No C 35/36 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 16. 2. 76 
6. Unlike  the  Decision  of 19  December  1972, 
whose  validity  was  limited  to three  years,  the  new 
Decision  will  be of unlimited  duration.  The  reason 
for this  lies  in the  gravity  and  structural  nature  of 
the difficulties  facing  the clothing  and  textile  sectors. Moreover,  Article  11 of the  Decision  of 1 February 
1971  provided  that  the  Decision  should  be reviewed 
by the  Council  not  later  than  five  years  after  its 
entry  into  force  (1972). 
Done  at Brussels,  27 November  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  on European  Social  Fund  measures  to 
aid vocational  adaptation  operations 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 258  of 11 November  1975,  page  5. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 22  October  1975,  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 
135th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and  27 November  1975. 
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  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  on 22 October  1975, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
28 October  1975,  instructing  the  Section  for  Social 
Questions  to draw  up an opinion  and  a report  on 
the above  matter, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Social  Questions  at its meeting  on 13 November 
1975, Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Fassina; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 135th  plenary-
session,  held  on 26 and  27 November  1975  (meeting 
of 27 November), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
with  no votes  against  and  three  abstentions: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  for a Council 
Decision,  but  wishes  to  make  the  following 
comments: 
16. 2. 76 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 35/37 
1. The  present  draft  Decision  is the  proposal  the 
Council  called  for when  on 17 June  1975  it discussed 
intervention  by  the  Social  Fund  to  encourage 
structural  adjustment  measures.  Reference  should  be 
made  to the Committee's  opinion  (') on that  subject. 
2. If  the  operations  it is proposed  to  support 
under  the  Decision  are  to have  any  impact  on 
unemployment,  account  must  be  taken  of  the 
underlying  economic  trend.  This  is even  more 
important  when  choosing  what  specific  types  of 
training  to encourage  than  when  choosing  which 
industries  or regions  should  be given  priority.  The 
Commission  shows  that  it is aware  of this  essential 
requirement  in the  explanatory  memorandum.  But 
the Decision  itself  is not  explicit  enough  to be fully 
effective. 
3. The  wording  of Article  1, for  example,  is too 
vague.  It does  not  say  who  will  decide  the 
unemployment  levels  at which  assistance  may  be 
granted,  or by what  methods  and  how  frequently  the 
levels  will  be  decided.  Here  one  could  envisage 
periodic  publication  by the  Commission  of statistics 
on unemployment  in the  various  industries  and 
regions,  compiled  on a Community  basis. 
4. The  criteria  proposed  for  assistance  from  the 
Fund  seem  to have  been  based  on quantitative  data 
about  the  present  rather  than  on  a qualitative 
analysis  taking  account  of future  prospects.  Multiple 
criteria  such  as are  proposed  involve  certain  dangers. 
The Commission  would  therefore  be well  advised  to 
go into  more  detail  so  that  it is clear  how  the 
suggested  'descending  order  of priorities'  operates 
in practice. 
5. In  its opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council 
Decision  on  intervention  by  the  Social  Fund  to 
encourage  structural  adjustment  measures,  the 
Committee  welcomed  the  recognition  of the  need  for 
consistency  between  the  planned  measures  and  the 
Community's  economic  and  social  objectives.  It 
added,  however,  that  'it is time  the  Community's 
economic  and  social  objectives  passed  the  stage  of 
generalities  and  declarations  of intent  and  entered that of precise  options,  dates  and  means,  though 
with  a certain  flexibility  preserved.  It is extremely 
difficult  to be consistent  with  objectives  which  are 
still not,  or not  sufficiently,  defined'. 
6. For  this  reason,  the  Committee  would  like 
Article  2 to be made  more  specific  so that  more 
judicious  use  can  be made  of the  Fund's  resources 
allocated  to vocational  adaptation  measures. 
7. The  Committee  is pleased  that  in Article  2 the 
Commission  has  provided  for  consultation  of the 
two sides  of industry  on the  programmes  and  asks 
the Commission  to attach  great  importance  to such 
consultations. 
8. In  its opinion  of 29 May  1975  on the  updating 
of the  Social  Action  Programme,  the  Committee 
advocated  as one  of the  priority  areas  in which 
action  should  be taken  or stepped  up: 
'(b) income  guarantees  for  workers  undergoing 
retraining  or looking  for  a job'. 
The opinion  added: 
'These  guarantees  must  be  backed  up  by 
measures  to encourage  retraining. 
Incomes  should  be  guaranteed  not  only  for 
human  and  social  reasons,  but  also  on economic 
grounds,  since  such  measures  prevent  a further 
slow-down  in economic  activity  and  encourage 
recovery. 
The guarantee  systems  already  established  in 
several  Member  States  should  be  coordinated 
within  the  framework  of an extended  system  of 
social  security'. 
9. A  review  of the  Decision  of 1 February  1971  on 
the reform  of the  European  Social  Fund  is due  to 
take  place  before  1977.  The  operation  of the  scheme 
now  proposed  would  provide  valuable  material 
which  should  be given  serious  consideration  in the 
review. 
Done  at Brussels,  27 November  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
(') OJ No C 263,  17. 11. 1975. 
No C 35/38 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 16. 2. 76 
ANNEX 
to the  opinion  of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  passages  in the  opinion  of the  Section  for  Social  Questions  were  amended  at the 
plenary  session: 
Page  3, Item  7 
The Section  is pleased  that  the  Commission  has  provided  for  consultation  of the  two  sides  of 
industry  in Article  2, and  asks  the  Commission  to attach  greater  importance  to such 
consultations  the  higher  the  level  at which  they  were  conducted. 
Page  3, Item  9 
When  the  Social  Fund  is reviewed,  the  composition  of the  Social  Fund  Committee  should  be 
altered  and  arrangements  should  be  made  for  cooperation  between  that  Committee,  the 
Standing  Committee  on Employment  and  the  bodies  through  which  management  and  labour 
in individual  industries  are  consulted. 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulations  (EEC)  No 
1408/71  and  (EEC)  No 574/72  on the application  of social  security  schemes  to employed 
persons  and  their  families  moving  within  the  Community 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the  European 
Communities  No  C 226  of 3 October  1975,  page  2. 
On 25  September  1975,  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 
135th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and  27 November  1975. 
The full  text  of the  opinion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  198  thereof, THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
28 October  1975,  instructing  the  Section  for  Social 
Questions  to draw  up  an  opinion  on  the  above 
matter, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  on 25 September  1975, Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Social  Questions  at its meeting  on 13 November 
1975,