10.5.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC129/3
OpiniononthemodificationoftheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)concerningthe
affixinganduseoftheCEmarkofconformityonindustrialproductsinto:
—aproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingCouncilDirectives87/404/EEC(simple
pressurevessels),88/378/EEC(safetyoftoys),89/106/EEC(constructionproducts),
89/336/EEC(electromagnetic compatibility),89/392/EEC(machinery),89/686/EEC(per­
sonalprotectiveequipment),90/384/EEC(non-automatic weighinginstruments),90/385/
EEC(activeimplantablemedicaldevices),90/396/EEC(appliancesburninggaseousfuels),
91/263/EEC(telecommunications terminalequipment),92/42/EEC(newhot-waterboilers
firedwithliquidorgaseousfuels),and73/23/EEC(electricalequipmentdesignedforuse
withincertainvoltagelimits),andinto
—aproposalforaCouncilDecisionamendingtheCouncilDecisionof13December1990
concerningthemodulesforthevariousphasesoftheconformityassessmentprocedures
(90/683/EEC),supplementingitwithprovisionsrelatingtothearrangementsforaffixing
andusingtheCEconformitymarking(*)
(93/C129/02)
On25January1993,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100aoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposals
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon3March1993.TheRapporteur
wasMrProumens .
Atits304thPlenarySession(meetingof24March1993),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
Subjecttothecomments,setoutbelow,theCommittee
welcomestheproposedinstrumentswhichareto
replacethedraftCouncilRegulation (EEC)concerning
theaffixinganduseoftheCEmarkofconformityon
industrialproducts.
1.Introduction
1.1.Theproposedamendments ,whichconcern:
—simplepressurevessels,
—safetyoftoys,
—constructionproducts,
—electromagnetic compatibility ,
—machinery,
—personalprotectiveequipment,
—non-automatic weighinginstruments,
—activeimplantablemedicaldevices,
—appliancesburninggaseousfuels,seektostandardizespecificprovisionsintheDirectives
ontheabove-mentioned products.
1.2.Itshouldbenotedthatearliercommentsmade
bytheESCandtheEuropeanParliamenthavebeen
takenonboard,particularlyasregards:
—definitionoftheECmark,
—confusionbetweentheterm'mark'andthetrade
mark,
—thefactthatreferencetotheyearinwhichthe
relevantinstrumentswerepublishedcouldmislead
theconsumer,
—standardization oftheECsymbol'sdimensions,
—transitionaluseofatrademarkwhichissimilarto
theECsymbol.
1.3.Thesevariouscommentshavebeentakeninto
accountinthepresentproposals.
—telecommunications terminalequipment,
—newhot-waterboilers,
—electricalequipment (lowvoltage),2.Generalcomments
(i)OJNoC28,2.2.1993,pp.16,35.2.1.TheCommitteeisratherconcernedaboutsafety
problemseventhough:1)theproposedtextsareaimed

NoC129/4 -OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 10.5.93
—verificationbychecksandtests,
—unitverification .
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatsomeformsofverification
applyonlytosomegroupsofproductssetoutin1.1,
andthedetailedarrangementsvaryaccordingtoeach
product.exclusivelyattidyingupandensuringtheconsistency
ofpracticalprovisions,and2)theDirectivesreferred
toonpage1ofthepresentOpinion(particularlythose
sectionsoftheDirectivesdevotedtoproductsafety)
havebeendiscussedandbroadlyapprovedbytheCom­
mittee.
2.2.Discussionsontheproposedamendmentson
verificationproceduresgaverisetofearsthatthesafety
rulesguaranteedbyECmarkingmightbeappliedtoo
laxly.
2.3.TheCommitteewouldthereforeurgetheCom­
missiontoimpressuponMemberStatestheneedto
exercisemaximumvigilanceaboutsafetymatters,bear­
inginmindthefactthatthesafetyofprofessionalusers
andconsumersisatstake.4.CommentsontheamendmenttotheCouncil
Decisiononthemodules
4.1.Asalogicalsequeltotheproposalsamending
theDirectivesonproductsreferredtoinpoint1.1,the
CommissionhasproposedtotheCouncilthatitamend
itsDecisionof13December1990.
4.2.Themodulesforconformityassessmentwhich
wereintroducedinthewakeoftheabove-mentioned
CouncilDecisionareamendedasfollows:
—theuseoftheterm'marking'insteadof'mark',
—anidentificationnumberforthecheckingbody.
4.3.Thenewtextwillthusentailstandardization
ofproceduresinfutureproposalsonotherproducts,
wheneverreferenceismadetotheuseofCEmarking.3.Specificcomments
3.1.Thedefinitionof'ECmark'hasbeenstandard­
izedtoensurethatproducersandtheappropriate
authoritieshavenodifficultyininterpretingandunder­
standingCommunitytexts.
