No C 330/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 85 
COST 301 programme would probably overlap with 
the activities of the International Maritime Organiza­
tion (IMO), which comes under the auspices of the UN 
and has its own vessel traffic services (VTS) system. 
3. Finally, the Committee wonders to what extent 
the work carried out so far on the COST 301 pro­
gramme has been satisfactory. It would underline the absence in the Commission document of a progress 
report on the programme and would ask the Com­
mission to draw up this report as soon as possible, 
especially as according to oral information received 
from the Commission several of the suggestions put 
forward by the Committee in its aforementioned opin­
ion have been taken into consideration in the COST 
programme. 
Done at Brussels, 30 October 1985. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on new Community energy objectives 
(85/C 330/04) 
On 12 June 1985 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on new 
Community energy objectives. 
The Section for Energy and Nuclear questions, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 4 October 1985 in the light of the 
report by Mr Margot. 
At its 230th plenary session (meeting of 30 October 1985) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following opinion unanimously: 
1. Introduction 
In drawing up its opinion on the draft Council resol­
ution concerning energy objectives for 1995 and the 
Commission's explanatory comments thereon, the 
Committee is aware that this opinion is the latest in a 
series, the Committee having issued opinions on earlier 
10-year forecasts in 1978 and 1979. 
As indicated in the conclusions, the Committee endorses 
the new energy objectives for 1995 and the draft Council 
resolution thereon, but has a number of general and 
specific comments to make. 
2. General comments on the proposed new Com­
munity energy policy objectives for 1995 
2.1. The Committee would express its appreciation 
of the convenient layout and clear wording of the 
Commission document. 2.2. As regards the international energy situation, it 
is pointed out that while the economic recession was 
initially the principal factor in the decline in the demand 
for energy, structural changes have since taken place in 
the pattern of energy use. World energy consumption 
will, however, continue to rise as a result of the growing 
requirements of the developing countries and the newly 
industrializing countries. For the rest of the century the 
world will remain dependent on oil to a large degree. 
2.2.1. As regards the energy situation in the Com­
munity, total energy consumption fell by over 6 % 
between 1973 and 1983, although GDP went up by 
more than 18%. The share of oil in total energy con­
sumption was reduced from 62 to 48%, while oil 
imports dropped from 62 to 32% of total energy needs. 
Consumption of natural gas rose sharply and there was 
a more than four-fold increase in the production of 
nuclear electricity. The overall consumption of solid 
fuels did not rise, but their use in the electricity sector 
increased. The quantitative objective for electricity gen­
eration—at least 70 to 75 % solid fuels plus nuclear by 
20. 12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 330/9 
1990—has already in fact been achieved, although there 
are considerable variations among the Member States 
as a result of their different situations. 
2.2.2. A Commission study of the trend in the energy 
situation in the Community during the remainder of 
this century identifies the following as factors likely to 
influence most strongly the long-term outlook: 
improvements in energy efficiency, developments in the 
electricity sector, the possible decline in indigenous 
energy production and inter-fuel competition. 
2.3. The policy aims are security of supply and mini­
mization of costs through competition and greater 
efficiency. The success of this policy will depend largely 
on the measures taken by the Member States, but joint 
Community action is also called for, as well as coordi­
nated and convergent action under the supervision of 
the Community, which also has the task of helping in 
particular the countries of the Third World to solve 
their energy problems. 
2.4. The case for new objectives is based on the need 
for a long-term approach and the fact that the energy 
picture has fundamentally changed since the 1990 objec­
tives were set. The Committee agrees with the Com­
mission that in view of the results achieved there is a 
danger of less attention being paid to the need for 
a sustained effort to reduce the Community's energy 
dependence. 
2.5. The proposed objectives, on which a number of 
specific comments are made later on in this opinion, 
are divided into 'horizontal' objectives and 'sectoral' 
objectives, which makes for clarity. 
2.5.1. The 'horizontal' objectives embrace seven 
specific areas: 
— the development of (Community-coordinated) 
external energy relations, 
— greater integration of the Community energy 
market, 
— effective contingency measures to ensure security of 
energy supplies, 
— realistic energy pricing, 
— a close link between energy policy and environmen­
tal policy, 
— strengthening of the regional dimension of energy 
policy, — continued promotion of technological innovation. 
2.5.2. The 'sectoral' objectives are as follows: 
— a further improvement of at least 25% in energy 
efficiency, 
— to maintain oil imports at less than one-third of 
total energy consumption, 
— to maintain and if possible increase the market share 
of natural gas, 
— to maintain and if possible increase the market share 
of solid fuels, 
— to ensure that not more than 10% of electricity is 
generated from oil and gas, 
— to ensure that approximately 40% of electricity 
output is generated from nuclear energy, 
— a tripling of production based on new and renew­
able energy sources by the end of the century. 
3. Specific comments on the proposed 'horizontal' 
energy objectives 
3.1. External relations 
The Committee concurs with a coordinated Com­
munity approach to external relations. It considers that 
bilateral relations between Member States and oil-
exporting countries or countries with other indigenous 
energy sources are not enough. 
As regards relations with the Third World, the Commit­
tee has always pressed for Community support for 
energy exploration and measures to promote efficient 
use of energy in the developing countries and the ACP 
States in particular. 
3.2. Internal market energy 
The Committee agrees that trade between Member 
States in gas and electricity should be expanded and 
that more interconnections (including the laying of a 
gas pipeline between the United Kingdom and other 
Member States) would be conducive to security of 
supply. It thinks that this objective should form part of 
the new programme for the completion of the Com­
munity's internal market. 
3.3. Security of energy supplies 
The Committee also considers that security of supply 
in the longer term calls for diversification of energy 
No C 330/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 85 
sources, greater system flexibility (interconnection of 
gas and electricity networks) and suitable contingency 
measures, over and above indigenous energy pro­
duction. 
3.4. Energy pricing 
While the Committee does not deny the importance of 
'realistic prices', it is not easy in its view to determine 
what might be considered reasonable prices for the 
various energy sources. 
It has moreover proved difficult to induce the Member 
States to pursue a coordinated and harmonious price 
policy that does not give rise to distortions of compe­
tition between the various fuels on account of the 
differences in the tax systems and the interests of 
indigenous energy production, particularly the Com­
munity's coal industry. 
The Committee notes that a report on pricing in the 
downstream oil market is being prepared and that a 
separate communication is to be published shortly on 
Community coal prices. These two problems will in 
due course form the subject of separate Committee 
opinions. 
3.5. Environment 
The Committee endorses the need for balanced pursuit 
of both energy and environmental aims. 
It notes that coordination between these two policy 
aspects often leaves a lot to be desired. It has to be 
realized that environmental requirements mean that 
greater attention must be paid to the security of energy 
supplies. 
For example, the emission standards laid down by the 
Commission will make it difficult for electricity to be 
generated from coal with an excessively high sulphur 
content. 
The Commission's proposals are, for the rest, in line 
with the Information Report on energy options — 
environmental constraints and their implications for 
Community energy policy, which stressed the following 
two points in particular: 
— greater R&D effort to pinpoint the harmful effects 
of emissions from the production and use of energy, 
to understand how they work and evaluate their 
impact. 
— a selective aid programme for R&D in the field of 
non-polluting energy production and use, including renewable sources of energy, equal account being 
taken of short-, medium- and long-term objectives. 
The funds for this should come partly from the 
energy research programme and partly from the 
environment research programme. 
3.6. Regional development 
The Committee is pleased that as a result of the reform 
of the ERDF the regional dimension is for the first time 
being taken into account in energy objectives and that 
there is a prospect of measures to help less-favoured 
areas. The Committee will be interested in the evalu­
ation the Commission is to make of the regional conse­
quences of the 'orientations and actions of energy 
policy'. 
3.7. Technological innovation 
The proposed integration of policy sectors with an 
impact on the various energy sources is in keeping with 
the proposals in the White Paper on the internal market 
for making industry efficient, more technology-inten­
sive and more competitive. 
The Committee would draw attention to the opinions 
the Committee has already devoted to Community 
research, development and demonstration programmes. 
It will also examine the announced extension of the 
demonstration projects and the hydrocarbon tech­
nology programmes. 
4. Specific comments on the proposed 'sectoral' energy 
objectives 
4.1. Efficient use of energy 
The Commission considers that energy efficiency needs 
to be improved in all sectors and fixes as target a 25 % 
reduction in the overall intensity of final energy demand 
by 1995. 
The Committee has some doubts, however, as to the 
feasibility of this objective. Not only has the psychologi­
cal effect of the oil crisis diminished, but the new energy 
savings will also require a greater effort, partly as a 
result of the changes that have since taken place in 
heavy industry. The Committee thinks that a clear 
assessment should be made of the scope for energy 
saving in the various sectors so that a realistic increase 
in energy efficiency can be planned. The Committee 
agrees with the abandonment of the factor of 0,7 fixed 
for the ratio between energy demand growth and GDP 
growth for the period up to 1990, an indicator about 
which it had raised questions in its opinion on the 
subject. 
20. 12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 330/11 
4.2. Dependence on oil imports 
The Commission considers that, instead of the kind of 
objective set for 1990 (a reduction in the share of oil in 
total consumption) it would be more logical to express 
the 1995 objective in terms of dependence on imported 
oil. It thinks the target should be to maintain net oil 
imports at less than one-third of total energy consump­
tion in 1995 by continued oil substitution and by pro­
motion of exploration and production within the Com­
munity. 
The Committee has recently pressed for active explo­
ration for hydrocarbons in the seabed. 
Whether oil imports or oil consumption should be 
curbed depends also, however, on price trends and 
judicious use of indigenous energy resources. 
The problems of oil refineries in the Community, on 
which the Committee has in the past commented, must 
not be lost sight of either. 
4.3. Natural gas 
The Commission thinks that the objective should be to 
maintain and if possible increase the market share of 
natural gas on the basis of a secure and diversified 
pattern of supplies. 
Since indigenous production of natural gas may decline 
in the coming years a problem of dependence on exter­
nal supply contracts can arise here too. These 'bilateral' 
agreements have indeed already entailed problems in 
certain cases. 
Whether a price trend favourable to natural gas can be 
encouraged by decoupling gas prices from oil prices is 
a question that will have to be considered in a wider 
context, with due account being taken of the interests 
of the final consumer. 
4.4. Solid fuels 
The Commission considers that the objective should be 
to maintain and if possible increase the present market 
share of solid fuels and also to continue the restructur­
ing of the Community's solid fuel production industries. 
The Committee has expressed its views on this problem 
in the past and will in due course deliver an opinion 
on the new communication the Commission is to issue 
on State aids in the coal sector. 
Support for the indigenous coal industry in the countries 
in question is not only linked with the safeguarding of 
strategic energy reserves but also has not inconsiderable 
social implications, particularly as regards employment. The Committee therefore considers that maximum 
encouragement should be given to the use of indigenous 
solid fuels for electricity generation, due account being 
taken of the economic possibilities and the necessary 
environmental standards. 
4.5. Electricity generation 
The Commission thinks the objective should be priority 
for the use of solid fuels and nuclear energy in the 
electricity sector to ensure that not more than 10% of 
electricity is generated from hydrocarbons (and that 
approximately 40 % is generated from nuclear energy) 
in 1995. 
These proposals are in keeping with the illustrative 
nuclear programme, on which the Committee delivered 
•an opinion on 30 May 1985 (rapporteur: Mr Quer-
leux)(1). 
The Committee would reiterate that constant attention 
must be paid to all safety aspects of nuclear energy and 
that the anxieties of the public could be reduced by 
suitable, objective information. 
4.6. New and renewable energy sources 
The proposed objective here is to intensify the efforts 
already being made to develop and commercialize new 
and renewable energy sources with a view to tripling 
their displacement of conventional fuels by the end of 
the century. 
The Committee endorses this objective, although the 
tripling of substitution seems a rather ambitious target, 
given the economic factors which — as a result particu­
larly of the price trend (which is difficult to foresee) 
and the achievement of the other 'sectoral' objectives 
— could check the development of alternative energy 
supplies. 
5. Conclusions 
5.1. Subject to the comments made above, the Com­
mittee endorses the new energy objectives for 1995 and 
the draft Council resolution. 
5.2. The Committee was struck by the fact that this 
very readable document contains relatively few figures 
and statistics. Since specific documents on the various 
objectives are to be expected, the Committee considers 
that a general outline is preferable, pending more pre­
cise, quantified guidelines. 
(') OJ NoC 188,29.7. 1985. 
No C 330/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 85 
5.3. The Committee agrees with the justification 
advanced for the new energy objectives and considers 
that public opinion and policy makers must be con­
stantly reminded that there are still risks inherent in 
the present energy situation and that our dependence 
on external factors calls for a sustained effort. 
The Committee wonders whether it would not be desir­
able to have different scenarios in connection with the 
energy prospects and the policy to be pursued. 5.4. The Committee appreciates that Community 
energy policy has a complementary and coordinating 
role vis-a-vis the policies of the Member States. While 
acknowledging that account must be taken of the spec­
ific problems of each country, the Committee considers 
that the Community can and must provide more stimu­
lus and guidance than in the past with a view to 
convergence of the energy policies of the Member 
States. This can apply to relations between the Member 
States and energy-producing third countries. 
Done at Brussels, 30 October 1985. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the perspectives for the common agricultural policy 
(85/C 330/05) 
On 26 July 1985 the Commission referred to the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, the paper entitled 
'Perspectives for the common agricultural policy'. 
On 15 October 1985 the Section for Agriculture, which had been instructed to prepare the 
Committee's work on the matter, adopted the following opinion in the light of a report 
drawn up by Mr Zinkin, rapporteur, and Mr Chalioris and Mr Rouzier, co-rapporteurs. 
At its 230th plenary session (meeting of 30 October 1985) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted by a large majority, with two votes against and three abstentions, the following 
opinion: 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. Agriculture in society 
1.1. The Committee agrees with the Commission 
that agriculture as an industry has special features, both 
economically and socially. 
1.2. In some ways, of course, it is like other indus­
tries. Its primary purpose is to satisfy the demands of 
its customers. Those engaged in it do everything in their 
power to make a living from it. With the sectors which 
supply it and those which process its products, it is a 
major component of the economy of every Member 
State. 1.3. However, economically it is different from other 
industries both in its still large dependence upon the 
weather and in the price inelasticity of the demand for 
many of its products. Free agricultural markets are, 
therefore, inherently volatile, especially since the indi­
vidual farmer is too small to influence the market by 
varying his supply; he can only respond to the signals 
the market gives him. Hence the emphasis in the Treaty 
of Rome on a policy aimed at stabilizing markets and 
assuring the availability of supplies. 
1.4. Socially, farming has largely created the life and 
environment of the rural areas of the Community as we 
know and, usually, value them. Without a reasonable 
number of people in agriculture, village life could lose 
many of the sources of employment and services which 
make it both viable and attractive. A change in the