NoC 104/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 4. 85 
(b) stricter regulations on exhaust gases; 
(c) concessions for vehicles using clean energy, 
(d) promotion of public transport and non-polluting transport systems. 
These measures could bring about a substantial, direct and immediate reduction in emissions. 
15. Reduction of air pollution from aircraft. 
The effects of aircraft exhaust gases on plant life should be examined. Appropriate regulations should be adopted 
to reduce the emission of pollutants. 
16. Besides these direct methods of combating air pollution all other means of indirectly reducing atmospheric 
pollution by energy-saving measures must be implemented. These include, for instance: 
(a) all measures to conserve energy; 
(b) the promotion of energy sources such as bioalcohol, liquid gas, district heating, which cause less air 
pollution; 
(c) incentives for energy conservation, such as insulation, improved combustion techniques, combined 
electricity/heat production; 
(d) a long-term reorientation of housing and town planning policy, with a greater emphasis on reducing the need 
for transport as much as possible. 
Point 17 (a), third indent: 
If necessary, concessions for the transport of wood by rail and road. 
Point 17 (b), last sentence of first paragraph and second paragraph: 
As there is no scientific or legal possibility of determining who is responsible for the air pollution and hence the 
damage, it is necessary to provide statutory arrangements for compensation. 
Tax concessions must be granted for wood used as a result of forest damage. 
First part of second paragraph: 
A considerable part of GNP must be ... . 
Own-initiative opinion on the current situation and medium-term prospects of the Community 
fisheries sector 
(85/C 104/07) 
On 23 October 1984 the Economic and Social Committee, acting under the fourth paragraph of 
Article 20 of its Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an own-initiative opinion on the current 
situation and medium-term prospects of the Community fisheries sector. 
The Section for Agriculture, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the 
subject, adopted its opinion on 7 February 1985, in the light of the information report by 
Mr Morselli. 
At its 224th plenary session (meeting of 27 February 1985) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following opinion by a large majority, with two votes against and one abstention: 
25. 4. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 104/13 
1. Community structural policy 
On 4 October 1983, the Council adopted two Regulations 
((EEC) No 2908/83 and (EEC) No 2909/83) and a 
Directive (83/515/EEC) providing the Community at long 
last with a basis for restructuring its fishing industry. 
However, the Committee does not think that it will be 
possible to achieve all the objectives set out in the Regulations 
and Directive. Some should be defined more clearly so that 
better results might be obtained. 
1.1. Shortcomings in current policy 
1.1.1. Temporary reduction of fishing capacity 
It would seem that the temporary laying-up premiums are too 
low to be a proper incentive. Furthermore, they only apply to 
the cost of laying up vessels. The Committee feels they should 
take account of the cost to fishermen too. So far they have 
applied only to the North Atlantic, but their inclusion in the 
integrated Mediterranean programmes (IMPs) has been 
proposed by the Commission, with the Committee's 
approval. On the positive side, this proposal at least 
recognizes the need to provide Mediterranean fishermen, 
too, with real incentives to pull out of fishing. If the approval 
of the IMPs is delayed, the Committee thinks that 
appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that these 
laying-up provisions can be applied in the near future to 
Mediterranean fishing. 
1.1.2. Joint ventures 
These concern only non-EEC Mediterranean countries and 
the countries along the west African coastline. 
The Committee feels that other areas should be included. 
Furthermore, the aid - which consists of a premium per 
gross registered tonne - does not act as an incentive. Because 
of the Community's deficit in fish products and the need to 
strengthen its political and commercial presence in a good 
many countries, the Committee thinks that joint ventures 
should be encouraged throughout the world. Special 
incentives (such as tariff concessions for fish caught by joint 
ventures) should be introduced to set up joint ventures in 
countries which do not have fishing agreements with the EEC 
(e.g. Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania). At all events, ventures 
of this kind will have to be extended after the accession of 
Spain and Portugal, which have excellent track records in this 
area. 
1.1.3. Artificial offshore structures 
This would appear to be a very interesting sector, but the 
funds allocated hardly suffice for the building of a few small 
artificial barriers. This is clearly not enough to evaluate the potential ecological and biological benefits of such 
structures. The Committee would point out, however, that a 
little more has been done by the Commission in the IMPs 
proposals. 
1.2. Proposed improvements to current rules and 
regulations 
As a preliminary to the specific comments which follow, the 
Committee notes that these rules do not as a whole meet the 
special needs of the overseas territories. 
1.2.1. Restructuring, construction and modernization of 
vessels 
The Committee does not believe that aid should be confined 
to the building of vessels of less than 33 metres between 
perpendiculars. So that full advantage can be taken of 
Community and non-Community fishing resources, 
assistance should also be available for the construction and 
modernization of vessels which are designed for different 
types of fishing and different waters. The performance 
records of vessels over 33 metres in several Member States 
argue in favour of the abolition of the 33-metre limit. 
