No C 290/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 10. 83 
11. Governments should, where necessary, adapt 
labour law and social legislation and practice 
to facilitate the introduction of innovatory 
working time arrangements and the recruit­
ment of new workers. 
12. Governments should reinforce their efforts to 
promote geographical and occupational 
mobility, especially through training and 
retraining, to ensure that labour market 
rigidities and bottlenecks to not obstruct the 
job-creating effects of the reduction and reor­
ganization of working time. 
13. Bearing in mind that the public sector is the 
biggest employer, public authorities have a 
particular responsibility to set an example to 
the private sector in the matter of the 
reduction and reorganization of working time 
linked with job creation, in particular for 
young people. 
B. The stricter limitation of systematic overtime 
14. The recognized need for flexibility in certain 
production processes and certain types of 
undertaking is no justification for systematic 
overtime. 
15. Time worked beyond normal hours should 
increasingly be compensated by time off in 
lieu. 16. Due account should also be taken of the 
conditions in the labour market and the two 
sides of industry should be recommended to 
consider negotiating lower ceilings for 
overtime which would come into effect at 
times of particularly high unemployment. 
17. Paid overtime ceilings should in general be 
reduced in the same proportion as individual 
working hours. 
18. Consideration should be given to measures to 
protect the interests of the low paid for whom 
systematic paid overtime has in fact become 
part of normal income. 
THE COUNCIL INVITES THE MEMBER STATES: 
— to inform the Commission regularly of developing 
policies and practices in this area and in any case 
to report comprehensively to the Commission 
within one year of the adoption of this 
recommendation and annually thereafter on 
measures taken for its implementation, with a 
view to the further development of Community 
policy on working time, 
— to study in particular the possibilities for reducing 
the amount of work performed by individuals 
during the whole period of their working life, 
which could be combined with other objectives 
such as the improvement of the level of training, 
the sharing of parental responsibilities and the 
introduction of flexible retirement; and to inform 
the Commission of their findings. 
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning a contribution to the European Coal and 
Steel Community from the general budget of the European Communities 
COM(83) 583 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 11 October 1983) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, Whereas the Community must achieve the energy 
objectives it has set itself and, in particular, implement 
a balanced solid fuels policy; 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 235 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas the Community needs a competitive and 
secure coal production capacity; 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, Whereas achievement of this objective calls for 
restructuring and modernization of the Community 
coal industry; 
26. 10. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 290/ 7 
Whereas, without an increase in investment and 
research activities, modernization and above all 
restructuring of the coal industry will inevitably result 
in job losses; whereas support measures should be 
envisaged to alleviate the consequences of these job 
losses; whereas full use must therefore be made of the 
range of redeployment and conversion aids provided 
by Article 56 (2) of the ECSC Treaty for workers in 
the coal industry; 
Whereas restructuring and modernization measures 
should form part of a multiannual programme; 
Whereas Parliament in its resolution of 16 December 
1982 (*) on the crisis in the coal industry in the 
Community called on the Council to take appropriate 
decisions as a matter of urgency to establish a 
European coal policy as an integral part of the 
Community's overall energy policy; 
Whereas, at its meetings of 21 April and 11 July 
1983, the Council reaffirmed its determination to 
develop a Community strategy for the production and 
utilization of solid fuels; 
Whereas in the present circumstances the resources 
provided for by the ECSC Treaty are not enough to 
fund these measures; 
(») OJ No C 13, 17. 1. 1983, p. 88. Whereas, if this situation is not remedied, the 
Community's objective of diversified and secure 
energy supplies could be jeopardized; whereas this 
situation would impede the harmonious development 
of economic activities in the Community and, in 
particular, a return to a more satisfactory 
employment situation; 
Whereas an exceptional temporary contribution of 
180 million ECU should therefore be made to the 
ECSC out of the general budget of the European 
Communities for 1984, 1985 and 1986; 
Whereas the Treaty has not provided the necessary 
powers, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
The European Coal and Steel Community may be 
granted contributions out of the general budget of the 
European Communities to ensure the Community 
financing of activities relating to the programme for 
restructuring and modernization of the coal industry. 
Article 2 
The amount of the contributions referred to in Article 
1 shall be fixed under the budgetary procedure.