15. 2. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 44/5 
The Committee is pleased to hear from the Commission 
that the EC measures to combat classical swine fever are 
having success in the current epidemic or are contributing 
to the success of the measures taken by the Member 
States. The Committee regards the reference to the 
programme to eliminate classical swine fever in the 
Community as particularly necessary in view of the 
forthcoming accession of Spain and Portugal. The 
Committee expects Spain and Portugal to make a 
contribution towards this programme. 
The Committee notes that it is to be possible to apply 
rules to combat classical swine fever to parts of a national 
territory, comprising one or more adjacent regions, in 
order to achieve a higher level of safety. The Committee 
would stress that the application of such rules to parts of a 
national territory must also bring about a higher level of 
safety for the Community as a whole. 
The Committee notes that the extensions of the period of 
restriction from 15 to 30 days and of the protective area 
from a 2 to 3 kilometre radius, as proposed in the draft Directive amending Directive 64/432/EEC, are justified 
in the light of earlier experience in the fight against 
classical swine fever. The Committee therefore approves 
these proposals. 
The Committee acknowledges the reason for proposing 
that Member States take over responsibility for 
suspending the official swine-fever-free status of parts of 
national territories, namely to simplify the procedure. 
The Committee notes that the previous procedure had 
proved to be too cumbersome and recognizes that the 
proposed transfer of responsibility should improve 
matters. The Committee does, however, take the view 
that the proposed change must exclude the possibility of 
abuse of the rules in order to secure trading advantages, a 
risk already highlighted in earlier Committee opinions. 
The Committee therefore proposes that the Commission 
submit a review of the situation in due course. 
The Committee also proposes that the current Directives 
covering classical swine fever and African swine fever be 
codified in a clearer form. 
Done at Brussels, 12 December 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3796/81 
on the common organization on the market in fishery products (') 
(85/C 44/04) 
On 2 October 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Comittee, in 
accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community on 
the abovementioned proposal. 
This matter was referred to the Section for Agriculture, which adopted the following opinion in 
the light of a report by Mr Morselli. 
This opinion was adopted unanimously by the Economic and Social Committee on 
12 December 1984 during its 222nd plenary session. 
The Economic and Social Committee supports the 
Commission proposal, subject to the following: 
1. The purpose of the proposed Regulation is to revise 
the rules introduced in 1980 (first common organization 
(») OJ No C 267, 6. 10. 1984, p. 4. of the market), and retained in the new Regulation 
adopted in 1981, in respect of whole cod and fillets of 
cod, dried, salted or in brine. 
The total suspension to date of Common Customs Tariff 
duties on such products was primarily intended to 
No C 44/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 2. 85 
guarantee EEC supplies as Community production was 
generally expensive and insufficient in quantity. 
2. Substantiating the proposed amendment, the 
Commission puts forward three arguments: 
(a) on account of the annual duty-free tariff quotas 
granted by the Community, and particularly the 
terms of the fishery agreements concluded with 
Canada and Greenland, the Community has little 
difficulty in obtaining supplies; 
(b) in addition, the future enlargement of the 
Community will alter the situation as regards both 
cod fisheries and the market in salted and dried 
cod; 
(c) restoration of Common Customs Tariff duties will 
enable the Community in its negotiations with 
non-member countries, to offer to reduce or suspend 
such duties in return for securing fishing rights or 
licences for Community fishermen. The Committee 
is insistent that such quid pro quo arrangements must 
take the fullest heed of Community interests and 
facilitate access by Community fleets to non-Community fishing stocks. The Committee is 
not convinced that past agreements negotiated by the 
Community, opening up Community markets in 
exchange for access to fishing waters, have always 
obtained the most favourable terms for the EEC 
nationals concerned. 
3. In the Committee's view, these arguments seem to 
hold good. On the first point, the Commission could 
perhaps have considered measures to protect Community 
fisheries at a much earlier stage, especially as the 
agreements with Canada and Greenland were not 
particularly favourable to producers (especially as 
regards quotas). 
4. On the second point - which is undeniably 
relevant - the value of limited yet effective protection of 
the future Community of the Twelve should be presented 
to Spain and Portugal as one of the advantages of 
membership. Since the two applicant countries will thus 
be spared the disruption to their markets that would 
undoubtedly have resulted from the former rules, 
negotiations in the fishery sector with a view to their 
accession to the Community might be smoothened. 
Done at Brussels, 12 December 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 652/79 
on the impact of the European Monetary System on the common agricultural policy 
(85/C 44/05) 
1. On 12 November 1984 the Council, acting in pursuance of Article 198 of the Treaty 
establishing the European Economic Community, asked the Economic and Social Committee 
for an opinion on the abovementioned opinion. 
2. The Section for Agriculture was instructed to prepare the Committee's work on the 
matter. The Section adopted its opinion on 29 November 1984 on the basis of the report drawn 
up by Mr Schnieders. 
The Economic and Social Committee approves the draft Regulation designed to introduce the 
use of the ECU, on a permanent basis, in the CAP. The Committee has already advocated this 
course of action on several occasions in the past, in particular in its opinion of 26 March 
1980 0). 
Done at Brussels, 12 December 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
(») Oj No C 182, 21. 7. 1980, p. 41.