No C 348/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 81 
Opinion on the draft Council Decision adopting a conserted action project for the 
European Economic Community in the field of shore-based maritime navigation aid 
systems 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 256 8 October 1981, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 5 October 1981 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Articles 84 (2) and 198 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 
192nd plenary session held in Brussels on 25 and 26 November 1981. 
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 
Articles 84 (2) and 198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request for an opinion on the 
matter made by the Council of the European 
Communities on 5 October 1981 ('), 
Having regard to the Council Resolution of 
14 January 1974 on the initial action programme of 
the European Communities in the field of science 
and technology (2), 
Having regard to Council Decision No 81/213/EEC 
of 3 March 1981 adopting a sectoral research and 
development programme in the field of environment 
(environmental protection and climatology) — 
indirect and concerted actions — (1981 to 1985)(3), 
Having regard to its opinion on the abovementioned 
Decision (4), 
Having regard to its opinion of 25 March 1981 on 
maritime safety and the prevention of maritime 
pollution (in particular its opinion on the 
enforcement of safety standards in EC ports) (5), 
(i) OJ No C 256, 8. 10. 1981, p. 7. 
(2) OJ No C 7, 29. 1. 1974, p. 6. 
(3) OJ No L 101, 11.4. 1981, p. 1. 
(*) OJ No C 353, 31. 12. 1980, p. 15. 
(5) OJ No C 159, 29. 6. 1981, pp. 14 and 19. Having regard to the decision taken by its chairman 
on 16 October 1981 instructing the Section for 
Transport and Communications to draw up an 
opinion on the matter (Article 22 of the Rules of 
Procedure), 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the 
abovementioned Section at its 141st meeting on 
11 November 1981, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteuer, Mr Bonety (Article 29 of the Rules of 
Procedure), 
Having regard to the discussions at its 192nd plenary 
session on 25 and 26 November 1981 (meeting of 
25 November), 
Whereas the aim of the concerted action proposed by 
the Commission is to coordinate current and 
projected research into the development of shore-
based maritime navigation aid systems; 
Whereas the results of this concerted action may 
provide increased protection for the coasts of EC 
countries and those of the other European countries 
concerned; 
Whereas by preventing shipping accidents in coastal 
waters the shore-based maritime navigation aid 
systems could make it possible to reduce the risks 
of pollution as the result of maritime 
catastrophes; 
Whereas in its earlier opinions the Committee has on 
several occasions expressed itself in favour of any 
31. 12. 81 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 348/25 
action taken by the Member States or the Community 
in the field of maritime safety; 
Whereas support should thus be given to Community 
measures which come within the scope of the 
abovementioned Council Resolution of 14 January 
1974 and Council Decision of 3 March 1981; 
Whereas it is necessary to define the possible 
applications of existing national navigation aid 
systems in the Community and to develop new 
techniques to meet the required maritime safety 
standards; 
Whereas the results could subsequently be fed into a 
European maritime transport information service; 
Whereas the action programme proposed within the 
framework of COST (project No 301) has been 
acknowledged by CREST to be in the Community's 
interest, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by a unanimous vote: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee notes that the Council has 
adopted, under Decision No 81/213/EEC of 
3 March 1981, a five-year R&D programme in the 
field of the environment, coming into effect on 1 July 
1981. 
This programme comprises both indirect and 
concerted actions. 
1.2. The draft document under consideration serves 
to supplement the abovementioned Decision in a 
very precisely defined field of environmental 
protection, namely the prevention of coastal 
pollution by maritime shipping. 
The draft Decision provides for 'concerted' action 
which, according to the terms of the abovementioned 
Decision of 3 March 1981, consists of 'the 
coordination at Community level of research 
activities which are part of research programmes of 
the Member States and, where applicable, of the 
Community'. 
1.3. The Committee clearly recognizes the 
usefulness of all measures which may make an 
effective contribution to reducing the risk of 
accidents in coastal waters and ports, thereby helping 
to safeguard human life and guarantee the safety of 
vessels, their crews and cargoes. 
