No C 15/8 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 22.1.  76 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
approves  the  principle  that  cocoa  powder  products 
(as is already  the case  with  chocolate  bars  or tablets) 
should  be marketed  in individual  weights  on a scale 
going  from  100  g to 1 kg. 
1.2. The  Committee  notes,  however,  that  the scale 
proposed  by the  Commission  omits  certain  weights 
commonly  used  for  the  sale  of cocoa  powder 
products  in several  Member  States. 
One way  round  this  difficulty  might  lie in choosing 
weights  within  the 100  g to 1 kg range,  not only  at 
intervals  of 100  g but also  at other  common  divisions 
of the kilogramme,  namely  125  g, 250  g, 375  g, 500  g 
and 750  g. 
1.3. The  Committee  shares  the  Commission's 
concern  to avoid  any  confusion  of the consumer  due 
to the adoption  of two  weight  systems  that  are too 
close  to each  other,  and  therefore  rejects  such  a 
two-tier  system.  Faced  with  a choice  between  the two 
series,  the Committee  plumps  for the second.  In its view,  this  series  comes  closest  to customary  practice 
in the majority  of the Member  States. 
1.4. In  view  of the  foregoing,  the  Committee 
recommends  extending  to at least  five  years  the 
period  after  which  cocoa  powder  products  not 
conforming  to the Directive  may  not be marketed. 
2. Specific  comments 
2.1. The  Committee  would  propose  the  addition 
of a third  recital  worded  as follows:  'Whereas 
allowance  should  be made  for  the existence  on the 
market  of weights  not included  in the proposed  scale; 
whereas,  as a result,  manufacturers  and  consumers 
should  be given  adequate  time  to adjust  to the 
proposed  scale'. 
2.2. Article  1 
The Committee  proposes  that  the Commission's  scale 
of weights  be amended  to read:  100  g, 125  g, 250  g, 
375 g, 500 g, 750 g, 1 kg. 
2.3. Article  2 
The deadline  laid  down  in subparagraph  (b) should 
be increased  to five  years. 
Done  at Brussels,  29 October  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  on a change  in the timetable  for the 
preparation  of the annual  report  on the economic  situation  of the Community 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 218  of 24 September  1975,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 4 August  1975,  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. 
22.1.  76 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 15/9 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
134th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 October  1975. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  on 4 August  1975, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the Bureau  of 
the Committee  on 23 September  1975,  instructing  the 
Section  for  Economic  and  Financial  Questions  to 
draw  up an opinion  on the above  matter, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr De Bievre  and  the  opinion  adopted 
by the Section  at its meeting  on 30 September  1975, 
Having  regard  to the proceedings  of its 134th  plenary-
session  held  on 29 and  30 October  1975  (meeting  of 
30 October), 
Whereas  the Council  Decision  of 18 February  1974 
on the attainment  of a high  degree  of convergence  of 
the economic  policies  of the  Member  States  of the 
European  Economic  Community  (1), states  that  the 
Council  is to hold  three  meetings  per year  to examine 
the economic  situation  in the Community; 
Whereas  under  the  abovementioned  Decision,  an 
annual  report  on the  economic  situation  is to be 
drawn  up at the third  of these  meetings,  and  sent  to 
the national  parliaments  so that  they  can  take 
account  of it in their  budget  debates;  whereas  this 
third  meeting  is to take  place  during  the third  quarter 
of each  year; 
Whereas  in the  third  quarter  the  Commission  does 
not yet have  statistics  for the post-holiday  period  and 
whereas  the  Commission  proposes  that  the  Council 
hold  its third  meeting  in the fourth  quarter; 
(!) OJ  No L 63, 5. 3. 1974,  p. 16. Whereas  it is important  that  Member  States' 
economic  policies  be  extensively  coordinated; 
whereas  this  can  be done  more  effectively  if the 
Council's  decisions  are  taken  before  the  national 
governments'  budget  proposals  are  approved  in 
broad  outline  by the respective  parliaments,  since  it is 
on these  proposals  that  economic  and  social  policy  is 
largely  based, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
with  6 votes  against  and  4 abstentions: 
1. The  Committee  approves  the  proposal  for  a 
Decision,  but  wishes  to  make  the  following 
comments: 
1.1. The  Committee  agrees  that  the  statistics  and 
other  information  available  in October  give  a better 
indication  of economic  trends  than  do those  available 
in September,  because  they  cover  the beginning  of the 
post-holiday  period. 
1.2. The  deadline  the  Commission  suggests  for 
referring  the draft  annual  report  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  is 15 October.  This  would  only 
leave  the Committee  10 days  or so in which  to get its 
opinion  ready  for the plenary  session  in late  October. 
