NoC98/10 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 21.4.92
nesswithwhichtheaimofenvironmental protection
maybepursued,sinceArticle100A(3)express­lyprovidesforahighlevelofenvironmental protec­
tion.
DoneatBrussels,26February1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveontheapproximation ofthelawsofthe
MemberStatesrelatingtowheeledagriculturalorforestrytractors
(92/C98/06)
On24October1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon5February1992.The
RapporteurwasMrWick,whoworkedwithoutaStudyGroup.
Atits294thPlenarySession(meetingof26February1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommission'sproposalforaformalcon­
solidatedversionofCouncilDirectivesontheapproxi­
mationofthelawsoftheMemberStatesonwheeled
agriculturalandforestrytractorsistobewelcomedon
groundsoftransparencyandlegalcertainty,aswellas
reliabilityofprotectionagainstaccidentsatwork.1.TheCommissionproposal
1.1.Toensurethesmoothoperationofthecommon
market,itisnecessarytoharmonizetheprovisionson
thetechnicalcharacteristicsofagriculturalandforestry
tractorsapplyingineachMemberState.
1.2.TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunitieshas
thereforeadoptedatotalof24Directivessince1974
(includingtheframeworkDirective74/150/EEC)on
approximation ofthelegalprovisionsoftheMember
Statescoveringwheeledagriculturalandforestrytrac­
tors.
1.3.SincetheseDirectiveshavebeenrepeatedlyand
substantivelyamended,itisadvisableforreasonsof
claritytocodifytheminasingleconsolidatedtext.2.2.However,thecontentsofthebasicDirectives
didnotremainunchangedinthecodificationprocess.
Onthecontrary,substantivechangeshavebeenmade,
whichdepartfromthefundamentalprinciplesgovern­
ingcodificationanddonotcorrespondtothestatement
intheExplanatoryMemorandumthatthesubstanceof
theconsolidated textswouldremainuntouched .

21.4.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunitiesNoC98/11
2.3.TheCommitteethereforefeelsobligedtomake
itsendorsementoftheCommissionproposalsubjectto
accountbeingtakenofthefollowingspecificcomments.3.2.TheCounciliscurrentlyconsideringaCom­
missionproposalforamendmentofDirective70/156/
EEConapproximation ofthelawsoftheMember
Statesontype-approvalformotorvehiclesandtheir
trailers[doc.COM(91)279finalof23September1991].
3.2.1.Thisproposalincludesarrangementswhereby,
evenonceallindividualDirectivesrelevanttotheEC
type-approvalprocedureareinforce,theso-calledEC
componenttype-approval procedurecanberetained
undercertainconditions .
3.2.2.TheCommitteesuggeststhattheCommission
considertowhatextenttheserulesforthemotor­
vehiclesectorcanbeappliedtoagriculturalandforestry
tractors,andwhatfurtherspecificrules,ifany,are
necessaryinthisrespectforagriculturalandforestry
tractors .3.Specificcomments
3.1.Tofacilitatethefreemovementofgoodsinthe
Communityitisessentialunderpresentcircumstances
thatnotonlyCommunityauthorizations (ECvehicle
type-approvaldocuments)forcompleteagriculturalor
forestrytractorscanbeissued,butalsosimilarCom­
munityauthorizations (so-calledECcomponenttype­
approval)validonlyforspecifictractorcomponents
(e.g.brakes,steering,lights).
3.1.1.UnderArticle10(1)ofDirective74/150/EEC
(frameworkDirectiveontheECtype-approval pro­
cedureforagriculturalorforestrytractors)national
type-approvalmaybebasedontheharmonizedtechni­
calrequirementsinsteadofthecorrespondingnational
requirementsiftheapplicantsorequests.
3.1.2.Article10(2)ofDirective74/150/EECcanlead
todifferinglegalinterpretations inthevariouslanguage
versions.
3.1.3.TheGermanandEnglishversionsreadasfol­
lows:3.2.3.AtpresenttheCommitteeregardsitasessen­
tialforthecontentofArticle10(1)and(2)ofDirective
74/150/EECtoberetainedunchangedintheconsoli­
datedversion,asprovidedforintheGermanand
Englishversionsofthetext.
3.3.Article2ofDirective77/311/EECprovidesfor
thelaying-downoflimitvaluesforthedriver-perceived
noiselevelofagriculturalorforestrytractors.This
Articleconsistsoftwoparagraphs .'Absatz1wirdaufgehoben,sobaldallefürdieErtei­
lungderEWG-Betriebserlaubnis notwendigenVor­
schriftenanwendbarsind.'
3.3.1.TheCommitteenotesthatthetransitional
arrangements inparagraph 1andthewholeofpara­
graph2havebeenomittedfromtheconsolidatedver­
sion.'Theprovisionsofparagraph1ofthisArticleshall
berepealedoncealltherequirementsnecessaryfor
thegrantingofEECtype-approval areapplicable.'
However,theFrenchwordingis:
'Lesdispositionsduparagraphe 1sontabrogées
dèsquetouteslesprescriptionsnécessairespour
procéderàlaréceptionCEEsontapplicables.'3.3.2.Article2(1)laysdowncertaintransitionalrules
allowingforthelimitvaluestoberaisedby6dB(A)
undercertainconditions .Theexpirydateforthese
transitionalrules,undertheprocedurelaiddownin
Article13ofDirective74/150/EEC,shouldhavebeen
laiddownby1October1981.
3.3.3.However,theAdaptationCommitteemen­
tionedinArticles12and13ofDirective74/150/EEC
hassofartakennodecisionontheexpirydateforthese
transitionalrules,withtheresultthattheystillapply
unchanged .AccordingtotheGermanandEnglishversionsofpara­
graph2('shallberepealed')aformallegalactwould
berequiredtorepealparagraph 1,whichincludesthe
componenttype-approval procedure.Ifanautomatic
repealofparagraph1uponadoptionofthelastrelevant
Directive(89/173/EEC)hadbeenintended,paragraph2
wouldhavehadtoinclude,inallofficiallanguages,the
equivalentof:
'Paragraph1shallnolongerapplyonceall...'
3.1.4.TheCouncilhassofartakennoformal
decisiontorepealtheECcomponenttype-approval
procedure.However,aformalconsolidatedversioncan
containonlyacompendium ofexistingindividual
Directiveswhichtakesaccountofofficialamendments .
HencetheprovisionsofArticle10ofDirective74/150/
EECmustalsobeincludedunchangedintheconsoli­
datedversion.3.3.4.Reductionofthedriver-perceived noiselevel
isundoubtedlyanimportantcontributiontoimproving
protectionatwork.TheCommitteewouldtherefore
asktheCommissiontosubmitanamendmenttoDirec­
tive77/311/EECimmediatelytotheAdaptationCom­
mitteereferredtoinArticle13ofDirective74/150/
EEC.TheCommitteewouldsuggestthatthenewrules
shouldtakeaccountofthedifferentdesignsoftractor
andthedifferingoperatingconditions.

NoC98/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 21.4.92
3.3.5.TheCommitteeproposesthatthesocial
groupsconcernedshouldhavetheopportunitytocon­
tributesuggestionsandproposalstotheAdaptation
Committee'sdeliberations .3.3.6.However,thecompletetextofdirective77/
311/EECmustberetainedunchangedintheformal
consolidatedversionuntiltheAdaptationCommittee
hastakenadecision.
DoneatBrussels,26February1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisiononparticipationbytheCommunityinthe
thirdreviseddecisionoftheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment
(OECD)concerningnationaltreatment
(92/C98/07)
On23December1991,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle57oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunityonthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforExternalRelations,TradeandDevelopmentPolicy,whichwasresponsible
forpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon18February
1992.TheRapporteurwasMrGiesecke.
Atits294thPlenarySession(meetingof26February1992),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
capitalmovementsrepresentedanimportantstep
towardsincreasedinternationalcooperation .The
instrumentsthuscreatedconcern:a)nationaltreatment
forenterprisesunderforeigncontrol,b)guidelinesfor
theconductofmultinational enterprisesand
c)cooperationoninternationalinvestmentincentives
anddisincentives .1.Introduction
Subjecttothefollowingcomments,theCommittee
supportstheCommission'srequestforauthorization :
—toconfirmtheCommunity'sendorsementofthe
principlescontainedinthedeclarationoninter­
nationalinvestmentandmultinational enterprises
adoptedbythegovernmentsoftheMemberStates
oftheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationand
Development (OECD)on21June1976,and
—todeclare,inaccordancewiththeprocedureagreed
withtheOECD,thattheCommunityintendstobe
partytothethirdrevisedOECDCouncildecision
onnationaltreatment .2.2.Astheinstrumentswereadoptedbyallthe
OECDcountries,theybecameapplicablethroughout
theEC.TheyapplysolelywithintheOECD.
2.3.Thenationaltreatmentinstrumentisappliedin
practiceinthecontextofthepolitical,economic,cul­
turalandenvironmental conditionsprevailinginthe
countryconcerned .TheOECDisinformedofthe
resultantrestrictionsand/orderogations ,whichare
subjecttoaconsultationprocedure .2.Generalcomments
2.1.Theadoptionofthedeclarationanddecisions
oninternational investment andmultinational
enterprisesbyOECDMemberStategovernments in
1976inthecontextoftheongoingliberalizationof2.4.Thedeclarationswererevisedin1979and1984,
whenprogresswasmadeontheexaminationandevalu­