The Committee readily accepts that such measures 
may help to bring down the number of collisions and groundings, thereby reducing the amount of coastal 
pollution. The Section therefore welcomes these 
measures. 
1.4. The Committee notes that a programme of 
research into maritime navigation aid systems was 
proposed in 1979 within the framework of European 
cooperation in the field of scientific and technical 
research (COST). CREST recognized the 
Community's interest in the said programme on 
8 April 1981. 
The research, which is to be spread amongst the 
Member States, covers the following seven topics: 
(a) movement of ships in confined areas 
(research work to be divided amongst six 
Member States); 
(b) identification of problem areas for maritime 
transport 
(six and eight Member States); 
(c) inventory of maritime navigation aid services 
(seven Member States); 
(d) identification of ships 
(five Member States); 
(e) pinpointing the position of ships 
(six Member States); 
(f) communication methods 
(four Member States); 
(g) procedures for traffic services 
(eight Member States). 
1.5. The Committee wonders first of all whether 
Member States' research work is not duplicating the 
work of the Inter-governmental Maritime 
Consultative Organization (IMCO) in this field. In 
the Section's view there is a need to ensure that there 
is a genuine 'breakdown of research work' between 
the Member States as indicated by the 
Commission. 
1.6. The Committee wonders whether the research 
topics set out in Annex 1 can in fact be classified as 
'shore-based maritime navigation aid systems'. The 
majority of the topics concern seagoing traffic 
governed by the regularly revised IMCO 'routing and 
traffic separation provisions and procedures'. 
1.7. If the Community is supporting the research 
work of Member States to the tune of 10-1 million 
ECU there is a need to avoid duplication. 
The Committee notes that the programme 'is not 
intended to encroach on areas of maritime safety 
regulations already covered by international 
organizations' (page 6). 
The Committee nonetheless considers that this 
judicious reservation must not stand in the way of the 
necessary collaboration between the Community and 
No C 348/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 81 
these international organizations. Such collaboration 
could include the submission by the Community of 
any suggestions to promote maritime safety which 
emerge from the research undertaken within the 
framework of the programme under consideration. 
It is understandable that priority should be given to 
large vessels and those transporting cargoes which 
may cause pollution or pose other hazards. 
Such priority must not, however, stand in the way of 
the desire expressed by the Committee in its opinion 
of 25 March 1981 on the enforcement of 
international standards for shipping safety. In this 
opinion the Committee strongly urged the 
Commission to draw up a safety code covering 
vessels of less than 500 tons as the 1974 Convention 
for the safety of life at sea did not cover that category 
of vessel. 
1.8. Subject to the general comments set out above 
and the following specific comments the Committee 
approves the Commission's proposal and asks to be 
kept informed of the results of the action. 
The Committee wishes to draw attention to its 
constant concern for social problems, which, in the 
present case, arise in respect of the training of ships' 
crews. The proposed research work should therefore 
take account of this aspect. 2. Specific comments 
The Committee wishes to make the following 
comments on the research topics listed in Annex 1 to 
the draft Decision. In making these comments the 
Committee takes account of the points made in 
COST Report No 317/80 on project 301 (Maritime 
Navigation Aid Systems): 
2.1. — according to information received by the 
Committee 'Shore-to-ship Communication Methods' 
are already covered by international regulations on 
broadcasting. 
2.2. — if the 'Identification of Ships' means 
indentification via 'bridge-to-bridge' communica­
tions, the Committee agrees with the IMCO that this 
would be an unreliable and dangerous method. 
2.3. — research topic 7: 'Harmonization of 
Procedures for Traffic Services' should be reworded 
as follows: 'Harmonization of Procedures for Traffic 
Surveillance Systems'. The Committee believes that 
all possible information should be collected in 
relation to the traffic surveillance systems in force in 
all the Member States, so that the existing differences 
in the procedure may be assessed with a view to 
bringing about the necessary harmonization at 
Community level. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tom& ROSEINGRAVE