This  is clearly  not enough.  The  Committee  therefore 
asks that  when  the  Council  is working  out  its own 
work  programme,  it should  take  account  of the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee's  request  to be 
allowed  more  time  for the preparation  of its opinion. 
2.1. It  must  be remembered  that  the whole  object 
of the  Council  Decision  of 18 February  1974  is to 
improve  the  coordination  of  Member  States' 
economic  policies.  The  Member  States  are  not, 
however,  doing  anything  like  enough  in this  area, 
although  at the present  critical  juncture,  coordination 
No C 15/10 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 22. 1. 76 
is more  necessary  than  ever  before,  and  conflicting 
and uncoordinated  policies  will  have  adverse  effects 
on all sectors  of the economy. the Council  discussions  at which  economic  policy 
guidelines  are  set for  the  Member  States  take  place 
before  the  national  governments'  budget  proposals 
are approved  in broad  outline  by  the  respective 
parliaments.  It is on these  budget  proposals  that 
economic  and  social  policy  is largely  based. 2.2. In  view  of  this,  the  timetable  for  the 
preparation  of the annual  report  should  be such  that 
Done  at Brussels,  30 October  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendments  were  rejected  during  the discussion: 
Page  2 
Replace  items  1, 1.1 and 1.2 by the following: 
'1. The  Section  cannot  agree  to the third  Council  meeting  on the annual  report  being 
held in the fourth  quarter,  since  the report  and  the guidelines  in it would  no longer  have 
any useful  influence  on the formulation  of economic  policy  in most  Member  States. 
1.1. In  six of the Member  States,  the national  Parliament  has its general  debate  on the 
Government's  budget  proposals,  on which  economic  and social  policy  is primarily  based,  in 
September  and/or  October.  The  parliaments  should  know  about  the  Community's 
guidelines  when  they  begin  their  budget  debates. 
1.2. Community  guidelines  should,  in fact,  therefore  be laid  down  earlier  than  has been 
the practice  in recent  years,  and certainly  not later'. 
[tem 2.1 
Delete  'however'  in the second  sentence. 
Page  3 
In item  2.2 delete  the last sentence  'It is on these  budget  . . . proposals  that  economic  and social 
policy  is largely  based'.  Amend  the  previous  sentence  to read:  '...  before  the  national 
governments'  budget  proposals  are discussed  in broad  outline  by the respective  parliaments'. 
In Germany,  France,  Italy,  the Netherlands,  Belgium  and Luxembourg,  the budget  proposals  are 
submitted  to the respective  parliaments  in the last two  weeks  of September  or in October,  and a 
general  debate  is held  on the broad  lines  of economic  and  social  policy.  Community  Directives Reason 
22.1.  76 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 15/11 
which  are drawn  up, 'in the fourth  quarter'  (Article  1 of the Proposal)  or 'on the third  Monday 
of November'  (Explanatory  Memorandum),  can  no  longer  have  any  useful  influence  on 
parliamentary  discussion  of the  budgets  in the  abovementioned  countries.  The  Commission 
proposal  is thus  at variance  with  Article  5 of the Council'  Decision  of 18 February  1974,  which 
lays down  that  account  should  be taken  of the 'guidelines'  in the parliamentary  discussion. 
The 15 October  deadline,  on which  the comments  in item  1.2 of the draft  opinion  are based,  is 
only  mentioned  in the  non-binding  explanatory  memorandum  preceding  the  Commission 
proposal  as a guide  for 1975. 
Voting: 
For: 7, against:  34, abstentions:  9. 
Opinion  on the annual  report  on the economic  situation  of the Community 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has not yet been  published  in the Official  Journal 
of the European  Communities. 
On 27 October  1975,  the Council  decided  to request  an opinion  of the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  on the above  report  according  to Article  4 of the Council  Decision 
of 18 February  1974  on the attainment  of a high  degree  of convergence  of the economic 
policies  of the Member  States  of the European  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
134th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and 30 October  1975. 
The full  text of the opionion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
Having  regard  to Article  4 of the Council  Decision  of 
18 February  1974  on the attainment  of a high  degree 
of convergence  of the  economic  policies  of the 
Member  States  of the European  Community, THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the Bureau  of 
the Committee  on 24 June  1975  instructing  the 
Section  for  Economic  and  Financial  Questions  to 
draw  up an opinion  on the above  matter, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Margot,  and  the opinion  adopted  by 
the Section  at its meeting  on 22 October  1975, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 27 October  1975  for an 
opinion  on the annual  report  of the Commission  on 
the economic  situation  of the Community, Having  regard  to the proceedings  of its 134th  plenary 
session  held  on 29 and  30 October  (meeting  of 30 
October),