23.7.90 COfficialjournal of the European Communities ^oC1^7 
^. Conclusions 
^.1. l^he draft regulation ^EEC^ on the introduction of 
thel^ACER.ev.iCommunityclassificationis undoubtedly 
one of EUR.COSTAT^smost important initiatives aimed at 
giving formal and binding force to the statistical standards 
requiredinconnection with completion of the Internal 
Market on 1 January i993. COnly by using uniform 
statistical standards will it bepossible to collect and supply 
comparable statistics quickly enough and much more 
efficiently than at present. 
L^he revised classification, which the Member States are 
required to useasthebasisfortheirnational classifications, 
is undoubtedly an important step towards the creation of 
an integrated statistical system which will permit the 
essential comparison of data on products, economic 
activities, external trade etc. 
^B2. ^hile approving this draft regulation, the Com^ 
mittee cannot however but reiterate its request that the 
Advisory Committee provided for in Article7be replaced 
byamanagementcommittee.The Committee would also 
emphasise its comments on the question of secrecy of 
general Comments 
1, I^he proposals aim is to place all investment 
companies, irrespective of theirlegalform,on an equal 
footing as regards the application of capital duty. In 
addition, more favourable ta^ treatment is to be granted to 
investment companies in the interests of small savers. 
^o^o^un^m^D,^, statistics and the confidentiality of information provided, 
pendingapplicationofacorresponding^^o^Community 
regulation, 
^,3. Finally, echoing previously expressed fears, for 
example inits opinion of 2^ April 19^9 on the proposal for 
anew system of statistics on the trading of goods between 
Member States^CES^2B^, the Committee wishes to 
express its concern that the abolition of intra^Community 
frontier controls may lead toadecline in the qualityof 
statistics, 
^,^, ^ithreferenceto that Opinion, the Committeealso 
feels that in the current situation, parallel to the 
introduction of the new classification of economic 
activities, it would beagood idea for the Commission to 
provide technical, training and financial assistance for the 
statistical services ofthose Member States who do not have 
adequate facilities or qualified staff. 
Done at Brussels, 30 May 1990, 
2. According to Directive ^9^33^EEC as amended by 
Directive ^B303BEEC Member States are allowed to 
choose whether or not to applyacapitalduty,lf one is 
levied, it must necessarily be applied to capital companies. 
Exemptions are only permitted for companies which are 
not capital companies within the meaning of Article 3^of 
Directive ^9B33^BEEC, Because of this rule investment 
companies may be subject to different ta^ treatment, 
depending on their legal form.^fhis possibility should be Opinion on the proposal foraCouncil Directive amending Directive ^9^33^EEC concerning 
Indirect Pa^es on the raising of Capitals 
^90^C1^2B02^ 
I^he Council decided on9April 1990, in accordance with Article 99 oftheEEC^Freaty,toasle the 
Economic and Social Committee to draw up an opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Committee referred the matter to its Section for Economic, Financial and Monetary 
C^uestions,which adopted its oppinion on 10 Mayl990,L^he rapporteur was Mr Broicher, 
The Economic and Social Committee adopted its opinion unanimously at its 277th plenary session 
^meeting of 30 Mayl990^,Phete^t was as follows^ 
No C 182/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 23. 7. 90 
excluded by the present proposal, so that capital companies 
too may be exempted from duty. 
3. The Economic and Social Committee has already 
pointed out on various occasions — most recently in its 
opinion on the amended Directive 85/303/EEC (OJ No C 
87 of 9 April 1985) — that in its view there is no place in a 
rational tax system for an indirect tax on the raising of 
capital. It therefore called for the abolition of capital duty 
and repeats this call here. 
4. However, as total abolition does not seem possible at 
this time, it is absolutely essential that care be taken to 
ensure that a tax which in any case is inopportune does not 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The expansion of trade in goods and services is 
essential to the creation of the Internal Market of the 
Community and in trade with the rest of the world. 
Transport in all modes is critical to the success of economic 
and social development within the Community. The 
Committee's opinion on second phase liberalization of 
scheduled passenger services confirms this point. 
1.2. The capacity to move more goods by freigt-only air 
services in addition to the passenger/freight scheduled 
services, will become increasingly important after 1992 
when competition within the Community and with third 
countries increases. The expansion of air cargo services, 
particularly to and from island MemberStates, will become 
more important in relation to surface transport. The 
(!) OJ No C 88, 6. 4. 1990, p. 7. also lead to distortions of competition or social in­
equalities. The Commission's proposal should prevent 
such results arising from the duty on the raising of capital. 
The Economic and Social Committee therefore supports it 
as a second-best solution failing a total abolition of capital 
duty. 
Done at Brussels, 30 May 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
Committee therefore supports, in principle, the proposals 
from the EC Commission to liberalize freight-only air 
services within the Community as part of the integrated 
transport system. 
1.3. The liberalization of freight-only services must be 
carried out under conditions analogous to those proposed 
by the Economic and Social Committee for combined 
passenger/freight services in its opinion on the Second 
Phase of Liberalization, in the interests of fair competition 
in both the passenger and freight sectors. 
1.4. There are numerous similarities between the 
transport of air freight and the carriage of passengers, 
arising from similarities in production. However, it is Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) on the operation of air cargo services (1) 
(90/C 182/03) 
On 22 March 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 84, paragraph 2 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 11 May 1990. The rapporteur was 
Mr Kenna. 
At its 277th plenary session (meeting of 30 May 1990) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion unanimously.