28. 5. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 133/21 
1.3. The  Committee  considers  that  the  measure  is 
needed  at this  time  in order  to help  prevent  a further 
deterioration  of the position  of the coal  industry  and  to 
avoid  the danger  of irreversible  closures  of production 
capacities  which  are not in the Community  interest  and 
which  involve  the loss of jobs  not compensated  for by the 
creation  of new  employment. 
1.4. It  notes  that  national  governments  have  already 
taken  extensive  measures  which  represent  a considerable 
burden  on their  budget  to maintain  coal  production  and 
disposals.  It considers  that  the  proposed  Community 
scheme  can act as a useful  complement  in reducing  the 
financial  losses  incurred  by the undertakings  in supplying 
power  station  coal  in intra-Community  trade.  It stresses 
however  that  this  will  only  be achieved  if the aid to the 
coal industries  provided  by national  governments  is not 
reduced  as a consequence  of the Commission's  proposal 
being  adopted,  unless  the aid per tonne  from  all sources 
exceeds  the  actual  losses  being  incurred  by  coal 
undertakings. 1.5. The  Committee  regrets  that  the Council  has not 
yet adopted  the specific  measures  on energy  and  coal 
policy  already  put  forward  by the  Commission  and 
supported  by the Economic  and  Social  Committee.  It 
believes  that  these  measures  should  now  be adopted  for 
the reasons  outlined  above. 
1.6. The  Committee  considers  that  the proposed  new 
system  should  not lead  to additional  financial  charges  for 
producers  and  consumers  of the  various  sources  of 
energy. 
1.7. Taking  a longer  term  view,  the  Committee 
considers  that,  in order  to encourage  the wider  use of 
coal,  sight  should  not be lost  of the need  to set up the 
infrastructures  required  for the development  of the coal 
trade,  including  the  modernization  of coal  utilizing 
industrial  and  power  plant,  and  a programme  for the 
building  of coal-fired  power  stations  and the conversion 
of oil-fired  stations  to dual  firing  i.e. coal  and oil. 
1.8. The  Committee  approves  the aim of the proposal 
and the specific  arrangements  contained  within  it. 
Done  at Brussels,  22 February  1979. 
The Chairman  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
Opinion  on the proposal  from  the Commission  to the Council  concerning  a second  four-year 
energy  research  and  development  programme 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 228  of 26 September  1978,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION  • 
On 25 August  1978  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  235  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
No C 133/22 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 28. 5. 79 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 166th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 21 and  22 February  1979. 
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  235 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of the 
European  Communities  on 25 August  1978  for  an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
18 October  1978  instructing  the Section  for Energy  and 
Nuclear  Questions  to draw  up an opinion  and  a report 
on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the.  opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Energy  and  Nuclear  Questions  at its 46th  meeting  held 
on 2 February  1979, 
Having  regard  to the report  submitted  by the "rapporteur, 
Mr von  der Decken, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 166th  plenary 
session  held  on 21 and  22 February  1979  (meeting  of 
21 February), 
Whereas  it is necessary  to develop  new  sources  and forms 
of energy  within  the framework  of a common  energy 
policy; 
Whereas  a Community  development  programme  must 
play a fundamental  role  in this  connection, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The  Committee  welcomes  the fact  that  the first 
four-year  programme  (1975  to 30 June  1979)  on energy 
research  (an area  of activity  that  is highly  important  for 
future  energy  supplies)  is being  followed  by a second, 
expanded  programme  for the next  four  years. 
2. The  Committee  is by and  large  in agreement  with 
the increased  appropriations  and  with  the changes  of 
emphasis  in the five  areas  of research. 
3. In  justification  of the choice  of solar  energy  for the 
largest  increase  in funds,  the Commission  points  out that 
this area  of research  is expected  to yield  an appreciable 
contribution  to energy  supplies  in the Member  States 
within  a relatively  short  time. 4. The  increase  in funds  for energy  conservation  is 
in keeping  with  the  considerable  impact  that  energy 
conservation  has  even  in the short  term  on the energy 
situation,  though  it must  be borne  in mind  that  what  is 
needed  here  above  all at the present  time  is the practical 
implementation  of already  known  techniques. 
