30. 7. 81 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 189/15 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to the installation, location, operation and identification of con­
trols, textiles and indicators on wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors 
The text referred to the Committee has not yet been published in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 15 January 1981 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Econo­
mic and Social Committee in accordance with Article 100 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 
188th plenary session held in Brussels on 26 and 27 May 1981. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 100 thereof, 
Having regard to the request from the Council of the 
European Communities on 15 January 1981 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on 
t.he approximation of the laws of the Member States 
relating to the installation, location, operation and 
identification of controls, textiles and indicators on 
wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors, 
Having regard to the decision of its Bureau on 
27 January 1981, instructing the Section for Indus­
try, Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an 
opinion and report on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section 
for Industry Commerce, Crafts and Services at its 
meeting on 6 May 1981, 
Having regard to the report submitted by the rappor­
teur, Mr Masprone, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 188th plenary 
session held on 26 and 27 May 1981 (meeting of 
26 May 1981), HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with one vote against and no abstentions: 
1. The Committee endorses the draft Directive 
subject to the following comments. 
2. In view of the technical progress in this area in 
recent years, the Committee wonders whether the 
definition contained in Article 1, which is derived 
from the definition of the parent Directive 74/150/ 
EEC, is still valid, particularly as regards maximum 
design speeds. According to information received 
from the Commission, a 20 % increase in the maxi­
mum design speed would not involve changes in the 
specific Directives, including those on road safety; 
the Committee therefore agrees with such an 
increase. It notes, however, that too strict definitions 
in the parent Directives can give rise to problems at 
a later date when the specific Directives are being 
drawn up. 
3. In the specific case of this Directive, technical 
progress has been made, especially as regards new 
control systems, and the Committee recommends 
that adaptation to technical progress on the basis of 
Article 13 of Directive 74/150/EEC should be car­
ried out quickly, so that EEC producers, who are 
obliged to observe the provisions of this Directive, 
No C 189/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 7. 81 
are not placed at a disadvantage when competing 4. Some members made a number of technical 
on international markets with producers from other observations concerning the Annexes. These corn-
countries who can adapt more quickly to technical ments are set out in the section report, 
progress. 
Done at Brussels, 26 May 1981. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE