different animals; 
— the nutritive qualities of concentrated must compared 
with other traditional ingredients in feed; 
— the comparative cost prices of different animal feeds; 
and 
— whether concentrated must is toxic or not when used for 
long periods. 
No C 83/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 3. 87 
1.6. The Committee would stress the need to avoid must 
being produced solely for animal feed, which is mentioned 
in Article 1, paragraphs. Does this mean that there is 
already a surplus production of concentrated must in 
excess of the traditional demand for this product ? 
1.7. Without expecting an immediate reply to the above 
questions, the Committee is, on the whole, in favour of the 
proposal. It would like experiments to continue under strict 
veterinary control backed up by a practical user's protocol 
for breeders showing the comparative cost prices of the 
different feeds accepted by different breeding animals. 
2. General remarks 
2.1. This is not the first time that the Economic and 
Social Committee has been asked for an Opinion on a draft 
Regulation whose basic aim is to open up new outlets for 
the European vine products sector, which has had serious 
problems with surpluses for some years. 
2.2. The Committee is in favour of seeking new uses for 
vine products, especially when, as is the case with the 
present proposal, there is no risk of endangering other farm 
products and European self-sufficiency is encouraged. 
Done at Brussels, 28 January 1987. 2.3. But the Committee must point out, as it has on 
several occasions in previous Opinions, that the main outlet 
for vine products is wine, and wine consumption in several 
regions of the European Economic Community is far from 
saturation point. 
2.4. The Committee would also stress the need for real 
discipline as regards production, based on an exact 
knowledge of potential wine output gained through a fully 
operational register of wine-producing holdings subject to 
monitoring by the Community. 
2.5. Structural measures to limit plantings would then 
be more effective, and artificial products having nothing to 
do with the vine could be located and rejected by the anti-
fraud authorities. 
2.6. While the Committee appreciates the progress 
made under the Commission's auspices to avoid any 
distortion of competition between fermented beverages, it 
wishes to emphasize that in some Member States taxes and 
excise duties are still too high and discourage even a 
moderate level of wine consumption. 
2.7. The same applies to alcohol produced from wine 
and used in industry. 
2.8. The Committee would like exports to non-EEC 
countries to be given more vigorous encouragement. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT