No C 47/36 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 27. 2. 75 
2.6. Article  7 
The Committee  urges  that  the  present  temporary 
provisions  governing  the  'Standing  Veterinary 
Committee'  be made  definitive  as soon  as possible. 
2.7. Article  7 (a) 
The Committee  requests  the  insertion  of  an 
additional  Article  requiring  the Commission  to send to the Council  every  two  years  a report  on the use  of 
the funds  and  the  results  obtained. 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on  the  proposal  for  a Council  Directive  amending  for  the  second  time 
Directive  No  73/241/EEC  on the  approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
relating  to cocoa  and  chocolate  products  intended  for  human  consumption 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 154  of 7 December  1974,  pages  6 to 9. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 25 November  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committe  drew  up its Opinion  at its 126th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 19 December  1974. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 25 November  1974 
by the Council  of the European  Communities  of the 
proposal  for  a Council  Directive  amending  for  the 
second  time  Directive  No  73/241/EEC  on  the 
approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
relating  to cocoa  and  chocolate  products  intended 
for human  consumption; 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  100  thereof; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 26 November  1974  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to prepare  the Committee's  work  on the 
matter,  under  the  urgency  procedure  laid  down  in 
Articles  46 and  47 of the Rules  of Procedure; Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Bourel; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for  Agriculture  at its  meeting  held  on 
5 December  1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 126th  plenary 
session,  held  on 19 December  1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  subject  to the 
following  comments: 
1. The  Committee  notes  with  satisfaction  that  the 
Commission  has  acted  on most  of the requests  made 
by the relevant  economic  interests  and  social  groups 
27. 2. 75 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 47/37 
for various  gaps  in the  basic  Directive  to be 
remedied  and  its  wording  clarified  in certain 
respects. 
2. With  regard  to Article  2 of the  present 
proposal,  the Committee  is aware  of the reasons  why 
the weight  of 85  g must  be  included  in the 
authorized  common  scale.  However,  in view  of the 
small  difference  between  85 g and  the next  weight  in 
the scale  (100  g), the Committee  wonders  whether 
the labelling  provisions  of the basic  Directive  suffice 
to obviate  all risk  of confusion  at consumer  level. 
The Committee  trusts  that  this  type  of risk  will  be 
eliminated  in the general  Directive  on labelling. 
3. Article  5 of the  Commission's  proposal  lays 
down  two  deadlines  for the implementation  of the 
basic  Directive  — one  for  the  composition  of 
products  (25  July  1975)  and  the other  for labelling 
(31 December  1975).  The  Committee  believes  that 
because  of the gap  between  these  dates  there  is a risk 
of new  products  being  marketed  under  an old 
labelling. 
Furthermore,  producers  and  distributors  may 
encounter  problems  in complying  with  the  basic 
Directive  and  the present  proposal.  In view  of these 
factors,  a single  deadline  should  be laid  down.  The 
Committee  proposes  31 December  1975. 
4. As  regards  the  definition  of refined  cocoa 
butter  (Article  6 of the  proposal),  the  Committee would  prefer  the reference  to the refining  process  in 
the second  paragraph  to read: 
'... and  which  may  be refined  using  one  or 
more  of the processes  listed  in paragraph  3 (b).' 
5. As  regards  chocolate  products  containing  milk 
(Articles  8 to 11 of the  proposal),  the  Committee 
cannot  understand  why  the  definition  of some  of 
these  products  (milk  chocolate  with  a high  milk 
content  and  white  chocolate)  should  refer  to the raw 
materials  used  and  that  of others  (milk  chocolate 
vermicelli  and  gianduja  nut milk  chocolate)  solely  to 
milk  chocolate.  In the interests  of clarity,  it would 
seem  preferable  to use the first  system  in all cases. 
6. The  Committee  would  have  liked  the 
Commission  to have  taken  the  opportunity  in the 
present  proposal  of rectifying  an omission  in the 
basic  Directive  concerning  the  products  listed  in 
items  1.11  and  1.13  of Annex  I. The  term  'cocoa' 
therefore  should  always  be  preceded  by  the 
qualification  'sweetened'. 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  No 359/67/EEC 
on the  common  organization  of the  market  in rice 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 158  of 17 December  1974,  page  16. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 28 November  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Articles  43 and  198  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 126th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 19 December  1974. 
The Opinion  is published  below: