No C 114/34 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 11.5.  77 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  instituting  a Community  export 
declaration  form 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of  the 
European  Communities  No  C 37 of 14 February  1977,  page  66. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 12 January  1977  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. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the  above  matter  at its 
147th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 30 and  31 March  1977. 
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  of  the  European  Communities  on 
12 January  1977, 
Having  regard  to the Decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
25 January  1977,  instructing  the Section  for Industry, 
Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to draw  up an opinion 
on the  matter, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  on 
2 March  1977, 
Having  regard  to  the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Marvier, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 147th  plenary 
session  held  on 30 and  31 March  1977  (meeting  of 
30 March), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee  approves  the  proposal  subject  to the 
comments  set out  below: 
1.1. The  Committee  endorses  any  steps  that  are 
designed  to make  matters  easier  for  users  and  avoid 
a proliferation  of different  types  of documents. 1.2. Accordingly,  it is favourably  disposed  to the 
plan  to introduce  a Community  export  declaration 
form  based  on  the  EEC  layout  key.  It notes  that 
numerous  documents  used  in international  trade  are 
already  based  on this  key  and  that  greater  use  of 
this system  will  make  documentation  more  uniform 
and easier  to handle. 
1.3. It  regrets,  however,  that  the  continued 
divergence  of national  rules  with  regard  to taxation, 
statistics  and  trade,  etc.,  greatly  increases  the  number 
of boxes  reserved  for  national  use  on the  new  form. 
Therefore,  export  forms  will  continue  to differ  from 
one Member  State  to another  and  the  proposed  form 
is more  of a skeleton  document  than  a Community 
form  in the proper  sense. 
1.4. Nonetheless,  the  use  of a single  format  and 
the fact  that  the  main  items  of  information 
(identification  of consignment,  description  of goods, 
weight,  value,  etc.)  are  always  in the  same  box  is 
something  of an advantage. 
1.5. The  Committee  was  also  interested  to note-
that users  will  be  able  to  choose  between  two 
models,  one  being  intended  more  specifically  as an 
administrative  document  and  the  other  belonging  to 
the same  category  as invoices  and  other  commercial 
documents.  It hopes  that  the  freedom  granted  to 
Member  States  to adapt  the  forms  somewhat  to their 
needs  will  be confined  to the  absolute  minimum 
necessary,  and  considers  in this  respect  that  the 
provisions  in Annex  V go too  far. 
1.6. Furthermore,  it thinks  it is vital  that  work  on 
the re-designing  of the Community  transit  form,  which 
is a Commission  responsibility,  should  be completed 
in time  for  the  two  new  forms  to be introduced 
simultaneously. 
11.5.77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 114/35 
1.7. It  would  point  out  that  users  should  be 
completely  free  to choose  whether  to use  carbon 
paper,  direct  reproduction  or a matrix  and  masks 
when  filling  in the  documents.  Also,  it may  happen 
in some  cases  that  export  and  transit  documents  are 
filled  in separately  instead  of being  typed  out  at one 
go because  of the  way  a firm  is organized  or because 
of business  requirements. 
1.8. The  deadlines  for the introduction  of the  new 
forms  should  be quite  long.  Once  they  have  been 
fixed,  the Commission  and  the Member  States  should 
organize  a large-scale  information  campaign  directed 
at users.  Customs  forms  are  used  by the  million  in the Community  and  it must  be ensured  that  (a) all 
users  are supplied  with  the  new  forms  and  (b) stocks 
of the  forms  in current  use,  which  are  in some  cases 
considerable,  are disposed  of. 
1.9. Finally,  the  Committee  would  urge  the 
Commission  and  the  Member  States  to make  a real 
effort  to reduce  the  amount  of information  which 
users  are  asked  to supply.  While  recognizing  the 
usefulness  of statistics,  for  example,  the  Committee 
notes  a tendency  amongst  governments  and  specialists 
to ask  for  more  and  more  detailed  information, 
thereby  placing  a further  burden  on users. 
Done  at Brussels,  30 March  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on how  regional  development  helps  solve  unemployment  and  inflation  by 
making  for  a more  balanced  distribution  of the  working  population 
The Opinion  of the  Committee  is not  based  on any  text. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its 137th  plenary  session  held  on 25 and  26 February  1976,  the  Committee,  acting 
on a proposal  from  the Bureau,  decided  to deliver  an opinion  on the  abovementioned 
subject  on its own  initiative. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the  above  matter  at its 
147th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 30 and  31 March  1977. 
The full  text  of the  opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Decision  taken  by its Bureau 
on 24  February  1976,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Regional  Development  to do  the  groundwork  for 
an own-initiative  opinion  (fourth  paragraph  of 
Article  20 of the rules  of procedure)  on:  how  regional 
development  helps  to  solve  unemployment  and 
inflation  by making  for a more  balanced  distribution 
of the working  population, Having  regard  to its previous  opinions  and  studies 
on regional  development  (1), 
Having  regard  to  the  report  submitted  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Bornard, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Regional  Development  at its meeting  on 8 March 
1977, 
(») OJ No C 131,  12. 6. 1976,  and  OJ No C 56, 7. 3. 1977.