19. 9. 74 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 109/27 
OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  on the importation  free  of Common  Customs 
Tariff  duties  of educational,  scientific  and  cultural  materials 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 14 of 15 February  1974,  page  35. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its meeting,  held  on 14 January  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned 
proposal  for a Regulation  to the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on an optional  basis. 
The request  for  an Opinion  was  sent  by the  Council  to the  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  on 15 January  1974. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
120th  Plenary  Session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 May  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows  : 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  request,  dated  15  January 
1974,  by the President  of the  Council  of the  Euro-
pean  Communities  for an Opinion  on the  proposal 
for a Regulation  (EEC)  of the Council  on the impor-
tation  free  of Common  Customs  Tariff  duties  of 
educational,  scientific  and cultural  materials  ; 
Having  regard  to Article  198  of the  Treaty  esta-
blishing  the European  Economic  Community  ; 
Having  regard  to the Decision  taken  by the Bureau 
on 29  January  1974  entrusting  the  Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  with  the 
preparation  of an Opinion  and  a report  on the 
matter  ; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services 
at its meeting  on 3 April  1974  ; 
Having  regard  to discussions  at the  120th  Plenary 
Session  on 29 and  30 May  1974  (session  of 29 May), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION  : 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
proposed  Regulation  subject  to  the  following 
comments  : 1. The  proposed  Regulation  rightly  seeks  to 
ensure  that  the Agreement  of Florence  on the import-
ation  of educational,  scientific  and  cultural  materi-1 
als, which  was  drawn  up  under  the  auspices  of 
UNESCO,  is applied  as uniformly  as possible  in all 
the Member  States.  Consequently,  it is not  neces-
sary to comment  on Articles  1 and  2 of the  pro-
posal,  which  repeat  the  provisions  of  this 
Agreemeent. 
2. As  regards  Article  3, the Committee  recognizes 
that the equivalent  scientific  value  must  be assessed 
in each  individual  case  and  hopes  that  the  criteria 
applied  by  the  General  Customs  Procedures 
Committee  that  is to be set  up  will  take  into 
account  the  requirements  of pure  research  and  will 
be kept  as flexible  as is necessary.  Nevertheless, 
interpretation  of the  criteria  should  not  differ  too 
greatly  from  one  Member  State  to  another. 
However,  the Committee  points  out  that  it is diffi-
cult to say  whether  some  forms  of research,  espe-
cially  basic  research,  are  for  commercial  or non-
commercial  purposes,  when  carried  out  by private 
laboratories  or laboratories  working  for the private 
sector. 
No C 109/28 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 19. 9. 74 
3. Whilst  acknowledging  the need  for an adminis-
trative  committee,  the  Committee  thinks  that  in 
view  of its  general  responsibilities  the  'General 
Customs  Procedures  Committee'  provided  for  in 
Article  6 ff. of the  proposal  should  have  been  the. 
subject  of a special  Regulation  which  could  have 
been  adopted  by the Council  at the same  time  as this 
proposal.  Furthermore,  the  Committee  notes  that 
numerous  administrative  committees  are  now 
working  on customs  matters  (origin,  value,  nomen-
clature,  inward  processing,  Community  transit)  and 
that their  establishment  and  working  procedures  are 
based  on various  regulations.  Although  a common 
philosophy  underlies  the  establishment  of these 
committees,  this  situation  has  numerous  disadvan-
tages.  The  Committee  therefore  thinks  that  the time 
has come  to set up one  single  customs  committee 
covering  as many  sectors  as necessary. 4. The  Committee  would  like  the  exemption 
from  customs  duties  to be extended,  in a similar 
Regulation  to the  present  proposed  Regulation,  to 
cover  artificial  aids,  such  as wheelchairs,  as well  as 
teaching  materials  and  medical  equipment;  it 
wondered  whether  it would  not  be desirable  to 
exempt  all articles  for handicapped  persons,  irrespec-
tive of the  recipient,  by drawing  up a list to come 
under  Article  1. 
Done  at Brussels,  29 May  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  supplementing  Regulation  (EEC)  No 2142/70 
as regards  the import  system  for carp  and  trout 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 35 of 28 March  1974,  page  67. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its meeting,  held  on 18 February  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned 
proposal  for a Regulation  to the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on an optional  basis. 
The request  for  an Opinion  was  sent  by the  Council  to the  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  on 19 January  1974. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
120th  Plenary  Session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 May  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows  : 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Council's  request,  dated  19 
February  1974,  for an Opinion  ; 
Having  regard  to Articles  43 and  198  of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community  ; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinions  delivered  by the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  on  the  fishing 
industry  ; Having  regard  to the  Decision  taken  by its Bureau 
intructing  the Section  for Agriculture  to prepare  the 
Committee's  work  on the matter  ; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for  Agriculture  at its meeting  on 3 May 
1974  ; 
Having  regard  to the report  submitted  by Mr Clavel, 
Rapporteur  ;