17.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC40/13
3.Havingascertainedthatthereisnochangeinthe
substanceofthetextstobeconsolidated ,theCom­mitteeendorsestheproposalandwelcomesthisattempt
atrationalization .
DoneatBrussels,27November1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionconcerningtheconclusionoftheAgreement
betweentheEuropeanEconomicCommunityandtheSocialistFederalRepublicofYugoslavia
inthefieldoftransport(*)
(92/C40/07)
On28June1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle75oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon13November1991.TheRapporteur
wasMrsBredima-Savopoulou .
Atits291stplenarysession(meetingof27November1991),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvote,withoneabstention.
TheagreementbetweentheCommunityandYugo­
slaviainthefieldoftransportwassignedon24June
1991.HencetheCommittee'sOpinionissomethingof
aformalityasthereisnoprospectofanyproposed
changesbeingtakenintoaccount.Underthesecircum­
stancestheCommitteewouldconfineitselftothefol­
lowingobservations .
1.Theagreementwillpermitthecoordinateddevel­
opmentoftransportbetweentheterritoriesofthetwo
contractingpartiesandencourageroadandrailtransit
betweenGreeceandtherestoftheCommunity ;its
signingisthereforetobewelcomed.
2.TheCommitteeisdeeplyconcernedbyandwishes
toseeanearlysolutiontothecurrentpoliticalcrisisinYugoslavia,whichhasgraverepercussionsforthe
transportoftheCommunity'sexternaltradethrough
YugoslaviatoGreeceandtheMiddleEast.TheCom­
mitteealsonoteswithconcernthatGreece'sexportsto
otherECMemberStatesaswellasthetransportofEC
passengers (tourists)toGreeceviaYugoslaviaarebeing
seriouslyhampered;itcallsontheCommunitytotake
alternativeactionifthecrisispersists.
3.TheCommitteenotesthatthenegotiations
betweentheCommunityandSwitzerlandandAustria
culminatedon21October1991intheconclusionofan
agreementinprinciplewhichwillalsofacilitatetransit
betweentheCommunityandGreecethroughYugo­
slavia.
4.The10-yearagreementbetweentheCommunity
andYugoslaviaprovidesforanannualcumulative5%
increaseinthetotalnumberoftransitauthorizations (J)OJNoC181,12.7.1991,p.5.

NoC40/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 17.2.92
fortheCommunity .TheCommitteereservesitspos­
itiononthedistributionoftheseadditionalauthoriz­
ationsbetweentheMemberStates;thisisamatter
foraCommissionproposal,onwhichtheCommittee
wouldhopetobeconsultedinduecourse.5.TheCommitteecallsontheCommunitytostart
negotiationsforanagreementonmaritimetransport,
airtransportandinlandwaterwaystransportbetween
theECandYugoslaviawhichrespectsthe'acquiscom­
munautaire'inthesefields.
DoneatBrussels,27November1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN
OpinionontheproposalforaSixthCouncilDirectiveonSummertimeArrangements (!)
(92/C40/08)
On20August1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon13November1991.TheRapporteur
wasMrsGuillaume .
Atits291stplenarysession(meetingof27November1991),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvote,withoneabstention.
1.3.Tothisdate,theUnitedKingdomandIreland
havedifferedfromtherestoftheCommunity .
1.4.InitslatestOpinionof31December1988,the
Committeeonceagainurgedthatnotonlythebeginning
butalsotheendingofsummertimebestandardizedas
soonaspossible.
1.5.ThelatestCommissionproposalfor1993and
1994onceagainenvisagestheabovementioned possi­
bilityofonedatefortheendingofsummertimeinthe
continentalcountriesoftheCommunityandanother
foritsendingintheUnitedKingdomandIreland.1.Introduction
1.1.TheCouncilofMinistershasalreadyadopted
fiveDirectivesonsummertimearrangements .Most
recently,on21December1988,itstipulatedthatinthe
years1990,1991and1992,thesummertimethroughout
theCommunitywouldbeginat1a.m.(GMT)onthe
lastSundayinMarchandendat1a.m.(GMT)onthe
lastSundayinSeptember .
1.2.However,anexemptionclauseconcerningthe
UnitedKingdomandIrelandwasincluded,allowing
thesetwoMemberStatestotakethenecessarymeasures
toensurethatthesummertimeperiodintheabovemen­
tionedyearsendsat1a.m.(GMT)onthefourthSunday
inOctober,i.e.fourweekslaterthanintherestofthe
Community .2.Generalcomments
2.1.Ifsummertimearrangements weretoendon
thesamedaythroughouttheCommunity,transport
operators,travellersandthebusinessworldwouldbe
sparedtheconsiderabledifficultiesandcostscausedby
thedifferentdaysonwhichtheclocksarechanged. (!)OJNoC219,22.8.1991,p.4.