No C 105/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 4. 79 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The Committee approves the changes to the limits 
on exemption from VAT and excise duties that the 
Commission has proposed to take account of the use of 
the European unit of account from 1 January 1979 
onwards. The Committee would recall its opinion on the 
amendment to Regulation (EEC) No 950/78 on the 
Common Customs Tariff in which it called for a 
reappraisal of the whole system of duty-free exemptions. 
2. The Committee also approves the working-out of a 
Community definition of 'personal luggage'. 
3. However, the Committee is astonished that this 
definition should include an exemption for portable 
receptacles containing fuel. Reserve tanks clearly do not 
constitute personal luggage. If they are to be given special 
treatment, this should probably be done in another text. 
4. The Committee would note, by the way, that the 
necessity of a reserve tank should not be different depending on whether a traveller is coming from an EEC 
country or a non-Member State, which is implied in the 
proposal. 
5. As regards the second Directive on tax relief for 
small packages imported from another Member State, 
the Committee regrets that the Commission has kept the 
duty-free exemption limit at 60 European units of 
account. In its opinion of 30 March 1972 (*) on the first 
Directive, the Committee asked for the limit to be raised 
to 120 units of account per package. 
6. Finally, as regards the amendment to the proposal 
for a Directive on tax exemptions for small consignments 
from non-EEC countries, the Committee would recall its 
opinion of 5 February 1975 (2), in which it stated that 
the Commission 'could have proposed that all the 
products be subject to the same limits as apply to 
travellers'. 
(!) OJNo0142, 31. 12. 1972. 
(2) OJ No C 108, 15. 5. 1975, p. 80. 
Done at Brussels, 19 October 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3164/76 
on the Community quota for the carriage of goods by road between Member States 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 186 of 4 August 1978, page 6. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 3 August 1978 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 75 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 162nd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 18 and 19 October 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
26. 4. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 105/5 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 4 August 1975 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1018/68 
of 19 July 1968 (1) supplemented by Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 2829/72 of 28 December 1972 (2), as 
amended most recently by Regulations (EEC) No 
3164/76 of 16 December 1976 (3) and (EEC) No 
3024/77 of 21 December 1977 (4), 
Having regard to its opinion of 28 September 1977, 
Having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in 
particular Articles 18 and 46 thereof, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur-general, Mr Renaud, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 162nd plenary 
session held on 18 and 19 October 1978 (meeting of 19 
October), 
Whereas the number of Community authorizations 
should be regularly adapted to any growth in 
intra-Community transport requirements not catered for 
by bilateral authorizations, 
(!) OJ No L 175, 23. 7. 1968, p. 13. 
(2) OJ No L 298, 31. 12. 1972, p. 16. 
(3) OJ No L 357, 29. 12. 1976, p. 1. 
(4) OJ No L 358, 31. 12. 1977, p. 4. HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by 54 votes to 12 with 17 abstentions: 
1. The Committee approves the proposed 20% 
increase in the Community quota for 1979 from 2 835 to 
3 402 authorizations, subject to the comments set out 
below. 
2. It thinks that the quota must be increased in stages 
to cater for transport requirements and to give operators 
more openings, though it should not be allowed to have a 
major impact on the transport market where it covers 
only a small percentage of traffic. 
3. The Committee notes that the Commission has 
based its allocation of authorizations to each Member 
State on the results obtained for 1976. 
4. It is possible to question this method, since the 
conditions of use in 1976 varied from one Member State 
to another depending on whether or not the authorities 
demanded that priority be given to the use of 
Community authorizations for multilateral traffic 
pursuant to Articles 2 and 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 
2829/72. 
The Committee would therefore ask to be kept better 
informed about the operation of the Community quota. 
5. Despite the above reservations, the Committee 
considers that the proposal provides the Council with a 
basis for discussion and that its adoption would be proof 
of the ministers' determination to get transport policy 
out of its present state of deadlock. 
Done at Brussels, 19 October 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
ANNEX 
to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 
The following text of the opinion was rejected during discussions: 
'Whereas the Council has not approved a scheme for controlling capacity which is part and parcel of a 
rational organization of the road transport market; 
Whereas the situation on the market and, in particular, the non-alignment of the conditions of competition 
do not justify any increase in the number of Community authorizations, 
No C 105/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 4. 79 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION: 
1. The Committee does not think that any action should be taken on the Commission's proposal. 
2. The Commission is, in fact, proposing a 20% increase in authorizations for 1979 without 
explaining how this figure is economically justified. 
3. Furthermore, the Council's decision on the proposals submitted on 1 October 1975 regarding the 
organizations of the intra-Community transport market is still pending. 
4. It would therefore be acting rashly to allocate authorizations on the basis of statistics which are 
outdated and not geared to the system for monitoring the market proposed by the Commission. 
5. The Committee would therefore ask the Council to incorporate the proposals for a 
Community-wide control of capacity in the 1 October 1975 package on the organization of the market 
and to reject the Community quota proposal.' 
Voting 
For: 12; against: 54; abstentions: 17. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on the memorandum of understanding of 
2 March 1978 between certain maritime authorities on the maintenance of standards on 
merchant ships 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 176 of 25 July 1978, page 8. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 24 July 1978 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 ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 162nd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 18 and 19 October 1978. 
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 made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 24 July 1978 for an opinion, 
Having regard to the memorandum of understanding 
which was adopted on 2 March 1978 by the maritime 
authorities of eight North Sea countries (Belgium, 
Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden) 
concerning the maintenance of standards on merchant 
ships, 
Having regard to its opinion of 31 May 1978 on the 
Amoco-Cadiz disaster, 
Having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in 
particular Articles 18 and 46 thereof, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by 
rapporteur-general, Mr Hennig,