NoC44B2 Official journal of the European Communities 1^,2.8^ 
2,^. The Committee also considers that Community 
level harmonization of methods of sampling and analysis 
could prevent, or even resolve, disputes about the results 
of analyses. 
^. Specific comments 
^,1, Ar^^2 
^,1,1. The Committeefeelsthatthealready tested 
analysis methods referred to in Article 2 should be 
Done at Brussels,12 December 1984, 
L Introduction 
The quick and smooth exchange of data and documents 
and the circulation of personal information between 
national government departments and the Community's 
institutions iscrucial to thefunctioningofthelatter,lthas 
alreadytaken on considerable proportions,as the several 
hundred thousand pages exchanged daily by post testify, 
effective use should therefore be made of the new 
information and communications technologies in order 
that the exchanges might be speeded up and streamlined 
^ot^DC^,i^mt^4,D^ interpreted flexibly in order to allow^iember States to 
maintain different analysis and monitoring methods, 
provided that these lead indisputably to the same results 
in intraDCommunity trade in food products. 
^,2, Against this background the Committee would 
liketheproposaltobee^pandedtoprovidefortemporary 
derogations to alleviate the burden which an over^abrupt 
transitiontothenewsystem would imposeoncertain 
member States, 
still further. This willrequirethat^tember States and the 
Community coordinate their activities, 
^iththisobjectiveinmind andpursuanttoDecision 
82^8^9^^Cofl^ December 1982, theCouncilhasset 
up an advisory committee consisting of representatives of 
the member States and Community bodies. This 
committee is to assist the Commissioning 
— identifying and assessing needs, and 
— preparing proposals for a Community inters 
institutionalintegratedservicesinformationsystem 
^NSIS^, Opinion on the proposal foraCouncil Decision on the coordination of the activities of the 
member States and Community institutions with a view to setting up a Community 
interinstitutional information system ^INSIS^E 
^C44^ 
On^Septemberl984 the Council decided to consult the economic and Social Committee, 
under Articlel98 of theTreaty establishing the European economic Community,on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for lndustry,Commerce,Crafts and Services,which was responsible forpreparing 
theCommittee'swork on thesubject,adopteditsopinionon28 November 1984,in thelight of 
the report by ^irNierhaus, 
Atits222ndplenarysession^meetingof 12December 1984^, the^conomic and Social 
Committee adopted the following opinion byaunanimousvote^ 
15. 2. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 44/3 
The advisory committee's work has led to the 
Commission presenting the Council with a report and a 
draft decision which set out five categories of needs in 
connection with INSIS: 
— the electronic transmission of texts, 
— electronic message systems, either written or vocal 
('electronic mailbox') 
— simplified access to relevant information in 
databases, 
— establishment of teleconferencing systems, 
— better access for non-professional users, through the 
use of standardized terminals. 
II. General comments 
1. The Committee supports the Commission's plan. If 
the Member States and the Community's institutions are 
not to go their own separate ways, the consultations 
which are required to coordinate activities must be 
embarked on without delay and concluded as quickly as 
possible. 
2. Emphatic support is given to the planned 
coordinating committee consisting of representatives of 
the Member States and the Community's institutions and 
bodies. It is assumed that the Economic and Social 
Committee will also be represented on this committee. 
III. Specific comments 
1. The use of new technologies to convey information 
between national government departments and the 
Community's institutions and bodies is considered by the 
Committee to be necessary in principle. Nevertheless it 
cannot hide its concern at the fact that as data becomes 
easier to transmit its volume might increase unduly with 
the result that an extra layer of bureaucracy will be 
created. It is to be hoped that the authorities throughout 
the Community will be guided by common expediency 
and necessity and not by technical feasibility. Therefore, 
priorities should be set with regard to the transmission of 
information. 
2. The planned involvement of national parliaments 
and the European Parliament is welcomed very much by 
the Committee, since this will be a suitable way of 
reducing their information deficit vis-a-vis the 
executive. 
3. If INSIS is to be built up into an effective 
information and communications system at reasonable 
cost and within a reasonable period of time, national PTTs will have to extend their integrated services digital 
networks (ISDN) and provide Community-wide links. 
The extension of this infrastructure is vital for improving 
the national and international exchange of information 
and will thus be useful far beyond the confines of 
INSIS. 
4. In order to achieve the aims of INSIS, use should be 
made of well-proven technology in the field of public 
telecommunications (viewdata, teletex, telefax, video 
telephone) and it should be checked whether this 
technology is suitable for a limited group of users from the 
relevant Member State and Community departments. 
The creation of uniform technical protocols and 
standards within the Community is vital for the 
establishment of INSIS. 
5. The Committee would underline the Commission's 
remark that the user who is not a computer professional 
must have easier access to the information stored in the 
various databases throughout the Community. Apart 
from the technological problems, there are organizational 
and linguistic problems which will have to be solved 
here. 
6. Video-conferencing technology is still in its 
infancy. This means that experience to date with this 
technology should be systematically studied and 
evaluated prior to its introduction. In particular, the 
psychological conditions and the problems of 
simultaneous interpreting should be looked into. The 
Committee underlines the importance of this new 
technology, which may be suitable for improving 
communications and for making decision-making 
processes easier and more broadly based. 
7. The linking-up of databases must be pressed ahead 
with under INSIS. In this connection the Committee 
would once again emphasize the special significance of 
full data protection, especially as - according to the 
Commission - this matter is not to be discussed in 
connection with INSIS. The Committee trusts that the 
data-protection problems which crop up will be solved in 
the course of INSIS's development. 
8. The Committee trusts that the planned 
coordinating committee will also deal with INSIS's 
qualitative and quantitative repercussions on jobs and 
will offer solutions which can be justified in social 
terms. 
This includes longer-term plans - to be carried out in 
liaison with the interested parties and after consulting 
Community socio-economic organizations - for: 
— providing workers with further training or 
retraining, 
— minimizing problems of acceptancy, 
No C 44/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 2. 85 
— creating new jobs for redundant workers, and 
— if necessary, re-organizing working time and work 
processes. 
9. The Committee assumes that the coordinating 
committee will be given the task of coordinating the INSIS 
programmes with parallel and overlapping projects (e.g. 
CADDIA) in order that work should not be duplicated or 
lead in opposite directions. 10. The coordinating committee's annual report 
should also be submitted to the ESC. 
11. The Committee calls on the Commission to 
include it in the planned information system and to create 
the necessary prerequisites for this. It must be ensured 
that all members can access the information stored in 
INSIS on an equal footing. 
Done at Brussels, 12 December 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on the: 
— Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 64/432/EEC as regards certain 
measures relating to classical swine fever and African swine fever 
— Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 72/461/EEC as regards certain 
measures relating to classical swine fever and African swine fever 
— Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 80/215/EEC as regards certain 
measures relating to African swine fever (1) 
(85/C 44/03) 
On 9 October 1984 the Council, acting in pursuance of Article 198 of the EEC Treaty, asked 
the Economic and Social Committee for an opinion on the abovementioned proposals. 
The Committee's work on this subject was prepared by the Section for Agriculture which 
adopted its opinion on 29 November 1984. The rapporteur was Mr Wick, who made an oral 
report. 
The Committee unanimously adopted the following opinion at its 222nd plenary session held 
on 12 and 13 December 1984 (meeting of 12 December 1984): 
The Economic and Social Committee approves the draft 
Directives but would make the comments set out 
below. 
The Committee recognizes that, given the spread of 
classical swine fever in parts of the Community, it is 
necessary to tighten up the measures covering trade and 
specify in more detail the conditions under which the 
status of areas declared officially free of swine fever is to 
be altered when the disease occurs. 
(>) OJ No C 272, 12. 10. 1984, pp. 6 to 9. The Committee also welcomes the fact that, in the light of 
the forthcoming accession of Spain and Portugal, rules 
are being laid down which may prevent a possible spread 
of African swine fever and which provide for protective 
measures to be taken in the case of intra-Community 
trade in live pigs, fresh pig-meat and pig-meat products 
which have not undergone any treatment to destroy the 
fever pathogens. 
In this context the Committee would draw attention to its 
earlier opinions on EC measures to deal with classical 
swine fever and African swine fever.