24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/13
APPENDIX
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
Thefollowingamendment,whichreceivedatleastaquarterofthevotescast,wasrejectedduringthe
proceedings :
Paragraph2.2.5.3:
Deletethelastsentence'itisessentialthat...socialclause.'
Reasons
Socialclauseshavenoplaceinmultilateraltradeagreementsandmaybemisusedforprotectionistends.
Voting
For:31,against:62,abstentions :6.
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiverelatingtotyresformotorvehiclesand
theirtrailersandtotheirinstallation
(92/C49/06)
On26August1991,underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomic
Community,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommitteeonthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon4December1991.The
RapporteurwasMrPerrin-Pelletier .
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof18December1991),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
1.1.ThepresentproposalforaDirective,putfor­
wardunderTreatyArticle149(1),(unanimousCouncil
decision)amendstheproposalsubmittedbytheCom­
missioninApril1990('),onwhichtheCommittee
issuedanOpinionon4July1990(2).
1.2.Theamendmentprocedureselectediswarranted
onthegroundsthatitmeetstheneedforspeedinthe
run-uptotheinternalmarket.Asmajorchangesare
involved,boththeEuropeanParliamentandtheEcon­
omicandSocialCommitteemustbeconsulted.1.3.TheCommitteenotesthatindraftingthisdirec­
tive,theCommissionhastakenaccountofcomments
madebyinterestedbodies,interaliaETRTO(3).
1.4.TheCommitteeendorsesthewaythatthisdraft
directiveispresented;ithighlightsthespecificnature
oftheproductbymakingacleardistinctionbetween
theonepartdealingwithtyresandtheotherdealing
withtheirinstallation .Indeed,thetyresalonemake
contactwiththeroadsurface,andafaultinjustone
ofthemwouldbeenoughtojeopardizethewhole
balanceofthevehicle.Moreover,notonlydotyrestake
thestrainofaccelerationandbraking,buttheyalso
(!)OJNoC95,4.4.1990.
(2)OJNoC225,10.9.1990. (3)ETRTO:EuropeanTyreandRimTechnicalOrganization .

NoC49/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
beartheloadanditisthroughthemthatthevehicleis
steered,withinthelimitsofthemaximumspeed.The
Committeethereforewouldstresshowcrucially
importanttyresaretothesafetyofusers,cars,lorries,
heavyvehiclesandtrailers.2.7.TheCouncilhasdelayedadoptionofthisdirec­
tivewhichisoneofthelastof44specificdirectives
implementingthegeneraldirectiveonEuropeantype
approval.Thisdelayislinkedtofindingasolutionto
theproblemofparallelimportsfromthirdcountries,
includingJapan.TheCommissionisawareofthisand
soonhastoclarifythedefinitionof'authorizedagent'in
theframeworkoftheselectiveautomobiledistribution
system.TheCommitteehopesthatasolution,satisfac­
toryforallparties,canbefoundsothatthisdirective
canbeadoptedquickly.1.5.TheCommitteeapprovestheproposeddirec­
tive,subjecttothefollowingcomments.
3.Specificcomments
2.Generalcomments
3.1.Article1,thirdindent
Toensuregreaterlegalclarity,aclearerdistinction
shouldbemadebetweena'manufacturer 'whomakes
carsandonewhomakestyres.2.1.Theproposalsetsoutspecificationsregarding
a)useofthesparewheelandb)tyresinaspeedcategory
ofmorethan240kms/hour.TheCommitteewelcomes
theincorporationofitssuggestionsonthesesubjects.
However,itdoesfeelthatthetemporary-use spare
wheelshouldeventuallybewithdrawn .
3.2.Article2(2)
Insert'theinstallationof'between'withregardto'(1st/
2ndline)and'itstyres'.2.2.Tyresforcommercialvehiclesandtheirtrailers
arebroughtwithinthescopeofthedirectivewhich
takesaccountofthetechnicalspecificationsadoptedby
theUNEconomicCommissionforEurope(ECE)in
RegulationsNos30,54and64.
3.3.Article7(3)
TheCommitteeisconcernedaboutthepossibilitythat
thisprovisiongivestoMemberStateswhichhave
adoptedsafeguardmeasurestoretainthesemeasures
untilthetechnicaladaptationshaveenteredintoforce.
Thisrepresentsasuspensivevetorightforanindefinite
periodandshouldbeclarified.2.3.Thepresentproposalhasbeendrawnupinthe
lightofthedirectiveonECtypeapprovalforvehicles,
soontobeadopted.Indeedtheproposaldeemsthat
'rulesontyresshouldlaydowncommonrequirements
concerningnotonlytheircharacteristics ,butalsothe
requirementsfortheequipmentofvehiclesandtheir
trailerswithregardtotheirtyres'(4threcital).
2.4.Tyresconstituteaspecificsafetyelement;there
isonlyoneobviousthingthatthissafetycandepend
on:thetyres'installationontothevehicle.Conse­
quently,theCommitteesuggeststhattheideaexpressed
inthetitleofthedraftdirectivebeincorporatedinto
thebodyofthetext.3.4.Article11
TheCommitteereiteratestheviewsitexpressedinits
previousOpinion(*),whichranasfollows:
'AlthoughtheCommitteeisingeneralinfavourof
speedinguptheprocedurefortheadaptationof
Directivestotechnicalprogress,ithasreaffirmed
onseveraloccasionsthat,asfarastheautomobile
sectorisconcerned,itcannotagreewiththeintro­
ductionofanewprocedurewhichintheendwill
reducetheroleoftheCommitteeonAdaptationto
TechnicalProgresstoapurelyconsultativeone.The
Committeefeelsthatitisvitalnottoabolishthe
votingprocedureofacommitteewhichhasproved
itselfcapableofresults.Stepsshould,however,be
takentoensurethattheorganizations concerned2.5.Itshould,moreover,benotedinthisrespectthat
themarketforreplacementtyresismuchmoresizeable
thanthemarketfororiginalequipment,andthisnecess­
arilyimpliestheconceptofinstallation .
2.6.Moreover,onthetyremarkettoday,nothing
standsinthewayoffreecirculationintheCommunity
andhencenaturalcompetition ;thisisnot,however,
thecaseforvehicles.Type-approval foratyreina
countryhavingsignedUN/ECERegulationsNos30
and54meansthatthattypeoftyrecanbedistributed
freelyinallothersignatoryStates. (')OJNoC225,10.9.1990,p.10,point1.3.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunitiesNoC49/15
(representingindustry,employers,workersandcon­
sumers)areconsulted.'
3.5.Article12
TheCommitteewelcomesthefactthattheCommission
[Annex4(3.1.1)]allowsuseofeithertheEECcom­
ponenttypeapprovalmarkortheECEtypeapproval
mark,exactlyastheCommitteehadsuggested.For
thisreasontheCommitteefeelsthattheapplication
deadlinesshouldnotposeaproblemfortyreorvehicle
manufacturers .3.7.4.Appendix 5
TheCommitteereiteratesthecommentsmadeinits
Opinion,mentionedabove(!).
a)TheCommitteesuggeststhattheCommissionulti­
matelyfollowtheexampleoftheNationalHighway
TransitSafetyAdministration (NHTSA),which
severalyearsagoremovedalltyresizetablesfrom
itsregulations.TheNHTSArealizedthatthere
wouldbeatimelagbetween(a)introductionbythe
tyreindustryanditsstandardsbodiesofnewdesigns
andtyresizesand(b)adjustmentofthetables.At
thattime,obsoletetablesweregenerallyviewedas
ahindrancetocarmakersandconsumerswho
wantedtobenefitfromthelatestprogressintyre
manufacturing techniques .
b)TheCommission ,whichhasundertakentoachieve
freemovementofpeopleandgoodswithinthe
internalmarket,shouldconsequentlyseektodelete
AnnexV(Appendix5ofAnnexIIofthepresent
proposal)entirely,andinsteadrefertotheappli­
cablesectionsofstandardspublishedbyinter­
nationalstandardsbodiessuchasETRTO,the
EuropeanCommitteeforStandardization (CEN)
andtheInternationalOrganizationforStandardiz­
ation(ISO).
c)Thisisallthemoreimportantifoneconsidersthe
disproportionate amountoftimetheCommission
needstoadaptanumberofexistingdirectivesto
technicalprogress,withallthenegativeconse­
quencesthatthatimpliesinsomeareaswherepro­
ceduresareparticularlyslow.
3.7.5.Appendix 7,PartB,footnote
Deletethe(incorrect)referencetocategoryP.3.6.Annex1
3.6.1.Point4
Forthesakeofbotheconomyandclarityitwouldbe
usefuliftheEECtypeapprovalnumberwerethesame
astheoneissuedbytheECE.
3.6.2.Point6(6.2)
Conformityofproduction :'suitablecontrols'referto
checksonthefinishedproduct.
3.6.3.Appendix 1—point6.7.2
IntheFrenchversion,'retaillable'shouldbereplaced
by'recreusable',whichistheacceptedterminFrench.
Thisappliesthroughoutthetextofthedraftdirective.
3.6.4.Appendix 2,footnote (a)
Thewordingofthesecondparagraphisnotclearand
shouldbeclarified.
3.8.Annex111
3.7.Annex11
3.7.1.Point2.29.3
ThesymbolforspeedV(240km/hour)ismissingfrom
thetable.Amendheadingtoread:
'Requirementsforvehicleswithregardtotheinstal­
lationoftheirtyres.'
Thisappliestothewholedirective,includingthe
headingsofAppendix 1ofAnnexIIIandthosein
AnnexIV. 3.7.2.Point3.1.9
TheCommitteerecommendsthatthetyremanufacture
datebemoreclearlyindicatedbyusingtwodigitsto
indicatetheyearofmanufacture (inadditiontothe
weeknumber).
3.7.3.Point3.1.103.9.AnnexIV,Point3.2.3(new)
Itwouldbeadvisabletoreferheretoclearance
Theabbreviation Uismissingaftertheword'symbol'HOJNoC225,10.9.1990,points3.3.4,3.3.5and3.3.6.

NoC49/16 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
forsnowchains,forwhichtherearestandardsinusersfindingitimpossibletofitthesesafety
somecountries.Thiswouldhelppreventuninformed devices.
DoneatBrussels,18December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN
OpinionontheproposalsforCouncilDecisionswithregardtotheProgrammeofActivities
oftheJointResearchCentre(JRC)(1992-1994)(')
(92/C49/07)
On2September1991theCouncil,actinginaccordancewithArticle130Q(2)oftheTreaty
establishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunityandArticle170oftheTreatyestablishing
theEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity (EAEC),askedtheEconomicandSocialCommittee
foranOpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionadoptingspecificresearchprogrammes
tobeimplementedbytheJointResearchCentrefortheEuropeanEconomicCommunity
(1992-1994),theproposalforaCouncilDecisionadoptingspecificresearchprogrammesto
beimplementedbytheJointResearchCentrefortheEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity
(1992-1994)andtheproposalforaCouncilDecisionadoptingasupplementary research
programmetobeimplementedbytheJointResearchCentrefortheEuropeanAtomicEnergy
Community .
TheSectionforEnergy,NuclearQuestionsandResearch,whichwasinstructedtoprepare
theCommittee'sworkonthematter,drewupitsOpinionon6December1991(Rapporteur :
MrvonderDecken).
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionatits292ndplenary
session(meetingof18December1991)byaunanimousvote.
PARTONE:ANEWOUTLOOKFORTHEJOINT
RESEARCHCENTER(JRC)(2)—ROLE—
ACTIVITIES —ORGANIZATION
1.Introduction
1.1.Afteralmosttwoyearsofanimateddiscussion
onthefutureoftheJRC,alongwithitsroleand
functionsinthelightofthenewCommunityresearch
strategy,guidelinesandpriorities—asembodiedintheFrameworkProgrammeofCommunityActivitiesin
thefieldofResearchandTechnological Development
(1987-1991)—theCommissionsubmittedinOctober
1987itsCommunication onANewOutlookforthe
JointResearchCentre[doc.COM(87)491final].
1.2.ThisCommunication comprisedthreeproposals
forDecisionsrelatingtospecificresearchprogrammes
tobecarriedoutbytheJRCundertheEECand
EuratomTreatiesintheperiod1988-1991,aswellasa
supplementary programmeontheoperationofthe
High-Flux-Reactor (HFR)undertheEuratomTreaty.
1.3.TheproposalsforDecisionsformedpartofa
broadblueprintforreformoftheJRC,promptedpri­
marilybytheimplementation sinceJuly1987ofthe
SingleEuropeanActandtheadoptionoftheFrame­HOJNoC234,7.9.1991,p.9,15,19.
(2)TheJRCisbasedatfoursites:Ispra(Italy),Karlsruhe(Ger­
many),Petten(Netherlands )andGeel(Belgium)—Cf.Appen­
dixtothisOpinion.