No C 102/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 4. 91 
Opinion on the economic situation — Annual economic report 1990/1991 
(91/C 102/11) 
On 11 February 1991 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Council Decision 90/141/EEC of 12 March 1990 on the attainment of progressive 
convergence of economic policies and performance during Stage One of Economic and 
Monetary Union, and in particular Article 4 on the Proposal for a Council Decision adopting 
the annual economic report 1990-1991 on the economic situation in the Community and 
determining the economic policy orientation for the Community in 1991. 
The Section for Economic, Financial and Monetary Questions, which was responsible for 
the preparatory work on the matter, adopted its Opinion on 12 February 1991. The 
Rapporteur was Mr Kaaris. 
At its 284th plenary session (meeting of 27 February 1991) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion by a large majority, with 1 vote against and 1 abstention. 
1. The Economy in 1990-1991: The Commission's 
analysis and forecasts 
The Commission's analysis and forecasts were pro­
duced in November 1990 and were based on a number 
of critical assumptions including those for oil prices 
and exchange rate developments. 
1.1. The World economy 
After several years of strong expansion in investment 
and employment, the economic climate changed for 
the worse in 1990. The short term outlook for the 
Community economy is adversely affected by rising 
costs and consumer prices as well as by a series of 
external influences such as the increase in the price of 
oil, the depreciation of the dollar and the slow-down 
of growth in the United States' economy and in world 
trade. 
The unresolved conflict in the Gulf has temporarily 
halted the reduction in defense expenditure previously 
envisaged as a result of the end of east-west confron­
tation. More importantly it has dealt a serious blow to 
confidence in the future in general—as demonstrated 
by the depressed level of stock prices throughout the 
world—and the security of future energy supplies in 
particular. As long as this conflict remains unsolved, 
uncertainty about the economic consequences of its 
outcome will remain a serious deterrent to new invest­
ment. 
The quantitative reduction in world supply of oil actu­
ally experienced during the crises has not been import­
ant. Nor have the price increases involved been of the 
same magnitude as those experienced in the earlier 
periods of scarcity in 1973 and 1979. Furthermore, for 
Europe, the price effect in 1990 was cushioned by the 
concurrent decline in the dollar rate. Nevertheless, the 
rise of oil prices threatens to fuel a wage price spiral 
and slow down economic growth. The US economy was already stagnating before the 
Gulf crisis. A complete halt in the growth of real Gross 
National Product (GNP) (+ 0,25 %) is now anticipated 
for 1991, while inflationary pressures will persist with 
inflation rising to 5,5% in 1991. The US balance on 
current account is unlikely to improve in 1990 and 1991 
despite the weak domestic growth rate. The government 
deficit is expected to widen slightly. The dollar was 
in a continuous decline throughout 1990 under the 
influence of widening interest rate differentials with the 
yen and DM. Annual growth in US imports is expected 
to decelerate to about 2,5 % from almost 6 % during 
the eighties. 
Growth is expected to decelerate in Japan too, but only 
from 6% in 1990 to 4% in 1991, accompanied by 
modest inflation and a reduced surplus on current 
account. 
The depression in the United States, the increase in the 
price of oil and the unaccomplished transformation in 
Central and Eastern Europe from planned to market 
oriented economies will result in a subdued inter­
national environment* In 1991 real GDP outside the 
Community will practically remain unchanged and 
world trade excluding the Community is expected to 
expand by less than 4,5% in real terms, down from 
6,0% in 1990 and 7,4% in 1989. The ability of Com­
munity exports to compete in the world market has 
been seriously affected by the increase in the dollar 
value of the ECU, which in December 1990 was 25 % 
above the average 1989 level, and was still increasing. 
1.2. The EEC economy 
1.2.1. Economic indicators for 1990-1991 
The Member States have been variously affected by the 
deteriorating economic climate, but in the aggregate 
real growth in the Community—excluding the five new 
18. 4. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 102/37 
Lander of the Federal Republic of Germany—is expect­
ed to show a decline from 3,3% in 1989 to 2,9% in 
1990 and to 2,2% in 1991. 
Growth should be around 3% in Germany, Luxem­
bourg and Portugal, but 1 % or less in Denmark, Greece 
and the United Kingdom. In the remaining countries 
the growth rate should be close to the average. All 
components of domestic demand are expected to weak­
en, but in particular investment. 
