27. 2. 75 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 47/37 
for various  gaps  in the  basic  Directive  to be 
remedied  and  its  wording  clarified  in certain 
respects. 
2. With  regard  to Article  2 of the  present 
proposal,  the Committee  is aware  of the reasons  why 
the weight  of 85  g must  be  included  in the 
authorized  common  scale.  However,  in view  of the 
small  difference  between  85 g and  the next  weight  in 
the scale  (100  g), the Committee  wonders  whether 
the labelling  provisions  of the basic  Directive  suffice 
to obviate  all risk  of confusion  at consumer  level. 
The Committee  trusts  that  this  type  of risk  will  be 
eliminated  in the general  Directive  on labelling. 
3. Article  5 of the  Commission's  proposal  lays 
down  two  deadlines  for the implementation  of the 
basic  Directive  — one  for  the  composition  of 
products  (25  July  1975)  and  the other  for labelling 
(31 December  1975).  The  Committee  believes  that 
because  of the gap  between  these  dates  there  is a risk 
of new  products  being  marketed  under  an old 
labelling. 
Furthermore,  producers  and  distributors  may 
encounter  problems  in complying  with  the  basic 
Directive  and  the present  proposal.  In view  of these 
factors,  a single  deadline  should  be laid  down.  The 
Committee  proposes  31 December  1975. 
4. As  regards  the  definition  of refined  cocoa 
butter  (Article  6 of the  proposal),  the  Committee would  prefer  the reference  to the refining  process  in 
the second  paragraph  to read: 
'... and  which  may  be refined  using  one  or 
more  of the processes  listed  in paragraph  3 (b).' 
5. As  regards  chocolate  products  containing  milk 
(Articles  8 to 11 of the  proposal),  the  Committee 
cannot  understand  why  the  definition  of some  of 
these  products  (milk  chocolate  with  a high  milk 
content  and  white  chocolate)  should  refer  to the raw 
materials  used  and  that  of others  (milk  chocolate 
vermicelli  and  gianduja  nut milk  chocolate)  solely  to 
milk  chocolate.  In the interests  of clarity,  it would 
seem  preferable  to use the first  system  in all cases. 
6. The  Committee  would  have  liked  the 
Commission  to have  taken  the  opportunity  in the 
present  proposal  of rectifying  an omission  in the 
basic  Directive  concerning  the  products  listed  in 
items  1.11  and  1.13  of Annex  I. The  term  'cocoa' 
therefore  should  always  be  preceded  by  the 
qualification  'sweetened'. 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  No 359/67/EEC 
on the  common  organization  of the  market  in rice 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 158  of 17 December  1974,  page  16. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 28 November  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Articles  43 and  198  of the Treaty  establishing 
the European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 126th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 19 December  1974. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
No C 47/38 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 27. 2. 75 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 28 November  1974 
by the Council  of the European  Communities; 
Having  regard  to the  decison  of its Bureau  of 26 
November  1974  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to draw  up an Opinion  on the matter,  in 
accordance  with  the urgency  procedure  laid  down  in 
Article  47 of the  Rules  of Procedure; 
Having  regard  to Articles  43 and  198  of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Rainero; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 5 December 
1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 126th  plenary 
session  held  on 19 December  1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
with  no votes  against  and  11 abstentions: 
1. The  Committee  approves  the  Commission's 
proposal,  subject  to the following  comments. 
2. The  Committee  notes  that  over  the  past  two 
years  the Council  has  seen  fit to adopt  measures  to 
restrict  exports,  first  by means  of specific  taxes  and 
then  through  calls  for tenders. 
Although  the  Commission  intended  these  measures 
to be a means  of ensuring  the  Community  with  a 
supply  of rice  at reasonable  prices,  during  the  past 
marketing  year  they  led  to a marked  drop  in the 
farmgate  pirices  of certain  types  of rice  without 
Community  consumers  receiving  any  benefit 
whatsoever. 3. The  Committee  therefore  wonders  whether  the 
present  proposal,  which  has  been  promoted  by the 
same  problems  as previous  legislation,  might  not 
exacerbate  the  plight  of producers  without  bringing 
any tangible  benefits  accruing  to consumers. 
The situation  has  become  intolerable  for  rice 
producers,  since  their  earnings  have,  paradoxically, 
fallen. 
4. In  any  case,  in order  not  to jeopardize  rice-
growing  in  the  Community,  the  Commission's 
proposal  must  be amended  as follows: 
Article  2 (1),  last line  to read: 
'It shall  be possible  to adopt  measures  entail-
ing export  controls  for  types  of  rice  in 
deficit  in the  Community,  and  allowing  — 
whatever  the circumstances  — exports  of types  of 
rice which  are  in surplus  in the  Community,  on 
the basis  of an assessment  of available  resources 
and export  programmes  and  in the  light  of 
internal  consumption  requirements  and  the  need 
to dispose  of surplus  production.' 
5. With  regard  to the  above,  the  Committee 
stresses  the  need,  which  the  Committee  has 
repeatedly  mentioned,  of involving  the relevant  trade 
circles  in the management  of the market  in rice. 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Decision  adopting  a first  three-year  plan  of 
action  in the  field  of information  and  documentation  in science  and  technology 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 126  of 17 October  1974,  page  37. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 2 October  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community.