6. 8. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 206/11 
This description of 'light petroleum' should be compared with that given in a footnote in Part II 
of the Annex to the Commission's proposal. 
(iii) Propan-1-ol 
'The Committee considers the use of this compound temporarily acceptable as extraction solvent 
if residues from this use in food as consumed do not exceed 5 mg/kg.' 
(iv) Methyl ethyl ketone 
'The Committee recommends that the specification should limit the amount of hexane in MEK 
to 50 mg/kg.' 
The Scientific Committee does not comment on the following substance which is included in 
Part II of the Annex to the Commission's proposal: 
Anhydrous solution of ammonia in methanol, ethanol, propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol or butan-2-ol. 
Opinion on the draft Council recommendation concerning the adoption of a European 
emergency health card 
(84/C 206/03) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 21 of 28 January 1984, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 10 January 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Com­
mittee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Econo­
mic Community on the abovementioned draft recommendation. 
Procedure: 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, 
which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject adopted its 
opinion on 26 and 27 April 1984, in the light of the report by Mr Brassier. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
At its 217th plenary session, meeting of 23 May 1984, the Economic and Social Com­
mittee adopted the following opinion by a unanimous vote: 
1. The Committee wholeheartedly endorses the 
point of view expressed by the European Parliament 
in its resolution of 13 October 1981 calling for the 
introduction of a European emergency health card. 2. Travel is on the increase among some sections 
of the Community population. This includes per­
sons suffering from serious or chronic illnesses (8 to 
10% of the population) who may need swift and 
appropriate medical attention in the event of an 
accident or illness occurring during a business or 
pleasure trip. 
Therefore, it approves the recommendation submit­
ted to the Council by the Commission. 2.1. Under such circumstances the sick or injured 
No C 206/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 6.8.84 
person is sometimes physically incapable of supply­
ing his medical history or in many cases is unable to 
provide precise information. Language may be an 
additional problem. 
2.2. For these reasons private or official initiatives 
have already been taken in several Member States 
resulting in the issue of individual emergency health 
cards based on different systems as regards format 
and use. 
2.3. The Committee has noted the practical ben­
efits of the emergency health cards recommended for 
several years by the health ministries in West Ger­
many and Luxembourg. 
3. Specimen card 
The Committee approves the specimen proposed by 
the Commission but would suggest that: 
3.1. the heading 'For information of physician 
only' be changed to read as follows: 'For informa­
tion of physician and anybody called to give emer­
gency first aid'. Even though the card is a confiden­
tial document, this addition would seem essential in 
practice if it is to be effective; 
3.2. the final NB on the card be given greater 
prominence by turning it into an important warning, 
emphasizing that the card can only be of value if its 
is updated at regular intervals or when circum­
stances change; 
3.3. the doctor(s) who supply the information on 
the card be told to stick to the essentials; depending 
on the particular case, the headings will not all be 
equally relevant to the sole objective, which is to 
save the life of a sick or injured person in an emer­
gency, taking into account their medical history; 
3.4. the card not be placed in an envelope, as is 
proposed, so that it is easier to find for the doctor or 
paramedic giving the first aid. 4. Card-holders 
4.1. This European emergency health card should 
be optional and must (not 'should', cf. page 2, 
second paragraph of the Commission's recommen­
dation) be issued by doctors only on request to 
patients: 
— if they are suffering from a serious or chronic ill­
ness, 
— if they exhibit one of more contra-indications 
linked for instance to a medicine, a serum or a 
transfusion problem. 
4.2. Clearly the card may be useful not only for 
the risk to which the holder is liable, but also for 
other medical reasons. 
5. Languages 
5.1. The Committee considers that the card should 
be printed solely in the official languages of the 
Community; this will inevitably make the holder 
more aware of being a Community citizen. 
5.2. The first language must be the official lan­
guage of the holder's country of residence; each 
country should be free to choose the three other lan­
guages to be used on the card. 
6. Distribution and issue of the card 
6.1. In the Committee's view the card must be easy 
to obtain and free, without having to be applied for 
beforehand. 
6.2. If the card is recommended in a Community 
country: 
1. a comprehensive information campaign should 
be conducted repeatedly by the press and all the 
audio-visual media; 
2. all relevant official and private organizations, 
including the social security services and auto­
mobile clubs, should be responsible for distri­
buting the card; 
3. doctors in general practice and in hospitals 
should be systematically provided with a supply 
of cards so that they can make them available 
immediately to patients who ask for one. 
6. 8. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 206/13 
6.3. As this card is optional, the sickness insurance 
schemes must not have to pay an additional fee for 
Done at Brussels, 23 May. 1984. 
I. GENERAL COMMENTS 
1. The Committee points out that the ERDF's task 
is to correct the principal regional imbalances within 
the Community resulting in particular from agricul­
tural preponderance, industrial change and struc­
tural under-employment ('). 
2. The Community has been in existence for over 
25 years and a regional policy has been pursued for 
the last eight years. Nevertheless, not only has this 
aim not been achieved, but the reverse has hap­
pened: the gap between the rich and poor regions of 
(') Council Regulation (EEC) No 724/75 of 18 March 
1975, establishing the ERDF (Article 1). its issue by the doctor. It should be issued free when 
patients have their periodic medical check-up. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
the Community has grown even wider (see Tables 
appended). 
The recession has been a further factor in the wor­
sening development gap between the outlying areas 
of the Community and its central regions, where 
economic activity has returned and been consoli­
dated. This should be remembered for the future. 
3. The Committee deplores the Council's slowness 
in following up the Commission proposal of 
21 October 1981 for a revised Regulation. The Com­
mittee fully supported the original proposal particu­
larly as the proposed changes involved a concentra­
tion of ERDF measures, given the substantial 
increase in the resources available, especially in the 
'non-quota' section. The Committee firmly believes Opinion on the European Regional Development Fund (Eighth Report from the 
Commission to the Council) 
(84/C 206/04) 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 14 November 1983 the Commission of the European Communities decided to con­
sult the Economic and Social Committee under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing 
the European Economic Community on the abovementioned matter. 
Procedure: 
The Section for Regional Development, which was responsible for preparing the Com­
mittee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 13 April 1984 in the light of the 
report by Mr Cavazzuti. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
At its 217th plenary session, meeting of 23 May 1984 the Economic and Social Com­
mittee adopted the following opinion unanimously: