No C 263/36 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 17.11.75 
forthwith  inform  the Commission  thereof'. 
2.4. Article  9 
2.4.1.  Article  9 states  that  the Member  States  are 
to inform  the  Commission  of all proposed  laws, 
regulations  and  administrative  provisions  in the 
relevant  field.  The  Committee  would  stress  that  the 
purpose  of  this  stipulation  is  to  allow  the Commission  to act  to prevent  disparities  between 
such  proposals. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 May  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  establishing  a common  procedure  for 
the preparation  and  constant  updating  of a European  inventory  of sources  of 
information  on the environment 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 134  of 16 Tune  1975,  page  114. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 17 March  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  under  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 130th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 28 and  29 May  1975. 
The Opinion  is published  below. 
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 referral  on 20 March  1975,  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities,  of the 
proposal  for  a Council  Decision  establishing  a 
common  procedure  for the preparation  and  constant 
updating  of a European  inventory  of sources  of 
information  on the environment; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the Bureau  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on 18 March 
1975  in anticipation  of  an  imminent  referral, 
instructing  the  Section  for  Protection  of  the 
Environment,  Public  Health  and  Consumer  Affairs  to 
draw  up an Opinion  and  a report  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for  Protection  of the  Environment,  Public Health  and  Consumer  Affairs  to draw  up  an 
Opinion  and  a report  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for  Protection  of the  Environment,  Public 
Health  and  Consumer  Affairs  at its meeting  on 13 
May  1975; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its meeting  on 28 
May  1975  (130th  plenary  session  of 28 and  29 May 
1975), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
proposal,  subject  to the following  comments. 
1. The  Committee  applauds  this  initiative  of the 
Commission,  which  is taken  under  the  European 
Communities  programme  of  action  on  the 
17. 11. 75 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 263/37 
environment.  Achievement  of  the  proposal's 
objective  is vital  if progress  is to be made  towards 
implementing  practical  programmes  for safeguarding 
the environment. 
2. In  this  connection,  the Committee  asks  whether 
it would  not  be  worth  putting  stress  on 
environmental  problems  at  the  workplace.  In 
general,  as experience  has  shown,  these  problems 
have  certain  pollution  aspects  which  affect  the 
external  environment.  Emphasis  on this  aspect  would 
serve  the  dual  purpose  of  enabling  a large 
proportion  of external  pollution  to be eliminated 
more  easily  at source,  and  providing  data  on 
probable  trends  in this  type  of pollution. 
3. Furthermore,  the Committee  considers  that  the 
dates  should  be specified  on which  the Commission 
foresees  publishing  the  inventory,  which  is to be 
based  on information  received  from  the  Member 
States.  At all events  it is to be hoped  that  the time 
lag between  receipt  of data  and  publication  of the 
inventory  will  be as short  as possible,  in order  to guarantee  that  the  published  information  is of 
maximum  practical  benefit. 
4. 'Medicine'  and  'toxicology'  are  disciplines  of 
relevance  to  environmental  problems  and  are 
referred  to in the  explanatory  memorandum;  the 
Committee  would  suggest  that  they  be specifically 
mentioned  on  page  20  of the  Annex  (referral 
centres). 
5. Lastly,  the  Committee  points  out  that  the 
Member  States  will  probably  not  be able  to forward 
the first  questionnaire  to the  Commission  by the 
specified  date,  since  at best  the  Council  will  be 
unable  to enact  the Decision  until  late  in 1975. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 May  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  on the approximation  of the laws  of 
the Member  States  relating  to safety  belts  and  restraint  systems  of motor  vehicles 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 82 of 14 April  1975,  page  27. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 14 January  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  under  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 130th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 28 and  29 May  1975. 
The Opinion  is published  below. 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 16 January  1975,  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities,  of the 
proposal  for  a  Council  Directive  on  the 
approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States relating  to safety  belts  and  restraint  systems  of motor 
vehicles; 
Having  regard  to  Article  100  of  the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community;