No C 131/12 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 12. 6. 76 
Opinion  on the proposal  (or a Council  Directive  on summer  time  arrangements 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has not been  published  in the Official  Journal 
of the European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 10 February  1976,  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 137  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 25 and  26 February  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made 
by the Council  of the European  Communities  on 
10 February  1976, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in par-
ticular  Article  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to its decision  of 28 January  1976 
— in anticipation  of the  request  for an opinion 
and in view  of the urgency  of the matter  — to 
appoint  a rapporteur-general  under  Article  18 of 
the Rules  of Procedure, 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  by the rappor-
teur-general,  Mr Renaud, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 137th 
plenary  session,  held  on 25 and  26 February 
1976  (meeting  of 25 February), 
Whereas  several  Member  States  have  introduced 
summer  time  and  others  have  announced  their 
intention  to do so shortly; Whereas  the  periods  during  which  summer 
time is applied  vary  from  one  Member  State  to 
another; 
Whereas  such  a situation  is likely  to disrupt 
communications  between  those  Member  States 
which  apply  summer  time  and  those  which  do 
not; 
Whereas  Member  States  are  free  to introduce 
summer  time; 
Whereas  it is nevertheless  in the interests  of the 
EEC  — mainly  for reasons  relating  to transport, 
energy  and  communications  — to align  the 
periods  during  which  Member  States  apply 
summer  time, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
1. The  Committee  endorses  the  Commission's 
proposal  in so far as it obliges  Member  States 
applying  summer  time  between  1977  and  1979  or 
in any  of these  years  to adhere  to the standard 
periods  laid  down  by a Council  Directive. 
12. 6. 76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 131/13 
2. However,  it is unable  to approve  either  the 
length  of the periods  proposed  by the Commis-
sion or the dates  on which  these  periods  are to 
start  and  end.  The  periods  will  already  differ 
appreciably  in 1976  in those  Member  States 
which  have  decided  to introduce  summer  time 
this year. 
3. So as not  to complicate  the  coordination  of 
timetables  for international  and  intercontinental 
communications,  the Committee  thinks  that  it is 
highly  desirable  for  summer  time  to uniformly 
begin  in the  week  immediately  preceding  or 
following  1 April  and  end  in the week  immedi-ately  preceding  or following  1 November  each 
year. 
4. The  Committee  would  point  out  that  even 
after  this  system  has  been  introduced,  there  will 
still be two  changes  per year  in the time  relation-
ship between  those  Member  States  which  apply 
summer  time  and  those  which  do not.  This  will 
always  pose  certain  problems  for  international 
and intercontinental  communications. 
5. The  Committee  therefore  thinks  that  it is 
advisable  to examine  right  away  whether  summer 
time could  be aligned  at European  level. 
Done  at Brussels,  25 February  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  relating  to the quality  of water 
for human  consumption 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 214  of 18 September  1975,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 11 August  1975,  the  Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 137th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 25 and  26 February  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  on 
11 August  1975  by the Council  of the European 
Communities, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in partic-
ular Article  100  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  of the Bureau  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee  at its meet-
ing on 23 September  1975  to entrust  the Section for Protection  of the Environment,  Public  Health 
and Consumer  Affairs  with  the preparation  of an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the 
Section  for Protection  of the Environment,  Public 
Health  and  Consumer  Affairs  at its meeting  held 
on 10 February  1976,  and  the report  prepared  by 
Sir John  Peel, 
Having  regard  to the  discussion  at its 137th 
plenary  session  held  on 25 and  26 February  1976 
(meeting  of 25 February  1976),