No C 114/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 5. 79 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur Mr Schlitt, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 161st plenary 
session held on 12 and 13 July 1978 (meeting of 
12 July), 
Whereas the operation of nuclear power stations will 
lead to the production of substantial quantities of 
plutonium in the coming years; 
Whereas it will not be possible to burn all the produced 
plutonium in fast breeder reactors for a very long time 
to come; 
Whereas the inclusion of plutonium in the fuel mix for 
light-water reactors would result in significant savings 
of scarce uranium and the removal of that quantity of 
plutonium from the environment; 
Whereas it is therefore desirable to develop the use of 
plutonium in light-water reactors; 
Whereas the Community research and development 
programme is already yielding useful information, but 
whereas not all results will be known by 31 December 
1978, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with no votes against and one abstention: 
1. On 17 July 1974 the Committee endorsed the 
proposal for a Euratom research and training programme on plutonium recycling in light-water 
reactors (LWRs) covering the period 1975 to 1978 
(appropriation 4-5 MUA). 
2. In its opinion on that proposal the Committee took 
the view that no substantial fast breeder capacity was 
likely to be operational before the 90s. It was therefore 
possible and made economic sense to recycle (i.e. use in 
LWRs), at least during a transitional period, the 
increasing quantities of plutonium that would be 
produced in the coming years. The use of plutonium in 
LWRs would also lead to an appreciable reduction in 
the demand for natural uranium and for enrichment 
services — an aspect of special importance today. 
3. Delays have occurred in the post-irradiation 
examinations forming part of the plutonium recycling 
research and traning programme, as a result of longer 
fuel dwell times in the reactors. On completion of the 
individual research projects the need also became 
apparent to summarize the results. This summary is 
necessary in order to be able to draw up the planned 
follow-up programme. Since all these activities will run 
over the deadline into 1979, the four year programme 
will have to be extended by one year. The Committee 
endorses the Commission's proposal and approves the 
one-year extension of the programme, together with the 
additional expenditure of 250 000 EUA that this will 
involve. It further welcomes the careful preparation of 
the planned follow-up programme, which it regards as 
absolutely necessary for optimum and safe use of 
plutonium. The Committee would like to be consulted 
in good time on the follow-up programme. 
Done at Brussels, 12 July 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
Opinion on the future of forestry in the Community 
The opinion of the Committee is not based on any text. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 151st plenary session held on 28 and 29 September 1977 the Committee, acting on a 
proposal from the Bureau, decided to deliver an opinion on the abovementioned subject on 
its own initiative. 
7. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 114/3 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 161st 
plenary session held in Brussels on 12 and 13 July 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the fourth paragraph of Article 20 of 
the Rules of Procedure of the Committee, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Articles 47 and 
198 thereof, 
Having regard to the decision of the Economic and 
Social Committee at its plenary session of 28 and 29 
September 1977, following a proposal from its Bureau, 
to deliver an opinion on the abovementioned subject, 
Having regard to its previous work in this field, and in 
particular its opinion of 17 July 1974 on the proposal 
for a Council Directive concerning Forestry Measures (a), 
Having regard to the report submitted by the 
rapporteur Mr Maher, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Agriculture at its meeting on 29 June 1978, 
Having regard to the discussions at the 161st plenary 
session on 12 and 13 July 1978 (meeting of 12 July), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously, less one abstention: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The Committee for Agriculture would first of all 
like to draw the attention of the Community authorities 
to the problems arising as a result of there being no real 
joint forestry policy for the Community as a whole. 
The Committee thinks that such a policy must be 
applied to all Community regions, and not be limited to 
certain specific measures or sectors. 
t1) OJ No C 125, 16. 10. 1974. The Committee has therefore noted with satisfaction the 
Commission's proposal of 24 April 1978 for a Council 
Regulation on a common measure for forestry in certain 
dry Mediterranean zones of the Community, but it 
would emphasize that however good such a proposal 
may be, it is no excuse for not having a common 
forestry policy applying to the whole of the 
Community. In the Committee's view, such a policy 
must be worked out from the beginning and it should 
take account of the following: 
— forests, their development; 
— forest products industries; 
— the specific problem posed to the Community 
authorities by wood pulp; 
— wood as a source of energy; 
— wood as an alternative to high energy-consuming 
products; 
— the market for timber and forest products; 
— land utilization in the Community and future 
supplies of timber; 
— employment both existing and potential; 
— the environment and the quality of life and leisure; 
— soil conservation, water supplies; 
— wild life and wild plant protection; 
— relations with non-Community suppliers; 
I 
— relations with underdeveloped countries; 
— research on forestry and forest products; 
— education and training; 
— laws relating to forestry; 
— taxation; 
— the policy to be pursued with regard to aids and 
incentives to increase afforestation; 
— regional questions. 
1.2. The Committee also takes the view that a 
common forestry fund is required to encourage proper 
action throughout the Community. Initially, a fund 
should be allocated to conduct the research required to 
produce the overall common policy. 
No C 114/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 5. 79 
1.3. In determining the size of the fund, account 
should be taken of: 
— the import deficit on timber and forest products; the 
Committee would point out here that timber and 
forest products are second only to oil on the list of 
raw materials imported into the Community and 
consumption of them is increasing twice as fast as 
production; 
— the area under forests in relation to total 
agricultural land; . 
— the ageing character of European forests; 
— the benefit to Community funds of the reduction of 
uneconomic farming units and surpluses; 
— the need to protect supplies into the future, in 
particular seeing that the Community has forests at 
all stages of growth; 
— the cost of job ceation in forestry in comparison 
with other areas of activity; 
— the social benefits of an improved environment; 
— the enhancement of certain land values through 
forestry. 
2. General comments 
2.1. The Committee notes that forestry is an industry 
where the production cycle is extremely long. It 
therefore considers that forestry should be regarded as a 
basic valuable resource and an intrinsic part of 
agriculture and forests regarded as another crop, rather 
than, as has been the case until now where forestry was 
seen as a separate activity. When viewed in this light the 
logic of the views expressed in Section 1 above becomes 
apparent. 
2.2. Until now it appears to have been the view that 
forests should only be planted on sub-marginal land or 
as a supplement to other activities, e.g. shelter belts or 
water control. The Committee feels that this is an 
inadequate approach in that it ignores the intrinsic 
value of forestry as a crop in its own right. 
2.3. The Committee's view is that the overriding 
considerations should be sensible land utilization to 
avoid or minimize inefficient and therefore costly 
production, and at the same time to ease the present 
and future burden of timber and timber-related imports. 
In addition, encouragement should be given to selecting 
and planting those species which are best suited to the 
different regions of the Community. 
2.4. The Committee is perturbed by the present state 
of the Community forest-based industries, which is 
largely due to the abnormal trading practices of certain 
non-member countries that distort competition; the Committee considers that the forestry policy that is to 
be worked out should take particular account of this 
problem, so that it does not continue to occur. 
2.5. The Committee considers, in particular, that there 
is a need to lay the foundations for cooperation with 
certain non-member countries in the near future with a 
view to working out a joint scheme to ensure that the 
Community's requirements in wood are ensured 
rationally and on a long-term basis. 
2.6. Of course, when working out and implementing a 
common forestry policy, account will have to be taken 
as of now of the Community being enlarged to include 
Spain, Greece and Portugal. 
2.7. The Committee recognizes that forests and forest 
industries are providers of very substantial employment 
and that given the correct inputs of policy guidance and 
fiscal/financial inducements a considerable contribution 
could be made to solving unemployment on an 
economic and permanent basis. It is also clear that the 
most deprived areas would benefit most. Here it is 
strongly urged that the Regional Fund could assist by 
financing the setting up of timber-based industries 
within the forest regions. 
2.8. The Committee feels that better training 
opportunities and substantial extra support facilities are 
needed if it is wished to bring more people quickly into 
forestry and improve the living conditions of those 
working there already. 
2.9. The Committee also attaches great importance to 
the environmental role of the forest. Particularly worth 
emphasizing is the importance of forests and, indeed, 
individual trees in providing clean air, leisure 
opportunities, a more beautiful urban and rural 
landscape, water storage and filtering, and giving 
protection from erosion and acting as a screen against 
noise, wind and unsightly landscapes. The general 
public should be made more aware of such 
considerations. 
2.10. The Committee takes special notice of the 
probable difficulties which would be experienced in 
certain regions in trying to persuade farmers to engage 
in forestry themselves or to make their land available 
for afforestation by others. In this context it is 
recognized that the agricultural cooperative movements 
in the Community or other such bodies could be 
extremely effective. Adequate payments on a regular 
basis to the farmer as the tree grows are an important 
element in convincing the farmer that his land should be 
used in this way. Attention should also be drawn to the 
fact that the income provided by tree growing may be 
higher than that provided by other current forms of 
land utilization. 
7. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 114/5 
2.11. The Committee is convinced of the need to 
promote measures to help private owners of individual 
plots of woodland band together in order to streamline 
forest management methods. 
2.12. The Committee recognizes that in view of the 
long maturation time required for forestry, three things 
are necessary to ensure initial and continuing interest in 
afforestation, namely, 
i— reasonable grant levels in the initial years of the 
growth cycle to support those who convert their 
land; 
— reasonable provision of long-term capital by way of 
either loans with deferred interest and repayments 
or some similarly advantageous funding; 
— a long-term, positive and committed policy by 
governments and the Community on such matters 
as taxation, etc. 
2.13. The Committee urges that laws governing the 
protection of forests, individual trees and hedges need 
to be strengthened substantially and indeed there is 
much scope for harmonization, bearing in mind how 
different things are in the various Member States. The Committee also feels that the Commission should 
help owners of private forests to make better use of 
their properties or of any forests that may be planted in 
the future. It would point out that there are some five 
million hectares of land suitable for forestry in the 
Community. 
2.14. The Committee regards the present state of 
research and knowledge dissemination as unsatisfactory 
and urges that early decisions should be made and 
implemented to improve the situation. 
2.15. Finally, the Committee urges most strongly the 
need for a fundamental reappraisal of the attitude of the 
Community to forestry and the recognition of its vital 
role in the future. 
2.16. The Committee is aware that it may be difficult 
to put some wrongs right quickly by passing laws, etc., 
applicable throughout the Community. 
But until such time as a common forestry policy as 
defined in this opinion is implemented the Commission 
should, as an immediate first step, let the Member 
States know, say through a recommendation, what 
guidelines should be followed when framing national 
forestry policies. 
Done at Brussels, 12 July 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
Opinion on the cross-border communications study on the Londonderry/Donegal area 
The opinion of the Committee is not based on any text. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 161st plenary session held on 12 and 13 July 1978 the Committee, acting on a 
proposal from the Bureau, decided to deliver an opinion on the abovementioned subject on 
its own initiative. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 161st 
plenary session held in Brussels on 12 and 13 July 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: