No C 138/64 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 6. 81 
Opinion on the draft for a Council resolution concerning priorities and the timetable for 
decisions to be taken by the Council in the transport sector during the period up to the end 
of 1983 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 294 of 13 November 1980, page 6. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 31 October 1980 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
185th plenary session held in Brussels on 25 and 26 February 1981. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 31 October 1980 for 
an opinion on the matter (!), 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
25 November 1980, pursuant to Article 22 of the 
Rules of Procedure, instructing the Section for 
Transport and Communications to prepare an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by that Section 
at its 136th meeting, held on 11 February 1981, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur, Mr Loccufier (Article 29 of the Rules of 
Procedure), 
Having regard to the discussions at its 185th plenary 
session on 25 and 26 February 1981 (meeting of 
25 February 1981), 
Whereas the transport sector, which has an 
approximately 6 % share of the GNP of the European 
Communities and employs some six million workers, 
accounts for about 40 % of public investment in the 
nine Member States and 11 % of private 
investment; 
(i) OJ No C 294, 13. 12. 1980, p. 6. Whereas when expenditure on road, rail and inland 
waterway infrastructure reaches a level equivalent to 
the total tax receipts of a country such as Belgium 
(e. g. 27 500 million EUA in 1976), it is in the interests 
of the Ten to put their transport spending to optimum 
use; 
Whereas the Community is based on the principle of 
a common market with free movement of goods and 
services, whereas trade between the Nine has 
multiplied since 1958; and whereas transport has 
played a direct role in this; 
Whereas under the European Treaties the 
Community is obliged to eliminate all distortions of 
competition and discrimination in the transport 
sector, whether they be caused by differences in tariff 
policies, state subsidies, tax laws or national 
regulations on working conditions; 
Whereas since 1958 the Community has issued over 
one hundred decisions in the transport sector; 
whereas unfortunately, the Treaty's aim of creating a 
single market in the transport sector is still far from 
being achieved; whereas in the past there has been no 
lack of action programmes from the Commission, 
solemn exhortations from the European Parliament 
and the Economic and Social Committee, and 
piecemeal efforts by the Council; and whereas 
despite all of this little has been achieved in the 
Community transport sector in more than 20 years; 
Whereas pressures from outside the Community and 
internal economic difficulties have altered the 
9. 6. 81 Official Journal of the 
context in which Community action in the transport 
sector must be taken; and whereas this may result in a 
restructuring of this sector following the 
reformulation of its expenditure and distribution 
policy necessitated by the energy situation, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION: 
unanimously: 
1. In this provisional opinion the Committee does 
not intend to call into question the Commission's 
approach to transport policy. 
It welcomes in principle the Commission's list of 
priorities, which is designed to revive discussions in 
this sector. 
2. The Committee thinks, however, that the far-
reaching and enduring changes which are taking 
place in the economic situation of the Community — 
current account deficits, due mainly to the cost of 
imported oil, stagnant growth rates, rising 
unemployment, a mounting public debt, etc. — are 
bound to have repercussions on the Community's 
Done at Brussels, 26 February 1981. san Communities No C 138/65 
transport programme over the next few years. In 
other words, the priority goals of the Community's 
economic policy must be reflected in transport 
policy. 
3. Since the Council of Ministers will hold a 
preliminary general discussion of the Commission 
document at its end-of-March meeting, the 
Committee will confine itself in the limited time 
available to a provisional assessment of this 
document; it undertakes to submit as soon as 
possible a more comprehensive statement of its 
views, in writing, in the form of a definitive 
opinion. 
4. The Committee therefore recommends that the 
programme proposed by the Commission for the 
next three years should be regarded both as a vehicle 
for previous proposals which have encountered 
difficulties in the Council, and as a programme 
which takes account of the pressing needs of the 
present situation. 
The Committee is prepared to put forward positive 
proposals in its definitive opinion. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE