8. 7. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 169/5 
confidence that the planned expansion of the Fund over the 
next few years will be sufficient to offset these trends. More 
efficient use of existing provisions to meet the needs of local 
communities, allied to much closer involvement of those 
Done at Brussels, 24 April 1985. 
The Committee first stresses the importance of the draft 
Directive, which seeks to improve the safety of narrow-track 
tractors, as part of the process towards the abolition of 
technical barriers to trade. This type of tractor is most prone 
to lateral tilt. The Committee would point out that farming 
still has a very high incidence of occupational accidents and 
diseases, many of which prove fatal. 
One possible way to remedy this is to improve tractor safety. 
This is borne out by the significant fall in farm fatalities in 
various countries over the last few years. Needless to say, 
these safety conditions become ineffective if the user alters 
the protection structures. 
The Committee generally supports the present proposal, 
which complements the previous one which was confined to 
roll-over protection structures of the 'frame or cab' type 
mounted on narrow-track tractors. The Committee opinion 
of 6 July 1983 noted the Commission's intention to propose a 
further Directive on protection structures covering those 
with two pillars mounted at the front, as in the present 
proposal. The Committee accepted the idea of two separate 
directives, although it stressed the need to bring them communities in decision making, could bring about a 
positive and highly desirable improvement. Further intensive 
research could provide strong justification for very much 
increased financial allocations. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
into force simultaneously, in order to allow tractor 
manufacturers to decide which type of protection structure to 
mount on their vehicles. 
The Committee still supports this view. 
Article 1, first indent 
The Committee is pleased to note that the Commission has 
adopted its proposed wording for the ground clearance of 
narrow-track tractors. 
Article 1, second indent 
Unlike the previous Directive, which is currently before the 
Council, the present proposal specifies maximum track 
width as well as minimum. The Committee wonders why 
such an addition has been made, and proposes that the indent 
be reworded as follows: 
'minimum track width of both axles of less than 
1 150 mm.' Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member 
States relating to roll-over protection structures incorporating two pillars and mounted in front of the 
driver's seat on narrow-track, wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors 
(85/C 169/02) 
On 7 December 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 100 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 10 April 1985 in the light of the report by Mr 
Masprone. 
At its 226th plenary session (meeting of 24 April 1985) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion unanimously: 
NoC 169/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 7. 85 
Article 9 
The Committee points out that the accident-prevention 
regulations in many Member States could be invoked to 
restrict the use of tractors with collapsible two-pillar 
roll-over protection structures. Article 9 should take account 
of this. 'The roll-over protection structure must comply with 
the requirements of either the present proposal, the pro­
posed Community Directive No 6276/83, Directive 
77/536/EEC, or Directive 79/622/EEC 
Article 10 
The Committee feels that reference to Directives 
77/536/EEC and 79/622/EEC should state that the 
protection structure can be designed either according to the 
requirements of the proposed Directive or according to the 
much more stringent requirements for standard tractors. The 
Committee therefore recommends the following wording: The Committee alerts the Commission to certain 
imperfections in the various language versions, and asks that 
the necessary alterations be made. 
Technical comments on the Annexes to the proposal have 
also been compiled. These have been sent by their authors to 
the appropriate Commission departments. 
Done at Brussels, 24 April 1985. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the entry in the accounts and terms of payment 
of the amounts of the import duties or export duties resulting from a customs debt (*) 
(85/C 169/03) 
On 22 January 1985 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 Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 10 April 1985 in the light of the report by Mr 
Broicher. 
At its 226th plenary session (meeting of 24 April 1985) the Committee adopted the following opinion 
by a unanimous vote: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Commission justifies its proposal with regard to 
the fixing of duties and the procedures for their payment on 
the grounds that customs legislation must be 
comprehensively harmonized. Apart from requiring the 
alignment of individual areas of the law, this objective also 
demands that related legislation is consolidated and does not 
become fragmented. 
1.2. The proposed provisions are directly linked to the 
provisions with regard to customs debts and the persons 
OJNoC41, 13, 2, 1985, p. 5. liable for payment on which the Committee has already 
commented. This legislation should therefore be embodied in 
one Regulation instead of three or, at the very least, these 
three Regulations should be adopted together and published 
in the same Official Journal. This alone will make the law 
clear and certain. 
1.3. For the same reasohs, the customs code which the 
Committee has repeatedly called for should be drawn up as 
soon as possible. This would be a major step towards the 
abolition of those remaining intra-Community barriers.