5. It  is noteworthy  that,  allowing  for inflation,  a 
significant  reduction  has  been  made  in the funds  for 
hydrogen  research,  the  only  area  with  a smaller 
appropriation  than  under  the first  four-year  programme. 
In justification  of this  reduction  it is argued  that  these 
techniques  are  only  a long-term  proposition.  The 
Committee  wonders  whether  this  decision  is right,  since 
it thinks  that  the Community  should  make  a special 
commitment  precisely  in the case  of long-term  objectives 
with a major  application  potential. 
6. In  this  connection  the Committee  draws  attention 
to the need  for close  coordination  between  the energy 
research  programme  and  the  demonstration 
programmes,  which  come  under  different 
Directorates-General. 
7. The  Committee  notes  with  satisfaction  that  the 
Commission  has been  able  to report  on a considerable 
amount  of experience  under  the first  energy  research 
programme.  The  fact  that it is difficult  to identify  specific 
individual  achievements  of the Community  programme 
is due  mainly  to the Community  programmes  forming 
very much  a unit  with  the  national  programmes  -
something  that  is extremely  beneficial  and  desirable  — 
and thereby  fulfilling  its function  of coordination 
of national  programmes.  There  is no  doubt  that 
Community  programmes  have  an extremely  stimulating 
and enriching  effect  within  the  Community.  Systems 
analysis,  geothermal  energy,  solar  energy  and  hydrogen 
can be quoted  as examples  here. 
8. The  Committee  regrets  the absence  of any allusion 
in the proposed  four-year  programme  to cooperation 
with  the developing  countries  in the field  of energy.  It 
would  refer  to the  Commission  communication  on 
this subject,  which  expounds  in detail  the  extreme 
importance  of this  issue  to the Community.  Although 
this matter  will  have  to be dealt  with  in separate  actions 
and programmes  after  political  agreement  has  been 
reached  as part  of the cooperation  with  these  countries 
and although  this  matter  is not a central  concern  of the 
proposed  energy  research  programme,  the Committee 
would  nevertheless  like  it to be indicated  in the 
programme  that  the specific  problems  of the developing 
28. 5. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 133/23 
countries  can be covered  on a pragmatic  basis  in some 
research  and  development  activities. 
9. The  Committee  would  like  also  to make  a 
suggestion  regarding  research  on energy  conservation. 
Changes  in consumer  habits  can probably  have  as large 
an effect  as the introduction  of energy-saving  techniques. 
Examples  of the steps  that  could  be taken  are consumer 
information  and a campaign  to make  the public  aware  of energy  consumption  trends  in the relative  price  structure. 
Alongside  specific  measures  of the kind  already  being 
implemented  by the Community,  such  as the labelling  of 
domestic  appliances  (1), this  could  be a fruitful  area  of 
research  and  a very  effective  one  as regards  energy 
conservation,  particularly  if an  inter-disciplinary 
approach  embracing  the social  sciences  were  adopted. 
(!) OJ  No C 212,  6. 9. 1978,  p. 2. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 February  1979. 
The Chairman  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 3164/76 
on the Community  quota  for the carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 309  of 28 December  1978,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 December  1978  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  75 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 166th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 21 and  22 February  1979. 
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  75 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of the 
European  Communities  on 20 December  1978  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 18 
December  1978  instructing  the Section  for Transport 
and Communications  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Transport  and  Communications  at its 124th  meeting 
held on 7 February  1979, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr  Renaud  (Article  29 of the  Rules  of 
Procedure), 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 166th  plenary 
session  held  on 21 and  22 February  1979  (meeting  of 
22 February), 
Whereas  the introduction  of a common  transport  policy 
entails  inter  alia  the establishment  of common  rules  for