10. 9. 81 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 230/37 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  laying  down,  in respect  of hops,  the amount 
of aid to producers  for the 1980  harvest 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 164  of 4 July  1981,  page  5. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 12 June  1981  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 189th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 1,2  and  3 July  1981. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the Tready  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  198 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of the 
European  Communities  on 12 June  1981  for an opinion 
on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  laying  down,  in 
respect  of hops,  the amount  of aid to producers  for the 
1980  harvest, 
Having  regard  to Articles  46, 47 and  48 of the Rules  of 
Procedure, 
Having  regard  to the previous  work  of the Economic 
and Social  Committee  on this  subject, 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  made  by the rappor-
teur-general,  Mr Bernaert, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 189th  plenary 
session  held  on 1,2  and  3 July  1981  (meeting  of 2 July 
1981), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. On  the basis  of the information  contained  in the 
Commission  report  to the  Council  on the  situation regarding  the production  and  marketing  of hops  (1980 
harvest)  and in particular  the situation  on the world  and 
Community  markets,  the results  of the 1980  harvest  and 
the medium-term  forecasts  - the  Comrhittee  agrees  with 
the Commission  on the need  to continue  pursuing  a very 
cautious  policy  on new  planting;  otherwise  there  is a risk 
of further  substantial  surpluses  in this  sector  if future 
harvests  are abundant. 
2. The  Committee  is of the opinion  that  the level  of aid 
proposed  for the 1980  harvest  (averaging  227  ECU  per 
hectare  for all eligible  land)  is not likely  to encourage  an 
inopportune  expansion  of the area  under  hops. 
3. The  Committee  feels  that  the  Commission's 
proposal  will  nevertheless  supplement  the  income  of 
planters  who,  in certain  countries  and  for  certain 
varieties,  received  a more  moderate  increase  in the return 
per hectare  than  in 1979. 
4. The  Committee  also  notes  that  the proposed  aid 
differential  is likely  to encourage  the  production  of 
varieties  of hops  for  which  the  Community  has  a 
promising  market. 
5. Finally,  the Committee,  notwithstanding  the fact 
that the Commission  is once  again  late  in submitting  its 
proposals  to the  Council,  hopes  that  the  aid can  be 
granted  to hop  producers  on schedule. 
6. In  view  of the  above  comments  the Committee 
approves  the proposed  Regulation. 
Done  at Brussels,  2 July  1981. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Tomas  ROSEINGRAVE