No C 248/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 9. 84 
Present text of the opinion to be replaced by the following: 
'The ESC welcomes and supports all efforts by the Community to use budgetary funds ration­
ally and thus avoid waste. This applies particularly to export refunds for agricultural products; 
these refunds enable prices charged to non-EEC trading partners to be reduced below those 
charged to consumers in the Community (third country preference). 
The ESC notes the arguments put forward by the Commission, namely: 
— the extension to several common market organizations of the possibility of fixing refunds 
by tender "will... serve to adjust the level of refunds on individual export consignments to 
actual economic and other requirements", 
— this proposal "necessary to provide the Community with the possibility of monitoring the 
volume of agricultural exports for which refunds are granted at any time this appears neces­
sary in the given sector", 
— "this may well bring not insignificant savings for the Community". 
Basically the ESC endorses the Commission's arguments but would ask it to give further 
thought to inter alia the following points so as to avoid distortions of competition: 
— the danger of further concentration in the export trade if small export firms are adversely 
affected, 
— export business may be made more difficult by the uncertain level of the export refund.' 
Voting: For: 24. Against: 43. Abstentions: 4. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on access to the occupation of carrier of 
goods by waterway in national and international transport and on the mutual recognition 
of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications for this 
occupation (') 
(84/C 248/19) 
On 21 December 1983 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Com­
mittee, under Article 75 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Communi­
ty, on the aforementioned draft Directive. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing 
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 20 June 1984, in the light 
of the oral report by the rapporteur, Mr Cremer. 
At its 218th plenary session (meeting of 5 July 1984) the Economic and Social Com­
mittee adopted the following opinion with no dissenting votes and two abstentions: 
I. General comments 
1. The proposals under consideration supplement 
the existing Directives 74/561/EEC and 74/562/ 
EEC of 12 November 1974, concerning access to the 
occupations of goods haulage and road passenger transport operator, respectively, in national and in­
ternational transport (2) and Council Directive 77/ 
796/EEC of 12 December 1977 on the mutual recog­
nition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence 
of formal qualifications for road passenger transport 
operators (3). 
(') OJ No C 351, 24. 12. 1983, p. 5. (2) OJ No L 308, 19. 11. 1974, pp. 18 to 27. 
(3) OJ No L 334, 24. 12. 1977, p. 37. 
17. 9. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 248/41 
2. The Committee points out that in inland water­
way transport the quality, safety and operation of 
the vessels have to be of a particularly high stan­
dard. This applies especially to the transport of dan­
gerous goods and the carriage of passengers. 
3. The Committee therefore broadly endorses the 
Commission's proposal but wishes to make the com­
ments set out below. 
3.1. In order to provide a better picture of the 
national provisions concerning access to the occupa­
tion of inland waterway carrier in national and in­
ternational transport and of the relevant authorities, 
the Committee proposes that a further Annex, com­
prising a survey of this field, be added to the Direc­
tive. That would provide a basis for comparison in 
assessing the Directive. 
3.2. The draft Directive covers only the transport 
of goods and not the carriage of passengers. The 
Committee recommends that the latter also be in­
cluded. The title of the draft document should thus 
be amended accordingly. 
II. Specific comments 
1. Article 1 (2), first indent 
The Committee proposes that this indent be 
amended to read as follows: 
'the expression "occupation of carrier of goods by 
waterway and carrier of passengers by waterway" 
shall mean the activities engaged in by any natu­
ral person or any undertaking carrying goods or 
passengers by waterway for hire or reward, even if 
this occupation is not exercised on a regular ba­
sis'. 
Done at Brussels, 5 July 1984. 2. Article 3 (1), first paragraph: 
The Committee proposes that this paragraph be 
amended to read as follows: 
'Natural persons or undertakings wishing to pur­
sue the occupation of carrier of goods by water­
way or carrier of passengers by waterway must: 
(a) satisfy the conditions relating to professional 
competence, even if they are members of a 
group or cooperative of owner-operators ... 
(rest continues unchanged); 
(b) provide proof of the requisite cover in respect 
of insurance and liability.' 
3. Article 5 
The Committee considers that this Article should be 
amended to read as follows: 
'Natural persons and undertakings who provide 
proof that before 1 July 1986 they were authorized 
to pursue the occupation of carrier of goods by 
waterway or carrier of passengers by waterway in 
national or international transport shall be ex­
empt ... (rest continues unchanged).' 
4. Article 6 (I) and (2) 
In both of these paragraphs the words 'and that of 
carrier of passengers by waterway' should be added 
after the words 'carrier of goods by waterway'. 
5. Annex 
In the Annex setting out the list of subjects referred 
to in Article 3 (2), the Committee recommends that 
the following be added to point A5: 
'the provisions concerning the transport of dan­
gerous goods'. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC