12.6.76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 131/55 
4. Testing  of instruments  and  distortion  of com-
petition 
4.1. Once  the Directive  has  been  adopted  and 
enters  into  force  it will  eliminate  barriers  to trade 
in the  measuring  systems  concerned.  But  it will leave  distortions  of competition  resulting  from 
the fact  that  the  Member  States  have  different 
arrangements  as regards  responsibility  for testing. 
The Committee  considers  that  type-approval  and 
initial  verification  procedures  should  be aligned 
as soon  as possible. 
Done  at Brussels,  31 March  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  amending  the Council  Directive 
of 18 October  1971  on the  approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
relating  to units  of measurement 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 20 of 29 January  1976,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 16 December  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 138th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 31 March  and  1 April  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made 
by the Council  of the European  Communities  on 
16 December  1975, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in par-
ticular  Article  100  thereof, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau 
on 16 December  1975,  instructing  the Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to draw 
up an opinion  and  a report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by  the 
Section  for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Ser-
vices  at its meeting  on 3 March  1976, 
No C 131/56 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 12. 6. 76 
Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr Carstens, 
Having  regard  to Council  Directive  71/354/EEC 
of 18 October  1971  on the approximation  of the 
laws  of the  Member  States  relating  to units  of 
measurement  ('), 
Having  regard  to its opinion  of 23. June  1971  on 
the relevant  proposal  (2), 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 138th 
plenary  session,  held  on 31 March  and  1 April 
1976  (meeting  of 31 March  1976), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  and  makes 
the following  comments: 
1. The  Committee  would  first  of all point  out 
that the  scope  of the  present  proposal  must  be 
assessed  against  the  background  of the  Council 
Directive  of 18 October  1971.  The  latter  Direc-
tive relates  to measurements  made  for economic, 
public  health,  public  safety  or administrative 
purposes.  It does  not affect  the use of units  which 
are not  prescribed  in the  Directive  itself  but 
which  have  been  laid  down  by  international 
intergovernmental  conventions  or agreements  in 
the field  of air and  sea transport  and  rail traffic. 
(') OJ No L 243,  29. 10. 1971,  p. 29. 
(2) OJ No C 93, 21. 9. 1971,  p. 18. 2. While  recognizing  that  the  obligations 
which  the proposal  will  entail  are a necessary  step 
on the  path  towards  alignment  of the  Member 
States'  laws  on units  of measurement,  the Com-
mittee  nevertheless  considers  that  an appropriate 
information  campaign  is a sine  qua  non  if the 
proposed  units  of measurement  (which  will  entail 
radical  changes  in habits  in some  Member  States) 
are to gain  currency.  This  applies,  in particular, 
to fairly  complex  units  of measurement.  At all 
events,  it would  be desirable  and  appreciated  if 
the Commission  were  to publish  an information 
brochure  for use,  for example,  in schools. 
2.1. The  Committee  asks  what  the legal  impli-
cations  are of the prohibitions  in Article  2 (2) and 
(3) of the  draft  Directive.  No penalties  are laid 
down  for contraventions  of these  prohibitions.  At 
all events  the  Committee  confirms  the  stand 
taken  in its opinion  of 23 June  1971.  It does  not 
wish  to call  into  question  the principle  of prohib-
iting  the use of the units  of measurement  listed  in 
chapters  B and  C of the Annex,  but suggests  that, 
in documents  relating  to transactions,  figures 
corresponding  to the  old  units  of measurement 
should  appear  in brackets  after  the figures  corre-
sponding  to the new  units  of measurement. 
3. Article  4 (2) states  that  the Member  States 
are to communicate  to the Commission  the main 
provisions  of national  law  which  they  adopt  in 
the field  covered  by the Directive.  The  Committee 
regrets  the Commission's  failure  to comply  with 
the request  which  it made  in respect  of the 
original  proposal  in its opinion  of 23 June  1971. 
(On that  occasion  the Committee  requested  dele-
tion of the  word  'main').  The  Committee  reiter-
ates that  the  word  'main'  is inappropriate  and 
should  be deleted,  since  communication  of the 
main  provisions  only  would  be at variance  with 
the Commission's  concern  for  information  as 
expressed  in its General  Programme  of 28 May 
1969. 
Done  at Brussels,  31 March  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE