No C 142/12 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 16. 11. 74 
Opinion  on  the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  extending  and  modifying 
Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2829/72  of 28 December  1972,  regarding  the 
Community  quota  for  the  carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of  the Euro-
pean  Communities  No  C 68 of 12 June  1974,  page  6. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 27 May  1974  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  under  Article  75 of the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Economic 
Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 124th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 18 October  1974. 
The full  text  of the  Opinion  is as follows  : 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the letter  of 29 May  1974,  in which 
(he Council  of the  European  Communities  requested 
the Committee  to deliver  an Opinion  on the proposal 
for a Council  Regulation  extending  and  modifying 
Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2829/72  of  28 
December  1972  regarding  the  Community  quota  for 
the carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States  ; 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  75 
thereof; 
Having  regard  to Council  Regulations  (EEC)  No 
1018/68  (!) of 19 July  1968,  (EEC)  No 2829/72  (2) of 
28 December  1972  and  (EEC)  No  2063/74  (*) of 1 
August  1974  on the  introduction  of a Community 
quota  for  the  carriage  of goods  by road  between 
Member  States  ; 
Having  regard  to the  relevant  Committee  Opinions, 
and in particular  the Opinion  delivered  at the plenary 
session  of 23  and  24  May  1973  on the  proposal 
amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 2829/72  (4); 
Having  regard  to the decision  of its Bureau  on 28 May 
1974,  instructing  the  Section  for  Transport  and 
Communications  to draw  up an Opinion  and  a Report 
on this  matter; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Transport  and  Communications  at its  92nd 
meeting,  held  on 9 October  1974  ; 
Having  regard  to the report  submitted  by the Rappor-
teur,  Mr Renaud  ; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its meeting  on 1 8 
October  1974  (124th  plenary  session  of 17 and  18 
October  1 974); 
(') OJ No  L 175,  23.  7. 1968,  p. 13. 
(*) OJ No  L 298,  31.  12.  1972,  p. 16. 
(>) OJ No  L 215,  6. 8. 1974,  p. 1. 
(«) OJ No  C 86, 16.  10. 1973,  p. 4. Whereas  Article  9 of Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
2829/72  of 28 December  1972  on the  Community 
quota  for  the  carriage  of goods  by road  between 
Member  States  states  that  this  Regulation  is to apply 
until  31 December  1974; 
Whereas  there  is not  enough  time  to adopt  a defini-
tive system  before  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2829/72 
expires; 
Whereas  the way  in which  an overall  organization  of 
the goods  traffic  market  is to be established  should  be 
reviewed  in the Jight  of the basic  ideas  set out by the 
Commission  in its Communication  to the Council  of 
25 October  1973  on the development  of the common 
transport  policy; 
Whereas  this  communication  proposes  a review  of the 
present  situation  as regards  the  functioning  of the 
transport  market  and  the  results  of national,  bilateral, 
multilateral  and  Community  rules  ; 
Whereas  such  a review  would,  in particular,  show  what 
sort of measures  should  be proposed  to further  the 
Community  objectives  of economic  viability,  effi-
ciency  and  integration  ; 
Whereas  the  Commission  believes  that  comprehen-
sive proposals  should  be drawn  up in this  connection 
to cover  the various  aspects  of transport  market  organi-
zation,  in particular  access  to the  market,  transport 
rates  and  conditions  and  rules  of competition  ; 
Whereas  it is necessary  to have  adequate  time  to draw 
up, examine  and  adopt  the abovementioned  proposals, 
16. 11. 74 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 142/13 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a majority  with  8 votes  against  and  5 abstentions  : 
1. General  comments 
1.1. Extension  of Regulation  (EEC)  No 2829/72 
1.1.1.  The  Committee  endorses  the  Commission's 
proposal  that  Regulation  (EEC)  No 2829/72  should  be 
extended  for  a period  of two  years,  for there  is not 
enough  time  to adopt  a definitive  system  before  this 
Regulation  expires  on  31  December  1974. 
Consequently,  the Committee  thinks  that  it is appro-
priate  to maintain  the Community  quota  system  until 
there  has  been  sufficient  time  to discuss  the  overall 
measures  on the  general  organization  of goods  traffic 
which  the  Commission  intends  to propose.  Finally,  it 
is necessary  to preclude  the disturbances  which  would 
ensue  from  failure  to extend  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
2829/72. 
1.2. Amendment  of  Regulation  (EEC)  No 2829/72 
1.2.1.  The  Committee  also  endorses  the  Commis-
sion's  proposal  for an increase  in the  1975  and  1976 
Community  quotas  for road  haulage  between  Member 
States. 1.2.2.  The  Committee  agrees  with  the  Commission 
that the quotas  fixed  in 1972  and  revised  in 1974  still 
do not  place  the original  and  the  new  Member  States 
on exactly  the same  footing.  It therefore  urges  that  the 
quotas  for the new  Member  States  be raised  by a larger 
amount  than  those  for the original  Member  States.  In 
the absence  of precise  statistics,  it assumes  that  the 
increases  are to be linear. 
In view  of the  proposed  further  analysis  and  assess-
ment  of the  profitability  and  effectiveness  of the 
Community  transport  system,  the  Committee  also 
urges  that  statistics  be provided  soon  for an appraisal 
of the  experience  acquired  in the  operation  of the 
Community  quota  system. 
Done  at Brussels,  18 October  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
ANNEX 
to the Opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  the  discussion  : 
Point  1.2. 
The text  should  be replaced  by the  following: 
'1.2.1.  The  Committee  regrets  that  it cannot  accept  the  Commission's  proposal  that  the  total 
number  of authorizations  should  be increased.  It would  emphasize  that  this  proposal  is not 
based  on valid  statistics,  for the rate  of increase  in trade  between  Member  States  does  not  justify 
larger  quotas.  In the  Committee's  view,  the Commission's  proposal  would  increase  road  haulage 
capacity  without  this  being  warranted  by the  progress  made  in work  on the  terms  of competi-
tion between  modes  of transport.  Finally,  the Committee  finds  it difficult  to understand  how  the 
common  transport  policy  can  further  certain  objectives  of the  common  energy  and  environ-
mental  policies  if the  Commission  promotes  the  permanent  expansion  of road  haulage.  In view 
of the  proposed  further  analysis  and  assessment  of the  economic  viability  and  effectiveness  of 
the common  transport  policy,  the  Committee  also  urges  that  the  Commission  provide  statistics 
as soon  as possible  for an appraisal  of the  experience  acquired  in the  operation  of the  Commu-
nity quota  system'. 
Result  of .the  tote: 
for : 24 
against:  41 
abstentions:  13.