3.2.Theterm'mark'isreplacedby'marking'.
3.3.ThereferenceyeardesignedtofollowtheEC
symbolistobedropped,butthedocumentation
accompanyingtheproductwillstillrefertoadate:this
maybetheproduct'sdateofmanufacture,thedateit
isplacedonthemarket,thedateitisbroughtinto
.service,orthedateofdeclarationofconformitywith
theprovisionsoftheDirectives.
3.4.Thedimensionsofthesymbolcanbechanged,
butmustalwaysremaininproportion;thiswillprevent
possibleconfusioncausedbyover-imaginative design.
3.5.Trademarksinexistencebefore30June1989
canbeusedforaperiodoftenyears,providedthey
wereregisteredbeforethatdateandarestillvalidin
theMemberStates.Itshouldbenotedinthisrespect
thattheCommissionisplanning,onlegalgrounds,to
amenditspresentdraftandtoprovideforthewith­
drawaloftrademarkssimilartotheECsymbol,ifsuch
trademarksareusedforthepurposeofmisleadingthe
consumerorprofessionaluser.
3.6.Forthepurposesofstandardizingandharmoniz­
ingprocedures,theamendmentsalsodealwith:
—ECverification,
—statisticalverification,
—unauthorizedusageoftheCEmarking,
—thelistofbodiesresponsibleforexaminingprod­
ucts,withtheiridentificationnumber,5.SpecificcommentsonDirective73/23/EEC(electri­
calequipmentdesignedforusewithincertainvolt­
agelimits)
5.1.Giventhatthistypeofelectricalmaterialisused
inseveraloftheproductscoveredbyotherDirectives
subjecttothenewapproach,theCommissionfeltthat
itwouldbelogicallikewisetoapply'CEmarking'to
thisDirective.Thisinnowaycallsintoquestionthe
otherprovisionsofthisspecificDirective,andtheCE
markingwouldbedonesolelyonthebasisofthe
manufacturer'sdeclaration,therebysimplifyingadmin­
istrativeprocedureswhilstnotaffectingsafety.The
Directivehasafteralloperatedsatisfactorilyfor20
years.
6.Finalcomments
6.1.Finally,theCommitteeisconcernedabout
infringements ,particularlythemisuseofCEmarking.
NeverthelesstheCommissionisclearlyunabletointer­
veneinthepenalorcivilproceduresoftheMember
Stateswhichmustthemselvesprovideadequatenational
sanctions.TheCommissionshould,however,certainly
urgeMemberStatestoberigorousinrootingoutand
pursuinginfringementsand,whereaninfringementhas
beendetected,toinformtheCommissionand/orthe
competentauthoritiesoftheotherMemberStates,bear­

10.5.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC129/5
inginmindtheprincipleofthefreemovementofgoods.
ItislikewiseaxiomaticthattheCommission hasthe
powertoissueproceedingsintheCourtofJusticeagainstanyMemberStatewhichfailstotransposethe
DirectiveorDirectivescoveredbythepresentproposal
intonationallaw.Thisafterallisstandardprocedure.
DoneatBrussels,24March1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)amendingRegulations (EEC)No
2771/75onthecommonorganizationofthemarketineggs,No2777/75onthecommon
organizationofthemarketinpoultrymeat,No827/68onthecommonorganizationofthe
marketincertainproductslistedinAnnexIItotheTreatyandNo2658/87onthetariffand
statisticalnomenclature andontheCommonCustomsTariff
(93/C129/03)
On10December1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon4March1993.TheRapporteurwas
MrStokkers.
Atits304thPlenarySessionheldon24and25March1993(meetingof24March1993),the
EconomicandSocialCommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
—define—undertheManagementCommitteepro­
cedure—thelistofproductseligibleforexport
refunds,
—extendthecommonmarketingstandardsapplicable
torawduckandgooselivertoanumberofprep­
arationsoftheseproductswhichwouldbeincluded
intheCMOforpoultrymeat,
—applyonlycustomsdutiestofutureimportsofpoul­
trymeatproducts.1.Introduction
1.1.TheCommission wishestoensuretheuniform
applicationoftheECrulesgoverningexternaltradein
eggsandpoultrymeat .Tothisend,certainamendments
areproposed—byanalogywithCommunitylegislation
onpigmeat—tothebasicregulationsinforceinthese
sectors.
1.2.Specifically,itisproposedto:
—incorporateimportlicenceprovisionsinthecom­
monorganizationofthemarkets(CMO)ineggs
andpoultrymeat,
—fillagapintheCombinedNomenclature with
regardto'eggproductsmanufactured fromincu­
batedordamagedeggswhichhavenotbeen
denatured',2.Comments
2.1.Theproposedmeasuresarearesponsetomar­
ketingrequirementsandfillcertaingapsinexisting
Communitylegislation.