NoC332/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveontheapproximation ofthelawsofthe
MemberStatesrelatingtotheburningbehaviourofmaterialsusedininteriorconstruction
ofcertaincategoriesofmotorvehicle(!)
(92/C332/06)
On9June1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100aoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon30September1992.The
RapporteurwasMrMasucci.
Atits300thPlenarySession(meetingof22October1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction
1.1.TheCommitteehasfollowedthevariousCom­
missionproposalsforcommonmeasuresonthefree
movementofpeopleandgoods.Theseproposalshave
soughttoimprovesafety,reduceroadaccidents,and
mitigatetheconsequencesthereof,interaliaonthe
environment .TheCommitteehasnowbeenaskedby
theCounciltoissueanOpinionontheburningbehav­
iourofmaterialsusedintheinteriorsofcategoryM3
motorvehiclesasdefinedinAnnex1ofDirective70/
156/EEC.
1.1.1.TheCommitteethereforewelcomestheCom­
mission'sproposaltosupplementtheframeworkDirec­
tive70/156/EEC,subjecttothereservationsexpressed
inPoint2below.2.1.1.Itviewsthepresentproposalasastepin
thisdirectionwhichshouldbefollowedbyfurther
Directives .
2.2.Asregardsthecategoryofvehiclescoveredby
theproposal,theCommitteehasmisgivingsaboutthe
exclusionofvehiclesdesignedforstandingpassengers .
TheCommission'sjustificationforthis—thatpassen­
gerscanbeevacuatedmorequicklyandthatthestatisti­
calriskislower—isnotsatisfactory .
2.3.Theproposalshouldberedraftedtoembrace
theneedfortypeapprovalofmaterialsandcomponents
assuch.
2.4.Article6oftheproposalprovidesforthesetting­
upofanadvisorycommittee,inlinewiththeincreased
responsibilities conferredontheCommissionunderthe
SingleAct.
2.4.1.However,alltheESC'searlierOpinionson
theapplicationofDirective70/156/EEChavesupported
thepreferenceforthecontinuanceoftheCommittee
forTechnicalProgress,forreasonsofgreaterefficiency
andinputofproposals.
2.4.2.Inparticular,beforetakinganydecisions,the
Committeeshouldconsultallorganizations (con­
sumers,users)whichcanhelptoguaranteehighsafety
criteria.
2.5.TheCommitteeaskstheCommission tomake
Article3clearerandmoreexplicit,sothattheexisting
nationaloptionsaremoreimmediatelycomprehensible .
Itwouldalsoliketoseeclarificationofthedatesof
entryintoforceoftheDirectivefornewlytype­
approvedvehiclesandforvehicleswhichhavealready
receivedtype-approval .
2.6.ThedateslaiddowninArticles3and7are
clearlyimpracticalandwillhavetobealtered.1.2.Withthefreemovementofpeopleandgoods
nowimminent,itisvitallyimportanttoharmonize
technicalstandardsgoverningtheburningbehaviour
ofmaterialsusedintheinteriorsofpublictransport
vehicles.
1.3.TheCommitteefullyendorsestheproposal.
Whenlayingdowncriteriafortechnicaltests,attention
shouldbedrawntoTreatyArticle100a(3)whichstipu­
latesahighlevelofprotection .
2.Comments
2.1.TheCommitteeconsidersthatitwouldbeuseful
toincludeallmotorvehiclesinthepresentDirective,
inordertogiveeveryonethesameguaranteeofahigh
levelofsafety.
2.7.Extensionofthetype-approval procedureto
covermaterialsandcomponentsaswellasthevehicle (i)OJNoC154,19.6.1992,p.4.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/13
2.8.Point1ofAnnexIshouldberewordedtoread:
'ThespecificationsappendedtothisDirective
applytotheburningbehaviour...'willnecessitateamendmentofthebodyoftheDirective
andAnnexI,inparticularpoints7and8,andofthe
impactstatementoncompetitiveness andjobs(position
ofsmallfirms).
DoneatBrussels,22October1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveontheCo-ordination ofLaws,Regulations
andAdministrative ProvisionsrelatingtoDeposit-Guarantee Schemes(')
92/C332/07)
On23June1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100aoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon30September1992.The
RapporteurwasMrMeyer-Horn .
Atits300thPlenarySession(meetingof22October)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
effect.Itcanunderminethereputationofanentire
nationalbankingsector.
1.3.Underthesecircumstances ,itisunderstandable
thatthesupervisoryauthoritiesandthecreditinsti­
tutionsthemselvesareconcernedabouttakingpre­
cautionstoprovidedepositorswithacertainprotection.
TheCommission ,too,hasproposedadirectiveonthe
matter.Ittakesintoaccountthefactthatacredit
institutioncanbethevictimofafinancialcrisiseven
whenitissubjecttoverystrictrulesandcarefulsuper­
vision,particularlyascompetitionwillincreasefurther
intheSingleMarketasaresultofCommunity-wide
bankingandthefreedomtofixinterestratesandcon­
ditions.1.Introduction
1.1.Inamarketeconomy,companyfailuresarefar
fromuncommon .Butinthecreditindustrytheypose
particularproblems,sincecreditinstitutionsworklarg­
elywiththeirclients'moneyandarethereforemore
dependentontheircreditors'confidencethanother
enterprises .Asocialmarketeconomycannotaccept
thatthereshouldbenomeasurestooffsettheconse­
quentrisksforthemajorityofsaversandinvestors.If
acreditsectoristobehealthy,thecustomersofcredit
institutions,oratleastprivateindividuals,mustbe
protectedfromdamagestoanextentwhichissocially
justandeconomicallyreasonable .
1.2.Moreover,creditinstitutionsthemselvesare
interestedindepositorshavingmeaningfulprotection
andinprovidingcorresponding clientinformation .For
ifcreditors,andparticularlysavers,sufferdamages
whenabankbecomesinsolvent,thiscanhaveapublic1.4.TheEconomicandSocialCommitteepraisesthe
qualityoftheworkandtheextensivepreparationwhich
theCommission hasundertakeninthisarea.TheESC
attachesgreatimportancetotheCommission'scon­
siderationsandwouldlike,withitsOpinion,tomakea
constructivecontributionwhichreflectsthesuggestions
andconcernsoftheeconomicandsocialorganizations . HOJNoC163,30.6.1992,p.6.