1.2.2. Definitive reduction of capacity 
At present vessels have to be at least 12 metres long to qualify 
for the scrapping premium. This requirement should be 
reviewed for the Mediterranean area. The nine-metre limit 
proposed in the IMPs is a move in the right direction to which 
the Committee would once again lend its support. 
1.2.3. Start-up aid for young owner-fishermen 
The Committee thinks that special aid should be granted to 
help young owner-fishermen set up family-run businesses. 
2. Research 
Research - which is vital for a proper structural and market 
policy - has not kept pace with the Community's 
requirements. It is for the Commission to submit suitable 
proposals which, in the Committee's view, should cover the 
following: 
(a) research into the best stock management systems; 
(b) economic and technological research so that the 
Community's fleets can adapt more readily to the new 
conditions in the sector; 
(c) biological research, including research into the effects of 
pollution; 
(d) research into new methods of fish processing, marketing 
and conserving; 
NoC 104/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 4. 85 
(e) economic and social research, which must help improve 
our understanding of the sector and reveal the best way 
of changing it in line with the technical findings in the 
four aforementioned areas of research; 
(f) the biological, economic and social effects of industrial 
fishing for fish-meal production. 
The Committee is aware that one or two of the Member 
States have carried out research into several of the above 
topics. However, there is no master plan for the Community 
as a whole. The Committee calls on the Commission to start 
by coordinating existing work and later on to instigate itself 
the research which is so sadly lacking at the moment. 
The Committee notes, however, the Commission's intention 
of drawing up proposals to fill this gap in the near future. 
3. Credit and aid 
As an indication the Committee notes that in 1982 the 
EAGGF, Guarantee Section, spent 0,166 % of its funds an 
aid to the fisheries markets. 
The situation with regard to structural aid is very confusing 
because Member States' shares in EAGGF investments vary 
considerably and there does not seem to be any way of 
discovering the exact levels of national assistance. 
All of this has created, and will continue to create, serious 
distortions of competition, which unbalanced EAGGF aid is 
bound to exacerbate. This aid must be compared 
country-by-country and region-by-region and its impact on 
market prices must be assessed. The Committee calls on the 
Commission to do this. 
4. The Mediterranean 
The Committee thinks that it is important for the 
Commission to implement a Mediterranean policy swiftly. 
The urgency of this will be heightened by Spanish entry, 
which will make the Community an even greater force in the 
Mediterranean region. 
Initially, a simple methodolgy for studying and evaluating 
fishing activities ought to be drawn up for the purpose of 
tailoring a structural policy for the region to present-day 
realities. Subsequently this policy could be perfected still 
further so as first to safeguard and then increase stocks. 
It will be necessary, as part of an overall Mediterranean 
policy for safeguarding and increasing resources, to conclude 
fishing and stock management agreements at the earliest 
possible opportunity with all non-Community countries so 
as to put an end to the dispute between Greece and Turkey, 
and to Italy's disputes with Tunisia, Libya and 
Yugoslavia. 5. Policy with regard to non-Community countries -
fishing agreements 
It often appears that this policy has been guided not only by 
the Community's fishing interests and the supply of its 
markets. Fishermen complain that their interests have on 
occasion been disregarded, as in the agreements with Iceland 
and Greenland. 
After the accession of Spain - which is the leading fishing 
nation in Europe and has successfully concluded agreements 
of its own - it will be necessary to increase Community 
access to the EEZs (exclusive economic zones) of 
non-Community countries if we wish to prevent the fleet 
currently fishing outside the Community from moving into 
Community waters. A more steadfast negotiating front will 
bring more licences and larger quotas in these areas, obtained 
in return for financial or tariff agreements with the EEC. 
In particular it would seem important that agreements are 
concluded between the EEC and the west African countries 
and Mozambique. Fishing agreements are also needed with 
all the Baltic countries except Sweden and Norway. Lastly, 
larger quotas from the USA and Canada would be of interest 
to the Community, and to Spain and Portugal. 
6. Market policy 
A somewhat defective market regime was in existence for 
more than 10 years (1970 to 1981) until in September 1981 
the Commission prevailed on the Council to adopt new rules 
which took some account of the views of the sector. 
Some positive results are already clear: a fall in the amount of 
withdrawals and of expenditure on this; the benefits of 
including such varieties as ling and dog-fish in the 
Community price system, stabilizing the price of these 
products; the gradual restructuring of the Community 
sardine industry thanks to the special carry-over premium. 
However, these initial results should not blind us to the 
existence of certain problems. 
Firstly, the Committee considers that the list (Annex I) of 
products subject to price rules should be expanded to include 
species of interest to the countries of southern Europe, 
Member State or applicant. Measures such as the carry-over 
premium are still inadequately used throughout the 
Community. There is clearly scope for making them more 
effective, partly by relaxing some of the formalities. The 
Committee invites the Commission to consider the case for 
25. 4. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 104/15 
general application of the 'special carry-over premium' 
hitherto reserved for the Mediterranean sardine and 
anchovy. 
Secondly, the Committee notes the considerable disparity 
between the actual market prices for some species in some 
Member States and the guide prices, the latter being lower. 
