NoC 103/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 4. 84 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
215th plenary session held in Brussels on 29 February and 1 March 1984. 
The full text of the opinion is a follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council 
of the European Communities on 3 February 1984 
for an opinion on the proposal for a Council Direc­
tive amending Directive 66/403/EEC on the mar­
keting of seed potatoes, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its chairman 
on 15 February 1984 (Article 47 of the Rules of Pro­
cedure), instructing the Section for Agriculture to 
draw up an opinion on the matter, ratified by its 
Bureau on 28 February 1984, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Sec­
tion for Agriculture at its 250th meeting held on 
21 February 1984, Having regard to the oral report made by the rap­
porteur, Mr De Tavernier, 
Having regard to the discussions on 29 February 
1984 during the 215th plenary session held on 
29 February and 1 March 1984, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Economic and Social Committee approves the 
Commission proposal. 
Done at Brussels, 29 February 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a concerted-action project of 
the European Economic Community on the use of lignocellulose-containing by-products 
and other plant residues for animal feeding 
(84/C 103/06) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 32 of 26 November 1983, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 23 November 1984 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the 
Economic and Social Committee in accordance with Articles 43 and 100 of the Treaty 
establishing the European Economic Community. 
16.4.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 103/9 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
215th plenary session held in Brussels on 29 February and 1 March 1984. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council 
of the European Communities on 23 November 
1983 for an opinion on the proposal for a Council 
Decision adopting a concerted-action project of the 
European Economic Community on the use of 
lignocellulose-containing by-products and other 
plant residues for animal feeding, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau 
on 22 November 1983 instructing the Section for 
Agriculture to prepare work on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Sec­
tion for Agriculture at its 249th meeting held on 9 
and 10 February 1984, 
Having regard to the oral report of the rapporteur, 
Mr Wick, 
Having regard to the discussion on 29 February 
1984 during the 215th plenary session held on 
29 February and 1 March 1984, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION practical terms the proposal is supposed to (a) com­
plement the 1982 to 1985 research and development 
programme in the raw materials sector as adopted 
under Council Decision 82/402/EEC of 17 May 
1982 (2), and (b) tie in with COST project No 83/84 
on the production of single-cell protein and its use 
in animal feeding. 
2. The position taken by the ESC on the present 
proposal should be viewed in conjunction with its 
largely positive views on Community research 
policy. The Committee would refer in particular to 
its views expressed on 1 June 1983 on the Council 
resolution of 25 July 1983 (3), its stand taken on 
15 December 1981 on the Council Decision of 
17 May 1982 (4) and its opinion on the proposal for 
a R & D programme in the field of secondary raw 
materials (5). Here the Committee takes the view 
that the general requirements spelt out in inter alia 
paragraph 4 of its opinion on the Council resolution 
of 25 July 1983 should be taken into account in 
considering the present proposal (3). 
3. The Committee also regards the proposed pro­
gramme as a further step in efforts to reduce the 
heavy Community dependence on imports of pro­
tein feedingstuffs from non-member countries. It 
welcomes the Commission's proposal on methods 
of coordinating the research work since, in this way, 
research capacity can be used more rationally, funds 
can be disbursed economically, progress can be 
speeded up and research findings applied on a wide 
front. 
unanimously: 
1. The Economic and Social Committee approves 
the proposal on the use of lignocellulose-containing 
by-products and other plant residues for animal 
feeding. Within this framework a number of 
research projects which are already an integral part 
of Member State research programmes are to be 
coordinated by the Community for a period of four 
years. 
This action should be seen against the background 
of the Council's resolution of 25 July 1983 on the 
Community's research, development and demon­
stration activities between 1984 and 1987 (l). In 4. The research work can make a big contribution 
to improving environmental protection if scientific 
advances are applied economically. For example, 
large straw surpluses are produced in various Mem­
ber States year after year yet it is becoming increas­
ingly difficult to dispose of them. In many cases this 
is because ground conditions no longer allow 
ploughing-in to the same extent as before, and in 
other cases it is because there are bans on straw 
burning. The rational disposal of timber waste and 
of residues from grape and olive-pressing also poses 
major problems. 
(') OJNoC208,4. 8. 1983, p. 1. (2) 
(3) 
(4) 
(5) OJ No L 174, 21. 6. 1982, p. 23. 
OJ No C 211,8. 8. 1983, p. 32. 
OJNoC64, 15.3. 1982, p. 6. 
OJNoC128,21.5. 1979, p. 8. 
No C 103/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 4. 84 
5. The Committee believes that research projects 
should aim not only to develop new techniques but 
also to improve long-established agricultural prac­
tices regarding utilization of the many different 
types of plant residues. A particularly good example 
of this is the alkaline breakdown of straw. 
6. In all types of research work priority must be 
given to animal and human health. The Committee 
therefore believes that toxicity problems — which 
can arise when these new feedingstuffs are produced 
or used — must be resolved once and for all from 
the very outset. 
7. Plant residues such as straw are spread over 
wide areas in some cases and found only at certain 
times of the year. In addition, the areas where plant 
residues are found are often not the areas where 
there may be a need for them. Because of this the 
problems of recording, transporting and possibly 
putting such residues into temporary storage need 
to be solved in accordance with criteria of cost-
effectiveness. The Committee therefore urges that wherever possible these considerations be given due 
account-from the very beginning. 
8. The Committee attaches importance to the task 
of ensuring that the research findings which emerge 
from the concerted-action project are made widely 
available. The farming industry and small busi­
nesses in particular must have access to adequate 
information if the findings are to be applied in prac­
tice. 
The Committee calls on the Commission to draw up 
a report in due course on the research findings and 
on the practical application thereof. 
9. Finally, the Committee welcomes the Commis­
sion's intention to make the research findings avail­
able to developing countries so that the food sup­
plies of these countries can be more broadly based. 
The processes proposed must nevertheless be geared 
to the structural particularities of developing coun­
tries, i.e. such countries must not be overburdened 
by complex technologies involving excessively high 
capital expenditure. 
Done at Brussels, 29 February 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Opinions on the: 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 974/71 in 
particular in respect of the system of neutral margins and the gradual dismantlement 
of the monetary compensatory amounts applying to certain agricultural and 
processed products 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 652/79 on the 
impact of the European monetary system on the common agricultural policy 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2773/75 laying 
down rules for calculating the levy and the sluice-gate price for eggs 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2778/75 laying 
down rules for calculating the levy and the sluice-gate price for poultry meat 
(84/C 103/07) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 299 of 5 November 1983, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 19 October 1983 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Econo-