The creation of new jobs will taper off, while consumer 
prices will continue to rise at the accelerated rate seen 
in 1990. Wage increases in 1990 have been estimated at 
7,5% in nominal terms and more than 2% in real 
terms. These figures signify the end of the continuous 
improvement of profitability since 1981. For the first 
time in a decade, real unit labour costs increased in 
1990. 
1.2.2. Return to growth in 1992 
In spite of these forecasts the Commission expects 
growth prospects to pick up again in 1992 on the 
assumption that investment in the Community will 
revive and that it will be possible to keep inflation 
under control in the medium term. 
This view is based on the assumption that with appro­
priate policies profitability would remain favourable 
and investment activity could resume its strong growth 
leading to new significant job creation. The Com­
mission argues that the fundamental underlying capa­
bilities of the Community economy and not short term 
disturbances determine the medium term growth rates. 
1.2.3. The need to avoid new inflationary 
spirals 
The immediate policy concern however is inflation in 
view of the impetus added in the second half of 1990 
to an already accelerating cost and price trend, which 
puts medium term growth prospects at risk and which 
is most unfortunate in view of the competitive disadvan­
tage imposed by high interest levels and a falling dollar 
rate. 
Macroeconomic indicators for 1990 provide evidence 
that prevailing cost and price conditions will not allow 
employment oriented growth to make inroads in the 
unacceptable rate of unemployment, forecast at 83/4 % 
for the Community as a whole for 1991 as well as for 
1992. In 1990 unemployment above 10% was registered 
for Spain, Ireland and Italy. A slight reduction is fore­seen in the rate of unemployment in Spain while no 
significant change is forecast for Ireland and Italy for 
1991 and 1992. 
The Commission observes that the general policies 
which must be implemented to curb inflationary press­
ures and inflation divergences, are also the policies 
needed to create the conditions for the realization of the 
great Community projects—Economic and Monetary 
Union, Internal Market, economic and social cohesion 
—through which the Community can provide a 
dynamic impetus for expansion of the Member States' 
economies. 
The stimulating effect of these projects is greatly 
enhanced by the dynamic impulse emanating from the 
unification of Germany. 
1.3. Uncertainties surrounding the forecasts 
1.3.1. Reliability of models in face of 
abrupt changes 
The turbulent events of 1990 have demonstrated that 
economic growth is not always linear and constant, but 
is subject to shocks, to forward leaps and to momentary 
hesitations. Indeed, periods of digestion and hesitation 
serve to redirect resources in support of higher growth 
rates that are sustainable over a long perspective. In 
the face of these uncertainties, forecasts are by necessity 
based on certain assumptions on which their results 
depend heavily. The Commission's November forecasts 
were based, in particular, on the following assumptions 
for the price of oil and exchange rates: that the average 
price in 1991 of a barrel of crude oil be around 29 
dollars and that the average value of the dollar be about 
DM 1,55. By mid-February 1991, however, the price of 
oil was around 20 dollars per barrel while the dollar 
had dropped to about 1,45 DM. 
1.3.2. Investor confidence unquantifiable 
Projections of macroeconomic numbers have the further 
disadvantage of not being able to reflect psychological 
factors quantitatively. 
The determinant of investment is present and future 
costs as estimated by the investor in relation to future 
demand as the investor perceives it. The crisis in the 
Gulf is undoubtedly affecting investor confidence, 
although a successful outcome would have a positive 
significance for the growth prospects of the world econ­
omy. Psychological factors have shaped the economic 
effects of the crisis in the Middle East, as expressed by 
the massive fall of share prices through which the loss 
of faith in the future manifested itself on all financial 
markets of the world in 1990. The difficulties in the 
Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs 
No C 102/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 4. 91 
and Trade (GATT) negotiations may also be affecting 
confidence, although a successful outcome would have 
a positive significance for growth prospects for the 
world economy. 
Since the drafting of the annual economic report, the 
economic situation has been modified by various fac­
tors: 
— The slowdown in certain European countries has 
been slightly more pronounced than expected. 
While in most countries the difference with the path 
projected in November is very small, the decline in 
output in the UK is much more severe than pre­
viously anticipated. 
— The first weeks of war have convinced markets that 
there is little fear of major disruption of oil supplies. 
