18. 8. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 207/27 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 
1408/71 on the application of social-security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed 
persons and to members of their families moving within the Community and Regulation 
(EEC) No 574/72 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 
(86/C 207/09) 
On 25 April 1986, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Social Questions, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on 
the subject, adopted its opinion on 15 May 1986 in the light of the report by Mr Pearson. 
At its 237th plenary session (meeting of 21 May 1986) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion by a majority in favour, with one vote against and one abstention. 
1. The Committee notes that it gave an opinion (OJ No 
C 344 of 31 December 1985) on the Commission's 
proposed amendments to Council Regulation (EEC) No 
1408/71, as they affect the application of social-security 
schemes to employed, to self-employed persons and to 
members of their families moving within the Community, 
these amendments being due to operating experience and 
current needs. 
2. The Committee welcomes the current proposal and 
finds the amendments to be important, being in parallel to 
those referred to above. They concern social-security 
schemes involving those Community citizens in employ­
ment or self employment simultaneously in the territory of 
two or more Member States. It finds the precise terms of 
implementation to be highly technical and complicated but 
approves the proposals in principle: it cannot comment 
adequately on the detailed elements as it would normally 
do, due to the very short time available. 
3. The Committee recognizes that the amendments are 
necessary if there is not to be loss of statutory entitlement to benefits, and approves that they should be retrospectively 
operative from 1 January 1986. 
4. Whilst it is recognized that the shortcomings in the 
1408/71 Regulation were very unlikely to have been 
foreseen, the Committee agrees with the basic premise of 
the amendments whereby each altered Article and Annex of 
the Regulation tends to lean toward the advantage of a 
transfrontier worker in order that the concept of free 
movement of labour and professional expertise is main­
tained within the Community and the entitlement to 
statutory benefits recognized. 
5. The Committee points out that the amendments to 
the Social-Security Schemes Regulation are complicated 
and very detailed. It is pleased to learn that there will 
shortly be available a document setting out, in simple 
terms, the obligations and benefits incurred by citizens of 
Member States moving and working within the Com­
munity. The new guidelines should be made available 
through all the appropriate social-security offices in each 
Member State as soon as possible. 
Done at Brussels, 21 May 1986. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 
3626/82 on the implementation in the Community of the Convention on international trade in 
endangered species of wild fauna and flora 
(86/C 207/10) 
On 24 April 1986 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 
198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal.