8. 3. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 59/55 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  adopting  a concerted-action  project  of the 
European  Economic  Community  in the field  of physical  properties  of foodstuffs 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 209  of 1 September  1977,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 26 August  1977  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  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 154th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 14 and  15 December  1977. 
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  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities  on 26 
August  1977, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 27 
September  1977  instructing  the Section  for  Industry, 
Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to prepare  an opinion 
on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by that  Section  at 
its meeting  on 30 November  1977, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr Bourel, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 154th  plenary 
session  held  on 14 and  15 December  1977  (meeting  of 
15 December), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  but has the fol-
lowing  comments  to make. 
1. The  present  proposal  on the physical  properties  of 
foodstuffs  constitutes  the first  phase  of a Commission coordination  project  in the  food  sector.  The  second 
phase  will  be concerned  with  the  organoleptic  and 
nutritional  properties  of foodstuffs. 
1.1. The  Committee  notes  that  the proposal  for a con-
certed-action  project  follows  from  a request  made  by 
the Swedish  delegation  to COST.  It differs  from  other 
projects  in other  fields  in that  the Commission  has only 
a coordinating  role  to play  on this  occasion.  The 
Committee  is pleased  that  the Community  recognizes 
the importance  of the proposed  research,  both  from  the 
point  of view  of developing  the food-processing  indus-
try and  from  the point  of view  of improving  the quality 
of food  for consumers. 
Although  it is true  that  research  on the physical  proper-
ties of foodstuffs  is already  being  carried  out — and  this 
work  is of unquestionable  importance  in a number  of 
sectors  — it is generally  being  done  independently  and 
with insufficient  coordination  between  laboratories. 
This makes  it hard  for the industrial  sectors  concerned 
to make  any use of research  findings. 
1.2. The  Committee  therefore  approves  one of the basic 
proposals  of the Commission,  namely  that  data  assem-
bled by laboratories  should  be collected,  processed  and 
made  available  to the research  centres  participating  in 
the project.  While  appreciating  the intention  behind  the 
plan to set up a data  bank  which  will  process  the data 
No C 59/56 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 8. 3. 78 
by computer,  the  Committee  does  not,  however,  feel 
that such  arrangements  are absolutely  necessary  at the 
present  time.  Data  could,  initially  at least,  still  be distri-
buted  by traditional  means. 
1.3. However,  as part  of the  process  of Community-
level  alignment,  it may  be necessary  to amend  Member 
States'  food  legislation  so as to allow  practical  applica-
tion of research  findings. 
2. Although  the title  of the proposal  refers  to the 'phy-
sical properties  of foodstuffs',  the Committee  would 
draw  attention  to the fact  that  the project  is concerned 
only  with  the way  foodstuffs  react  physically  to proces-
sing.  This  nuance  ought  to come  out more  clearly  in the 
title. 
2.1. The  Committee  would  also  draw  attention  to a 
view  expressed  in its opinion  of 24 May  1973  on the 
proposal  for a Council  Regulation  on the coordination 
of agricultural  research  (*), namely  that  all research  in 
agriculture  must  of necessity  embrace  the agricultural 
and food  industries.  The  Committee  would  also  point 
out that,  in general,  attention  must  be paid  to the 
mutual  implications  of research  findings  in the field  of 
agriculture  and  in the agricultural  and  food  industries. 
2.2. The  Committee  asks  that  it too should  receive  the 
report  on the performance  and  result  of the project,  as 
well as the  Member  States  and  the  European  Parlia-
ment. 
3. The  Committee  notes  the research  topics  which  it is 
proposed  to coordinate,  namely  theological  properties, water  activity  and  thermal  properites.  Without  wishing 
to go into  technical  details  about  research  work  in these 
fields,  the Committee  wonders  whether  it would  not 
perhaps  have  been  a good  idea  to include  other  subjects 
such  as the optical  and  mechanical  properties  of food-
stuffs.  The  Committee  notes,  however,  that  this  has not 
been  possible  due  to the fact  that  the Commission  — on 
the basis  of a survey  of public  research  centres  in the 
Member  States  — has  limited  its activity  to the coordi-
nation  of research  already  being  carried  out at national 
level.  The  two  new  topics  mentioned  above  are  not 
currently  being  studied  everywhere  and  so they  cannot 
be covered  by the  research  coordination  project.  The 
Committee  understands  these  arguments  but would  like 
the Commission  to play  a more  active  role  in future  by 
proposing  original  projects  of Community  importance 
within  the  general  framework  of its research  pro-
gramme. 
4. As regards  the  studies  on organoleptic  and  nutri-
tional  properties  to be conducted  in the second  phase  of 
the project,  the Committee  thinks  it is vital  that  private 
industry  research  centres  and  agricultural  and  consumer 
organizations  be consulted  in good  time  and  be called 
upon  to contribute  as far as possible  to the  planned 
research. 
4.1. The  Committee  would  also  recommend  the 
Commission  to take  account  of the results  of research  at 
Community  and  international  level  when  formulating 
common  policies. 
Done  at Brussels,  15 December  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic 
and Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
(!) OJ  No C 69, 28. 8. 1973,  p. 14.