This re-appraisal of the situation has led to a mar­
ked drop in oil prices and it can now be expected 
that the average 1991 price will be well below that 
originally assumed by the Commission services. 
— The dollar has depreciated further and is now at a 
level 6 per cent below the original assumption for 
the average of 1991. 
The outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf has affected 
business confidence in the Community as a whole. 
Many investment plans have been put on hold while 
consumers have cut back their expenditure especially 
in the service sector. The war is therefore inducing 
a certain pause in economic activity. However, this 
slowdown could be reversed, if, as everyone hopes, the 
war is only of a short duration. Indeed, the war-induced 
pause could give way to a sharp rebound in activity. 
The Commission now estimates that economic growth 
in 1991 could still turn out to be not very different from 
that anticipated in the annual economic report in most 
of the Community, if the war were to be short. In the 
United Kingdom, however, the severity of the downturn 
has led to a significant downward revision of the 1991 
growth forecast. 
1.3.3. Divergences require policy 
response, not totals or averages 
Another feature of macroeconomic estimates, which 
has been pointed out during the Committee's reflections 
on the annual economic report, is their tendency to 
obscure underlying, conflicting trends instead of focus­
ing attention on the interplay of forces at work behind 
the aggregated figures. What is interesting about Com­
munity figures for inflation, budget deficits, and exter­
nal balances is not the Community total, but the under­lying diversity between regions and countries. Not the 
average, but deviation from it are relevant for the 
formulation of cohesive policies. 
Macroeconomic figures result from microeconomic 
trends, which cancel each other out and which them­
selves result from unmeasured factors of great relevance 
to economic policy such as parallel economic activity, 
capital movements, and the price of money. 
1.4. Uncertainty about return to high growth rate 
Conscious of the great uncertainty at the time of writing 
and the difficulties involved in assessing psychological 
factors, the Committee would regretfully point out 
that the resumption of investment leading to renewed 
growth in 1992 is not the only possibility; only the most 
desirable. The policies to help bring this development 
about are dealt with in the remaining part of this 
opinion. Before turning to the choice of policies how­
ever it should be recorded that many people, 
overwhelmed by the rapidity of events which have 
intervened to change perceptions of the future during 
1990 and by the major uncertainties still outstanding, 
find it difficult to accept without hesitation assertions 
of confidence in the ability of the Community to main­
tain its forward momentum as a lone unit of constant 
progress in the turmoil affecting the world which sur­
rounds it. 
1.5. The development of the Community potential 
1.5.1. The Single Market 
The creation of one single Community market should 
equalize conditions for European producers competing 
on the world stage with products and services from the 
United States and Japan, as far as the achievement of 
optimum production levels and application of techno­
logical progress are concerned. This prospect has alre­
ady led to enlarged market horizons and new strategies 
of production. It is essential that expectations are not 
deceived and that the deadline of 1 January 1993 for the 
completion of the Single Market is respected. Important 
decisions concerning indirect taxation, necessary for 
the complete removal of border controls, have not yet 
been taken. Most other legislation is in place and the 
remaining problem is one of transposition into national 
law and effective implementation in the Member States. 
This should be accomplished by the end of 1992. It 
should also be clear in the course of 1991, as a result of 
negotiations with the European Free Trade Association 
(EFTA), whether or not a European economic area—in-
18. 4. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 102/39 
volving a widening of economic integration with EFTA, 
but short of abolition of border controls and adherence 
to the Common Agricultural Policy—can be brought 
into place to complement the single market of the 12 
by January 1993. 
1.5.2. Towards irreversible monetary 
stability 
Expectations of monetary stability in Europe, essential 
for dynamic investment decisions, have been created by 
the successful liberalization of capital movements at the 
start in July 1990 of the first phase of the road to 
Economic and Monetary Union, and by the decision to 
commence phase two in January 1994. The British 
decision to join the exchange rate mechanism, the 
renouncing of special conditions for Italian partici­
pation and the unilateral decision to attach the Norwe­
gian currency to the ECU have enhanced these expec­
tations. The realization of the growth potential of the 
Community requires that these expectations are not 
deceived. 
The Committee's observations on how the Intergovern­
mental Conference can lay the foundations for monet­
ary stability in Europe and subsequently in a global 
context, are currently being formulated in a separate 
Opinion. 
1.5.3. Economic and social cohesion 
It is essential that all Member States and regions of the 
Community have their share in the common growth. It 
is therefore highly important that Spain, Portugal and 
Ireland have had a higher than average growth in recent 
years and it is a matter for serious concern that Greece 
has not contributed to reducing the income gap. 
Of the countries involved in the catching up process, 
Ireland stands out as an example of how adhesion to 
the European Monetary System (EMS) together with 
the consensus in economic and social development 
achieved by the social partners, can contribute to lower 
inflation and enhance the process of economic growth. 
The removal of capital restrictions on 1 July 1990 
has led to a reduction of the interest rate differentials 
between the Irish and the other currencies committed 
to stable relations. The gradual reduction of former 
differentials against DM interest rates ranging from 5 
to over 3% illustrates the disappearance of imperfec­
tions in the capital market. 
Community structural policy, now that it has been 
strengthened, has given the least developed regions 
access to new financial resources and helped to improve 
the quality of their development efforts. This policy 
must be stepped up, particularly in the run-up to Econ­
omic and Monetary Union. There is already evidence of 
the soundness of this approach, for instance in Greece, 
Portugal and Spain, where the resources allocated to the regions concerned will be equivalent to 3-5% of 
national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 1993. 
This eases financial restraints in their development 
planning, but is does not make them independent of the 
continual commitment of investors from other Member 
States, a concern which the opening up of new invest­
ment opportunities, for instance in reunified Germany, 
has brought to the surface. Labour market adaptability 
and access to education and training programmes to this 
end should be important elements in the programme of 
these countries to improve productivity and to cope 
with structural change. 
1.5.4. Community effects of German uni­
fication 
German unification has significant consequences for the 
realization of the growth potential of the Community as 
a whole. In fact it is a factor of such importance to the 
other Member countries, that it has given rise to fears 
of German economic dominance. The very speed of its 
achievement can, however, be seen as a push necessary 
for the Community to match German determination 
with a decision to reach for a monetary union within 
a compatible framework of time. The surge of demand 
in the new German Lander and the huge investments 
involved in their development has already led to a 
considerable rise in exports to Germany from all Com­
munity countries, but of special economic significance 
for Denmark and Benelux. The German export surplus 
is eroding rapidly and with it the large discrepancy in 
external balance between members of the Community. 
German unification can facilitate the integration pro­
cess of the Community in other ways. A certain slight 
increase in price levels might be very unwelcome to the 
German monetary authorities, but if it is a necessary 
cost of increased internal demand, how fortunate that 
it should occur in the early part of phase one of Econ­
omic and Monetary Union and ease the pain of adjust­
ing to a common average for the rest of the Community. 
Likewise with the otherwise unwelcome financial impli­
cations of infrastructure expenditure and environment 
programmes in the eastern regions of Germany. In the 
absence of specific plans for financing such programmes 
in the eastern parts of Germany as well as in the rest 
of eastern Europe, expectations of excess demand for 
financial resources have exercised an upward pressure 
on interest rates in the rest of the Community, which 
has not been very helpful in a situation where exports 
have had to cope with reduced dollar rates. Once the 
necessary decisions about finance have been taken, this 
upward pressure should diminish. The decisions them-
No C 102/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 4. 91 
selves might be of a nature, which will ease the problems 
of some of Germany's neighbours. Some countries, 
faced with revenue losses as a consequence of harmoniz­
ing high Value Added Tax (VAT) rates and excise 
duties down to the present German level, would be 
helped by higher indirect taxation in Germany. 
2. The necessary policies 
2.1. Response to oil price increases 
The Committee concurs in the judgment of the Com­
mission that the immediate priority of economic policy 
is to safeguard conditions for growth and employment 
by a concerted effort to contain the inflationary trend, 
and first of all to avoid fuelling it by attempting to 
compensate the loss of real demand resulting from the 
oil price increase. 
After the oil shock of 1973, many Member States 
suffered severe losses in terms of wasted growth oppor­
tunities by needlessly pursuing the route of compen­
sation. Only after considerable delays were index regu­
lation of wages adjusted to keep oil price increases from 
triggering automatic upwards wage revisions. Still later, 
systems of taxation were introduced to offset oil price 
changes with compensatory tax rate adjustments. The 
Member countries should have learned the lesson that 
compensating for deteriorations in terms of trade, 
which reduce overall purchasing power, by awards of 
higher nominal purchasing power should be avoided. 
Wage policy as well as social policy in general would, 
in all Member States, have to be linked to productivity 
gains, to avoid financing by inflationary increases in 
the money supply, i.e. by central bank financing of 
budget deficits. 
Besides, the Member States have greatly reduced their 
dependency on oil imports since the seventies. The 
earlier parallelism between economic growth and 
energy consumption has been broken. With the renewal 
of the lesson that cheap energy cannot be expected to 
last forever, a positive response would be to give a 
political impetus towards the creation of a unified 
market for energy, including electricity. The Committee 
has taken due note of the measures taken by the Com­
mission since the presentation in May 1988 of its work­
ing document on the internal energy market; it urges the 
Commission to put forward new initiatives forthwith 
aimed at bringing about a genuinely unified energy 
market in line with the Single Market for goods and 
services, at the same time ensuring increased security 
of supply and environmental protection. 2.2. Sustainable growth 
The achievement of low energy growth has prompted 
the Commission's annual report to advance the ideal 
of low pollution growth and to suggest that it could be 
achieved by the introduction of pollution reducing price 
mechanisms, a thought which should certainly also be 
applicable to energy consumption. 
Economic growth is not a desirable objective if it occurs 
at the expense of a deteriorated environment. Growth 
must be sustainable in the long run and not present a 
threat to survival. 
The Committee accepts as a principle that the costs 
of preserving a sustainable, inhabitable environment 
should be incorporated in production costs and prices 
(the principle of taxing firms which pollute and subsi­
dizing clean firms) so that the polluter pays. 
The Committee would also welcome a study to be made 
of how EC economic and financial instruments can 
incorporate elements to promote sustainable economic 
growth. In this respect it is particularly important for 
environment-friendly products to receive a favourable 
VAT and excise duty rating in the forthcoming fiscal 
harmonization. Broadly speaking, regulatory Com­
munity levies aimed at protecting the environment 
should still be possible. 
2.3. Price and cost convergence 
High oil prices release demands for compensation in 
all Community countries. In the main, however, price 
convergence requires different policies in different 
Community countries. Inflation is not an urgent issue 
for the countries which have respected the narrow band 
of fluctuations inside the exchange rates mechanism of 
the European Monetary System in 1990. The common 
discipline of maintaining stable exchange rates reduced 
variations in inflation rates between Belgium, Denmark, 
Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and the 
Netherlands to a narrow range of between 2,4 and 
3,6%. In contrast, a serious adjustment process still 
remains to be undertaken in Italy, Spain and the United 
Kingdom, where inflation rates in 1990 were 6-7% i.e. 
double the average of the above group of countries. An 
even greater task of stabilisation is required in the 
two countries with double digit inflation: Portugal and 
Greece. Portugal can take heart from the Irish experi­
ence in the EMS, which shows a path towards stable 
prices through the discipline of stable exchange rates. 
The really serious test case for the objective of conver-
18. 4. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 102/41 
gence of economic policies is Greece, which in 1990 
had an inflation rate exceeding 20% and a budget 
deficit of over 18% of GDP. 
The burden of price level adjustment is concentrated 
on five countries. Delay in tackling the issue will not 
make the process less painful, but will only make the 
road to a common stable currency longer and more 
arduous. 
2.4. Fiscal convergence 
Italy has the highest budget deficit apart from Greece: 
10% of GDP in 1990. As a result the level of accumu­
lated public debt as a percentage of GDP is now reach­
ing 100% in Italy, surpassed only by Belgium and 
Ireland. These countries are handicapped by a reduced 
capability to apply fiscal measures to adverse economic 
developments. They have now little room for 
manoeuvre. Convergence of policies makes it essential 
that their governments undertake practical programs 
to reduce their budgetary imbalances, if unsustainable 
fiscal positions, are not over a longer term to undermine 
the credibility of the common commitment to monetary 
stability. 
2.5. Convergence of external positions 
After German unification divergence of external pos­
itions between Member States is not a general problem. 
The Commission notes that Denmark has a surplus on 
current account for the first time since the early sixties. 
This has been achieved at a considerable cost in terms 
of unrealized growth and employment and there is still 
a long way to go to repay the external debt accumulated 
through decades of borrowing abroad. The Danish 
experience should be a warning to other Community 
members with rapidly deteriorating external positions 
unrelated to capital imports needed to finance pro­
ductive investments. 
2.6. Social and regional balance 
To ensure growth and attain the Single Act's aim of 
harmonious development throughout the Community, 
a consistent Community economic development policy 
must provide for an attendant increase in people's living 
standards. In this connection, inflationary pressures 
must, of course, be curbed. In appraising flexibility of pay and deployment of the 
workforce, which in recent years has been reflected in 
a proliferation of insecure forms of employment, the 
Commission assumes that such flexibility has been a 
factor in economic growth. This has still to be proved. 
The Commission's guidelines therefore need to be recti­
fied, with a reminder of the need for greater cohesion 
between economic and social policy both in the Com­
munity, the Member States and the various regions. 
Such cohesion is vital to remedy the imbalances 
triggered by policies pursued since the 80's which have 
aggravated insecurity of employment. In some Member 
States the level of collective social protection has also 
suffered. 
Guidelines for the years ahead should be firmly ancho­
red in the harmonious development of all regions of 
the Community, through deployment of the Structural 
Funds as well as implementation of policies taking due 
account of the actual impact of economic and monetary 
strategies on living standards and development through­
out the Community. 
3. Economic and Social Council's (Ecosoc) partici­
pation in macroeconomic dialogue 
The Community has already embarked on the road of 
convergence of economic policies of Member states, 
involving Community-wide consultation and monitor­
ing procedures. 
The Committee is deeply concerned that the social 
partners maintain a role in the macroeconomic dialogue 
on medium term trends and policies in the future Com­
munity framework. This dialogue contributes to the 
intended convergency of economic developments within 
the twelve Member States. 
Consultation of the Committee should therefore be 
mandatory when economic developments are reviewed, 
when EC economic policy guidelines are drawn up, and 
for the country reports. 
It should be made clear to the participants in the Inter­
governmental Conference on institutional reform and 
on Economic and Monetary Union that inclusion of 
No C 102/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 4. 91 
the Committee in the macroeconomic dialogue can 
contribute considerably to the Community's policy of 
Done at Brussels, 27 February 1991. 
The Committee generally agrees with the reasons for 
the proposed Regulation, subject to the following com­
ments. 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The proposal in question, based on Treaty 
Article 100A, establishes procedures for standardized, 
Community-level compilation of information on exist­
ing chemical substances and for the evaluation and 
control of the associated environmental and health 
risks. 
1.2. The proposal flows from the Fourth Action 
Programme on the Environment and meets the rec­
ommendations made in the Committee's Opinion on 
that subject (2). The proposal is also compatible with 
the strongly held views voiced in the ESC Opinion 
on the Sixth Amendment to Directive 67/548/EEC (3) 
concerning restrictions on the scope of that Directive. 
(!) OJ No C 276, 5. 11. 1990, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No C 180, 8. 7. 1987, point 2.3.3. 
(3) OJ No C 114, 11. 5. 1977, points 1.5 and 1.6. convergence and thus to greater economic and social 
cohesion in the Community. 
1.3. In this latter Opinion (points 1.5 and 1.6) the 
Committee expressed regret that the Directive's scope 
on notification was limited to new substances and urged 
that all dangerous substances be covered. 
1.4. The present proposal covers the 100 000-odd 
chemical substances listed in the EINECS (European 
inventory of Existing Chemical Substances) inventory 
which were already on the Community market on 
18 September 1981. 
1.5. Because it would be impossible, as the Com­
mission argues in the introduction, to compile infor­
mation on all existing substances and at the same time 
assess the associated risks, a systematic, step-by-step 
approach is proposed, starting with substances whose 
production or import volume exceeds 1 000 tons per 
year per manufacturer/importer and then turning to 
substances whose production or import volume is The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois STAEDELIN 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the evaluation and the control 
of the environmental risks of existing substances (l) 
(91/C 102/12) 
On 3 October 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 100A of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, which 
was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the matter, adopted its Opinion on 
8 February 1991. The Rapporteur was Mr Vidal. 
At its 284th plenary session (meeting of 28 February 1991) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion unanimously.