31.17.  78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 181/27 
the 10 % income  requirement  and  would  thus  not  qual-
ify for compensation  for  losses  occasioned  by the  ban 
on herring  fishing. The Committee  notes  that  the term  'undertaking'  covers 
individual  vessels.  The  Committee  assumes  that  the 
appropriate  amendments  will  be made. 
Done  at Brussels,  30 March  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  passages  of the Section  opinion  were  replaced  by amendments  adopted  during  discussion: 
2.2. These  quantities  could  compensate  for any  losses  incurred  as a result  of measures  taken  by non-
member  States  and  could  be a bargaining  factor  in negotiations  on fishing  rights  in non-EC  waters. 
Voting 
Unanimous. 
2.3. In  order  to protect  individual  Member  States'  quotas,  steps  should  be taken  to make  it more  dif-
ficult  for Member  State  vessels  to change  flags.  Freedom  of establishment  must,  however,  be preserved. 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  on statistical  returns  in respect  of carriage 
of goods  by road,  as part  of regional  statistics 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 11 of 13 January  1978,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 9 January  1978,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  213  of the  Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. Voting 
Unanimous. 
No C 181/28 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 31.17.  78 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the  above  matter  at its 157th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 March  1978. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  213 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  request  made  by the  Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 9 January  1978  for  an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  Commission's  recommendations 
of 26 July  1961  to the Member  States  on the  establish-
ment  of a standard  goods  classification  for the purposes 
of transport  statistics  (1), 
Having  regard  to the  Council  Directive  of 8 December 
1969  on returns,  to be made  on the  basis  of regional 
statistics,  in respect  of international  carriage  of goods 
by road  (2), 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its chairman  on 
19 January  1978,  instructing  the Section  for Transport 
and Communication  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  prepared  by the  rappor-
teur,  Mr  Renaud,  and  adopted  in written  proceedings 
by the Section  on 10 March  1978, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 157th  plenary 
session  on 29 and  30 March  1978, 
Whereas  it would  undoubtedly  be an advantage  to have 
a better  knowledge  of the scale  on which  goods  are car-
ried by road  vehicles  registered  in the Community,  and 
the trend  in this  goods  traffic; 
Whereas  such  information  may  be of value  with  respect 
to measures  to be taken  in the fields  of common  trans-
port  policy,  regional  policy,  etc., 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a large  majority,  with  two  votes  against: 1. General  comments 
The explanatory  memorandum  to the  draft  Directive 
rightly  points  to the  weakness  of Community  statistics 
on road  haulage.  It also  indicates  the  risk  of further 
inconvenience  being  caused  by  the  completion  of 
statistical  returns  at frontiers. 
The Commission  proposes  that  the  Member  States 
should  be required  to compile  statistics  on both  national 
(including  inter-regional)  and  international  hauls.  Given 
the way  in which  the two  types  of traffic  are interlinked, 
this seems  wise. 
In the  course  of the  preliminary  work,  consideration 
was given  to the  possibility  of requiring  the  Member 
States  to break  the  international  statistics  down  by 
region  of departure  and  destination.  The  decision  not  to 
do so, on the grounds  of economy,  has  the major  disad-
vantage  that  it precludes  objective  evaluation  of inter-
national  hauls.  To compare  hauls,  it is essential  to know 
the t/km  worked,  since  international  hauls  to and  from 
remote  parts  of the  large  Member  States  (south  and 
west  of France,  south  of Italy,  north  of Germany,  north 
and west  of UK)  cannot  be compared  with  those  be-
tween  small  Member  States,  where  cross-frontier  hauls 
take place  under  completely  different  conditions. 
At all events,  the  last  part  of the  proposal's  title  ('as  a 
part of regional  statistics')  is now  meaningless.  It could 
perhaps  be changed  to '. . . as a part  of regional, 
national  and  international  statistics'. 
2. Comments  on Annex  4 
The list  of countries  is incomplete,  for  it does  not  say 
what  is meant  by: 
— East  European  countries  (apart  from  the  German 
Democratic  Republic  and  Czechoslovakia), 
(1) OJ No 63, 30. 9. 1961,  p. 1153/61. 
(:) OJ No L 323,  24. 12. 1969,  p. 7. — North  African  countries, 
— Middle  East  countries. 
31. 7. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 181/29 
The countries  belonging  to these  groups  should  be 
specified,  for there  are  considerable  variations  between 
the situations  in, for instance: — GDR  and  USSR, 
— Algeria  and  Morocco, 
— Iran  and  Iraq. 
Done  at Brussels,  29 March  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI  . 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  amending  Directive  76/13  5/EEC 
on reciprocal  recognition  of navigability  licences  for inland  waterway  vessels 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 13 of 17 January  1978,  page  4. 
On 12 January  1978,  the  Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the  Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  75 of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 157th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 March  1978. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its chairman  on 
19 January  1978  instructing  the  Section  for  Transport 
and Communications  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  75 
thereof, Having  regard  to the opinion  submitted  by the rappor-
teur,  Mr  van  Rens,  and  approved  by the  Section,  in 
accordance  with  the  written  procedure  on 10 March 
1978, Having  regard  to the  request  made  by the  Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 12 January  1978  for  an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  Council  Directive  of 20 January 
1976  on  the  reciprocal  recognition  of navigability 
licences  for  inland  waterway  vessels  (*) and  the  Com-
mittee's  earlier  opinion  thereon  (2), Having  regard  to the deliberations  at the 157th  plenary 
session  on 29 and  30  March  1978  (meeting  on 29 
March  1978), 
(*) OJ No L 21, 29. 1. 1976,  p. 10. 
(2) OJ No C 35, 16. 2. 1976,  p. 42. Whereas  the  Council  has  not  yet been  able  to fulfil  its 
obligation  in accordance  with  Article  5 of the aforemen-
tioned  Directive,  to adopt  common  provisions  laying 
down  technical  requirements  for  inland  waterway  ves-