25. 4. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 104/3 
information on product toxicity and in particular a 
breakdown of the composition of mixtures. 
2.3. Under the heading 'Training and information' 
Scientific and practical methods in the field of toxicology still 
vary considerably in the individual Member States. The 
Done at Brussels, 27 February 1985, 
1. The Committee welcomes the Commission's continued 
efforts to achieve a reduction in the noise of traffic, as a step 
towards the objective of improving the urban and, in 
consequence, non-urban 'acoustic' environment. 
The Committee pointed to the need for such measures in an 
earlier opinion on the proposal, later to become Directive 
78/1015/EEC, concerning the sound level of 
motorcycles. 
The Committee therefore endorses the Commission's 
proposed limit values (differentiated on the basis of engine 
capacity) for sound levels. 
2. The Committee would point to the fact that without 
effective policing by Member States - particularly of old, 
damaged and illegally modified exhaust systems - any 
benefits accruing to the 'acoustic' environment as a result of 
this Directive could well be cancelled out. Once again, as in 
the previous Committee opinion on Directive Committee therefore thinks it essential to support the 
'training and information' section of the Commission 
programme. It is highly unsatisfactory that the exchange of 
scientists in particular often comes up against bureaucratic 
controls in the Member States. One serious obstacle is the 
inadequate job security in their own country for scientists 
who would otherwise be willing to take part in an exchange. 
The Committee suggests that special weight be given to this 
point. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
GerdMUHR 
78/1015/EEC, the Committee would draw the 
Commission's attention to the need for clear, common 
provisions dealing with police checks designed to deter riders 
from modifying the exhaust systems of their machines. 
With this in mind, the Committee would also advocate the 
careful examination of any other type of motor-cycle 
measures designed to encourage compliance with the rules on 
sound levels (avoidance of noise due to unnecessary 
acceleration and braking, to the improper use of acoustic 
warning devices, or to damaged and illegally modified 
exhausts). 
3. In reiterating its support for the proposed Directive, 
the Committee would express its satisfaction at the fact that 
the tests include the use of the third gear, as requested in its 
abovementioned opinion, and do not, as has sometimes been 
the case on previous occasions, cause excess speed or 
skidding on the testing ground; the Committee would also Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 78/1015/EEC on the 
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the permissible sound level and exhaust 
system of motorcycles 
(85/C 104/03) 
On 24 September 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 100 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 6 February 1985 (rapporteur: 
Mr Masprone). 
At its 224th plenary session (meeting of 27 February 1985), the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following opinion unanimously: 
No C 104/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 4. 85 
draw attention to the geometric relation between sound 
emissions and the level of sound audible to the human ear, 
which means that a 6 dB reduction halves the perceived 
sound level. 
Done at Brussels, 27 February 1985. 
Opinion on the 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Economic and Social Committee regards the 
Commission proposal as justified in so far as it implicitly 
recognizes the need for a revision of the regulations adopted 
at the end of the 1960s. 
1.2. Despite differing points of view and objectives, the 
parties concerned have never shown any lessening of interest 
in the regulations and the application thereof. This is 
primarily because the system of checks and penalties is still 
criticized by both parties even today. 
1.3. The number of infringements has in fact remained at 
a relatively high level and has never shown any perceptible 
downward trend. It is therefore impossible to deny that, 
although the social regulations have had beneficial effects on 
the harmonizations of terms of competition, their acceptance 
by employers and workers and their implementation by the 
national authorities have never ceased to pose problems. 
(') OJ No C 100, 12. 4. 1984, pp. 3 and 9. It should be stressed that Community manufacturers will 
have to introduce substantial technical modifications in 
order to secure the phased 6 dB(A) reduction prescribed in 
the Directive. « 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
1.4. This is the reason why the Commission has 
undertaken the difficult task of attempting to revise the 
existing social regulations in order to achieve the three 
interrelated aims of: 
— reducing the undue complexity of the regulations and 
introducing more flexibility, 
— taking social progress into consideration, 
— inducing the Member States to pull together to step up 
supervision and improve the effectiveness of penalties. 
1.5. The Committee is unanimous that neither the 
existing social regulations nor the Commission's newly 
proposed provisions fully come up to the expectations of the 
socio-economic groups represented on it and are not likely to 
guarantee that the Commission's objectives will be achieved 
in practice, unless the Commission and Council amend the 
Commission's provisions in the light of the following 
comments. - proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 543/69 on the harmonization 
of certain social legislation relating to road transport and Regulation (EEC) No 1463/70 on the 
introduction of recording equipment in road transport and the 
- draft Council recommendation on the implementation of the social regulations in road 
transport (J) 
(85/C 104/04) 
On 2 April 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 75 
of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
documents. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the matter, adopted its opinion on 13 November 1984 in the light of the report 
by Mr L. J. Smith, rapporteur. 
At its 224th plenary session held on 27 and 28 February'1985 (meeting of 27 February 1985) the 
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by a majority, with two votes against 
and one abstention: