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COM (83) 678 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 247 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27 .9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C 0 M C 8 3 )  6 78 final
Brussels, 2 1  N o v e m b e r 1 9 8 3
N inth Biennial R eport from  the C o m m ission to the C ouncil
o n  the implementation of the Council Decision 
of 1 3  M a y  1 9 6 5
C 0 M C 8 3 )  6 78 final

2
L egal basis for the report
Article 1 5  of C ouncil Decision 65/271/E E C  of 1 3  M a y  1 9 6 5  o n  the
harmonization of certain provisions affecting competition in
(1)transport b y  rail, road and inland w aterw ay lays d o w n  that 
"every tw o  years the C om m issio n  shall present to the C ouncil a  
report o n  the implementation of this Decision
This, the N inth Biennial R eport o n  the subject, fulfils that obliga­
tion. It covers the period fro m  1  June 1 9 8 1  to 3 1  M a y  1 9 8 3  but is to 
b e up-dated to the date of submission.
Section 1  :  Taxation 
Articles 1  a), 2, 3  and 4
N o  n e w  developm ents since the Eighth Biennial Report.
Article 1  b )
Duty-free admission of fuel contained in the fuel tanks of com m ercial 
m otor vehicles and inland w aterw ay vessels. ,
U n d er C ouncil Directive 83/127/E E C  of 2 8  M a rc h  1 9 8 3  am ending Directive 
68/297/EE C  o n  the standardization of provisions regarding the duty-free 
admission of fuel contained in the fuel tanks of com m ercial m otor 
vehicles, the quantity of fuel admitted duty-free is increased fro m  
5 0  to 2 0 0  litres w ith effect fro m  1  July 1 9 8 4  at the latest.
(1)
O.J. N o . 88/65 of 2 4  M a y  1965.
(2)
O.J. N o . L  9 1  d u  9.4.1983, page 28.

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Section II :  State Interventions
T hese are governed b y  C o m m u n ity  rules w h o se application is monitored by:-
1 )  the reports fro m  the C om m ission every tw o years o n  the econom ic and 
financial situation of railway undertakings;
2 ) the inventory of State aids and compensations com m unicated to the 
M e m b e r States every year.
T h e  Fourth Biennial Report o n  the econom ic and financial situation of 
railway undertakings, covering the period 1980-81, will be presented to the 
C ouncil at the end of 1983.

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Section III :  Social Provisions
I. R o a d  Transport
(a) W o r k  begun b y  the C om m issio n  in 1 9 8 1  to revise Regulations N o . 543/69 and 
N o . 1463/70 has continued. T h e  C om m ission intends to subm it the 
proposal early in 1984.
A t the tim e of writing it has not been determined w hether action 
(if an y ) should or could b e  taken in tw o  stages - first changing the 
scope and then the substantive rules - or all at once.
D uring the period under review  the C om m issio n  and its departments have 
continued their efforts to im prove the application of the rules in ques­
tion. Better control m easures and tougher penalities for those responsible 
for infringements provide one m ethod of doing this.
There is n o  question that there is room ,and even a  need, for im provem ent 
w here controls are concerned, as the organization and quality of w h at is 
done b y  the M e m b e r States varies substantially fro m  one to another. In 
so m e  the controls are relatively strict, in others, in spite of laudable 
efforts o n  the part of the authorities concerned, the impression m u st 
rem ain that the degree of surveillance does not constitute a  serious 
danger for those w h o  are supposed to b e subject to the rules.

5
D uring the period under review C om m ission representatives visited all 
the countries to ascertain for themselves the effectiveness of the 
control systems and, in the event of any problems, to cooperate with 
the national authorities to find appropriate solutions compatible 
with the funding and staffing levels of the administrations concerned.
C b )  O n  1 5  D ecem b er 1 9 8 1  the Council adopted the Com m ission's proposals for 
certain am endm ents to the A E T R  necessary to m a k e  it conform  to C o m m u n ity  
law . Pursuant to Article 2 3  of the A E T R , a  letter with the draft 
am endm ents w a s sent to the Secretariat-General of the United Nations in 
N e w  Y o rk  o n  1 7  D ecem b er 1981. This initiated the am en d m en t procedure.
O n  1 3  M a y  1983, following completion of the various procedures, the 
Secretary-General of the United Nations informed the Contracting Parties 
to the A E T R  that the am endm ents to it w ould enter into force o n  3  
A ugust 1983.
O n  2 5  July 1 9 8 3  the Council decided to send the Executive Secretary of 
the E C E  at G eneva a  joint letter fro m  the Council and the C om m ission 
concerning an am en d m en t to the A E T R  with a  view  to the C o m m u n ity  
acceding to it. ^  meeting o n  this point is envisaged.
II. Transport b y  inland w aterw ay
A s  the w o rk  of the Central C om m ission for the R hine ( C C R )  for the purpose 
of revising the rules governing m in im u m  crew s o n  the R hine clashes with 
the proposal for a  Council Regulation o n  the harmonizination of certain 
social provisions relating to goods transport b y  inland waterway(1), 
the C om m ission and the Council have agreed to suspend examination of 
the propoal for the time being and to participate in the w o rk  of the 
C C R .
(1 ) C0M (79)363-Final of 1 1  July, 1979; O.J. C  20 6  of 1 6  August, 1979.

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A  tripartite Conference has been convened to take a  decision o n  the 
preliminary draft of the rules governing m in im u m  crew s and w orking 
conditions. T h e  Conference will com plete its w o rk  in D ec em b er 1983.
C om m ission representatives will later collaborate w ith the C C R  authorities 
to draft rules o n  the subject. T hese have to b e adopted b y  a  resolution 
of the C C R  and then transposed into C o m m u n ity  law , am endm ents being m a d e  
as necessary to m a k e  the rules applicable to all the C o m m u n ity  waterw ays. 
T h e  C o m m ission will subm it an  am en d ed  proposal to the C ouncil for this 
purpose.