23.1.78 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 18/13 
2. The Committee welcomes the Commission 
studies and research and development in connection 
with the exploration of the geological stubstratum 
of EEC territory for possible deposits of non-
ferrous metals — which must include deep-seated 
deposits. 
3. Mining technology, especially when further 
developments have taken place, will make it possible 
in future to descend to much greater depths and 
exploit any deposits found there. Medium and 
long-term programmes will be needed to find 
such deposits. The four-year programme of the 
Community now under review can therefore be 
regarded as being no more than the first in a whole 
series of long-term measures. It is also important 
not only to discover the rather poorer deposits of 
the Community, but also to develop ways of making 
them economically viable. 
4. The Committee is of the view that the research 
and development actions proposed should be seen 
Done at Brussels, 26 October 1977. 
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 198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request for an opinion made 
by the Council on 25 July 1977, as part of a general Community-level supply policy 
that embraces not only measures to possibly increase 
the level of Community self-sufficiency, but also 
measures to secure supplies from non-member 
countries. The export of 'know-how' on improved 
methods of prospecting, extracting, leaching and 
mining is likewise of greater importance — parti­
cularly in paving the way for the major supplier 
countries to make a long-term contribution to the 
provision of the Community with non-ferrous metals 
at reasonable prices. 
5. The Committee has no misgivings about the 
envisaged expenditure, especially as it assumes that 
the programme is in the process of being developed 
and, if successful, will lead to further measures which 
will in turn be financed accordingly. The Committee 
thinks it is right that the programme will be re­
examined after three years and will be revised, if 
necessary, in accordance with established procedures 
and after consulting the Advisory Committee on 
Programme Management. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau 
on 27 September 1977 instructing the Section for 
Energy and Nuclear Questions to draw up an 
opinion and a report on the matter, 
Having regard to its opinion of 19 December 1974 
on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a second three-year plan of 
action in the field of information and documentation in science and technology 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 182 of 30 July 1977, page 2. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 25 July 1977 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 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 
152nd plenary session held in Brussels on 26 and 27 October 1977. 
No C 18/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 23. 1. 78 
first three-year plan of action in the field of 
information and documentation in science and 
technology (1), 
Having regard to the Council Decision of 18 March 
1975 adopting the said first plan of action (2), 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Section 
for Energy and Nuclear Questions at its 35th 
meeting, held on 7 October 1977, 
Having regard to the report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr de Ridder, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 152nd plenary 
session held on 26 and 27 October 1977 (meeting 
of 26 October), 
Whereas substantial progress towards setting up a 
European scientific and technical information 
network has been made under the first Community 
plan of action; 
Whereas the Commission should resolutely pursue 
its efforts in this area, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1.1. The Committee endorses the Commission's 
proposal, subject to the comments set out below. 
1.2. The Commission trusts that an operational 
Community public IDST network will be established 
as swiftly as possible. 
1.3. The network should be designed with the 
interests of IDST users in mind; consequently it 
should provide easy access to information at charges 
in keeping with the reduction in overall costs under 
a system of free competition. 
1.4. The Committee recognizes that the 
Commission has made substantial progress towards 
a uniform tariff as far as the Community part of 
EURONET is concerned. It notes, however, that the 
same cannot yet be said about the charges made 
by some PTT's for connection to EURONET. The 
Done at Brussels, 26 October 1977. Commission should therefore continue its efforts to 
standardize charges in this area as well. 
1.5. The Committee thinks that an appropriate 
information campaign should be mounted by the 
Commission to draw the attention of potential users 
to the facilities offered by EURONET. 
1.6. The Committee reiterates the need to 
intensify efforts to incorporate economic, financial 
and social data in the network. 
1.7. The Committee notes with regret that the 
only public IDST action in the energy sector has 
been in connection with energy conservation; in 
view of the world energy situation it is important 
to have access to as comprehensive documentation 
as possible in this area. 
1.8. The Committee would like the information 
systems already being operated by the Community 
institutions for their own internal requirements (in 
particular CRONOS, collective agreements, CELEX) 
to be connected to the network soon. 
1.9. The Committee urges the creation of a 
common market for scientific and technical informa­
tion in keeping with the EEC Treaty's rules on 
competition. This would entail free, fair competition 
in order to provide information users with the widest 
choice. It is, however, necessary to avoid waste due 
to duplication of effort, and this calls in particular 
for a rational organization of the market. When a 
Community information market is being created, 
steps must be taken to enable the Community 
network to serve as a central information source for 
existing national and regional information services 
and to compete with the highly developed services of 
third countries. It is in the Community's interest to 
have direct links with non-Community networks, as 
is the case at present. Finally, the Committee hopes 
that when EURONET is complete it will be able in 
turn to penetrate countries outside the Community. 
1.10. The Committee welcomes the efforts to 
develop multilingual tools in the IDST area. It 
wonders why such a small proportion of the total 
funds for the plan has been allocated to this 
important area. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
(!) OJ No C 47, 27. 2. 1975, p. 38. 
(2) OJ No C 100, 21. 4. 1975, p. 18.