No C 69/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 3. 91 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 83/643/EEC of 
1 December 1983 on the facilitation of physical inspections and administrative formalities in 
respect of the carriage of goods between Member States (*) 
(91/C 69/02) 
On 22 August 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 100A of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 12 December 1990. The Rapporteur 
was Mr Tukker. 
At its 283rd plenary session (meeting of 30 January 1991), the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion unanimously. 
1. Introduction 3.1.2. Paragraph 2, point 2 
Experience following the introduction of Directive 
83/643/EEC and the reports on its implementation have 
persuaded the Commission that it should be sup­
plemented and clarified so as to further reduce waiting 
times at internal EC frontiers and facilitate crossborder 
movements. 3.1.2.1. The second paragraph of Article 2 is very 
unclear. It probably means that spot checks should be 
carried out on all consignments, irrespective of sender, 
carrier or recipient, and not, for instance, that the whole 
of one consignment should be checked. It is imperative 
that this Article be redrafted more clearly. 
2. General comments 3.1.2.2. The Committee notes that the amendments 
proposed in the draft Directive to the definition of spot 
checks will mean that animal and plant health checks 
no longer have to be carried out on a systematic basis. 
2.1. Broadly speaking, the Committee agrees with 
and welcomes the Commission proposals. Only recently 
difficulties at certain frontiers have demonstrated that 
an improvement in the provisions is desirable and 
necessary. The Commission proposal can contribute to 
this, provided that the Commission ensures that the EC 
Directives are implemented by all the Member States. 
Hitherto this has left something to be desired. 
2.2. The Committee notes the agreements concluded 
with certain alpine transit countries and calls on the 
Commission to do all it can to extend them to other 
transit countries. 
3. Specific comments 
3.1. Article 1 
3.1.1. Paragraph 1 3.1.3. Paragraph 2, point 4 
The words 'and carriers' should be inserted at the end 
of paragraph 4 of Article 2. 
3.1.4. Paragraph 3 
3.1.4.1. The new text of Article 5 states that frontier 
posts shall be open except when traffic is prohibited. 
This probably means Sundays and public holidays. But 
in this case the Commission is not allowing for the 
various categories of exempt transport, including those 
which need to cross on precisely these days. 
3.1.4.2. The Committee is of the view that all public 
holidays which are celebrated throughout the Com­
munity should be regarded as public holidays within 
the meaning of this Article. National or local holidays 
should be regarded as working days as far as border 
crossings are concerned, since transport will be opera­
ting normally in the other Member States. 
Second indent: If the word 'administration' is intended 
in the American sense it should be replaced by 'authori­
ties'. Otherwise, the Article is meaningless. 
(!) OJ No C 204, 15. 8. 1990, p. 15. 3.1.5. Paragraph 3 
The two indents under paragraph la) indicate which 
traffic does and which traffic does not need to clear 
through customs at the border. 
18. 3. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 69/9 
The first indent is intended to cover traffic which does 
not need customs clearance, i.e. international carriage 
of goods by road (TIR) and Community Transit. 
The second indent is intended to cover traffic which 
does need clearance at the border. 
This should be made clear. 
Done at Brussels, 30 January 1991. 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has 
reached a historic turning point. The new measures 
have been dictated by surpluses of particular products 
(one of the effects of the earlier EC policy of price 
support to increase production), the growing energy 
crisis, the urgent environmental situation, increasingly 
in the public eye, the internationalization of the markets 
for agricultural products, the interdependence (at world 
level) of the markets for agricultural products, indus-
(») OJ No C 267, 23. 10. 1990, p. 11. 3.2. Article 2 
Dutch version to read as follows: 
'De lid-staten nemen de nodige wettelijke en be-
stuursrechtelijke maatregelen om er voor te zorgen 
dat uiterlijk op 1 juli 1991 aan deze Richtlijn wordt 
voldaan.' 
3.2.2. The Committee assumes that the final date for 
compliance is 1 July 1991 and not 1 September 1991 as 
stated in the French version. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois STAEDELIN 
trial products and services and the urbanization of the 
countryside, accompanied by a continuing exodus of 
agricultural workers. 
1.1.1. Agriculture is and will remain a central com­
ponent of the environmental system. It is the sector of 
the economy which, more than any other, manages, 
utilizes and processes the basic natural resources; land, 
water, bioenergy, etc. Indeed, protection of the country­
side and quality of the environment are closely bound 
up with the aims and production practices of farmers 
and others involved with agriculture. The draft Regu­
lation under review is of considerable environmental 
importance since, given the fact that it involves a variety 
of functions, agriculture is, under the Commission's 
proposal, to become, among other things, an instrument Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the introduction and the 
maintenance of agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the 
protection of the environment and the maintenance of the countryside^) 
(91/C 69/03) 
On 16 October 1990, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Commit­
tee's work on the subject, drew up its Opinion, based on the introductory report by the 
Rapporteur, Mr Mantovani, on 10 January 1991. 
The Opinion set out below was adopted by the Committee on 30 January 1991 at its 
283rd plenary session by a large majority, with 1 vote against and 9 abstentions.