This problem is further complicated by the differences in 
Member States' market structures. The Committee is 
worried about the effects of these price levels on the income 
of producers in the Member States concerned. 
The Committee would ask the Commission to take steps to 
ensure that the reference prices are respected not only by the 
Member States but also by the non-Community countries 
which have undertaken in agreements with the EEC to 
maintain these reference prices in return for tariff 
concessions. 
The Committee hopes that on the accession of Spain and 
Portugal the Commission will defend the Community's 
interests in GATT, respecting international commitments. 
Without going into details, the Committee notes that some of 
the provisions concerning the criteria for recognition of 
producers' organizations, respresentative markets, the 
situation of products after first sale, etc. must take account of 
the specific problems involved in assessing the quantity and 
value of fish caught. 
Now that this market policy has been in force for two years, 
the Committee would like the Commission to make an initial 
assessment of its successes and failures. 
If the Commission itself and then the Advisory Committee on 
Fisheries and the Economic and Social Committee were to 
analyze this assessment, it would be possible to pinpoint 
which provisions should be retained and where 
improvements could be made, bearing in mind the likely 
effects of Spanish and Portuguese accession. 
7. Social policy 
The few studies available and the differences in such statistics 
as are known lead the Committee to conclude that social 
policy has not been the subject of any special attention or real 
concern on the part of either the Commission or the Council. 
The sector itself made a start in 1975 with a 'social 
harmonization programme' which, in 1984, is still confined 
to vessels of over 24 metres or having signed a collective 
agreement. 
The Committee would point out that the apparent 
differences in social arrangements - social security, 
pensions, working conditions, etc. - reveal that there must be very substantial distortions of competition between the 
Member States. These differences in social conditions affect 
operating costs, even though the various parties concerned in 
the EEC give different, and even opposing, estimates of the 
extent of such distortions. 
The Committee cannot understand why the common 
fisheries policy established on 25 January 1983 laid down 
provisions concerning internal and external policy, markets 
and structures, but did not attempt to align social conditions, 
an indispensible adjunct of a comprehensive common 
policy. 
The Committee notes that in 1980 the Commission 
forwarded to the Council some worthwhile proposals on 
living and working conditions, vocational training and safety 
at sea. The Council seems to have taken no notice of them, 
nor to have any desire to tackle the problem of aligning and 
improving social conditions. The Committee would recall its 
opinion of 26 September 1984 regarding the ratification of 
the Torremolinos Convention; in this opinion the Committee 
stated that, despite its inadequacy, the Convention was: 
— 'a first step towards the introduction of a social 
component in the fisheries policy, something which those 
working in the field have been calling for for many 
years', 
— 'the ratification . . . will thus constitute the first 
Community move to harmonize social provisions in the 
fishing industry'. 
The Committee urges the Commission to make every effort, 
once the social situation in the Community fisheries sectors 
has been ascertained and analyzed, to make proposals which 
the Council can adopt in accordance with Articles 117 and 
118 of the Treaty. 
The Committee wishes to be informed periodically by the 
Commission of the progress of this work and of future 
proposals to be submitted to the Council. 
8. Employment 
The ESC opinion (x) on Commission document states that 
improved stock management and fleet restructuring will do 
more to maintain employment than any direct measures to 
promote employment. 
At all events it is clear that in many instances our knowledge 
of the sector is poor and that Community-wide studies, in 
(') Opinion on the Commission communication to the Council 
on the social aspects in the Community sea fishing sector 
(OJ No C 189, 30. 7. 1981, p. 1). 
No C 104/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 4. 85 
Such studies could evaluate the effect on employment of the 
new Regulations on structural policy and in particular 
Regulation (EEC) No 2908/83 on restructuring and the 
modernization of vessels. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1883/78 laying 
down general rules for the financing of intervention by the European Agricultural Guidance and 
Guarantee Fund, Guarantee Section (J) 
(85/C 104/08) 
On 13 December 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Agriculture, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the 
subject, adopted its opinion on 7 February 1985 in the light of the oral report by the rapporteur, Mr 
Flum. 
At its 224th plenary session (meeting of 27 February 1985), the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following opinion by a unanimous vote: 
1. Every effort on the part of the Commission to make sensible and warranted cuts in the 
Community's costs is welcomed in principle by the Committee. 
It is vital to give support to such moves in the Community's current economic, social and political 
climate. 
The Committee would point out, however, that in the final analysis, measures based solely on 
budgetary considerations are no adequate substitute for the structural measures which are 
required. 
2. After a detailed discussion and assessment of its various shortcomings the Committee approved 
the Commission proposal despite having serious misgivings. The proposal will, after all, save the 
Community about 30 million ECU each year. 
Done at Brussels, 27 February 1985. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR collaboration with representatives of the shipowners and 
fishermen, could help to clarify the employment problems or 
at least the disinclination of young people in many countries 
to enter this profession. 
Done at Brussels, 27 February 1985. 
0) OJNoC 13, 15. 1. 1985, p. 2.