31. 12. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 346/5 
2. The Community has already completed three 
research programmes in this field (1973 to 1975; 1976 to 
1978 (2 • 7 million EUA) and 1979 to 1982 (10-3 million 
EUA)). The Commission is now proposing a fourth 
programme, to run for five years, with a budget of 34 • 7 
million ECU. The Economic and Social Committee 
believes that the proposed expansion is both justified and 
necessary, because of the results obtained to date, and the 
importance and scale of the problems. It therefore 
endorses the programme submitted by the 
Commission. 
Specific comments 
3. The Economic and Social Committee welcomes the 
Commission's explicit aim not to replace or compete with 
the national and other international activities in this field, 
but to back up and collaborate with other bodies on the 
problems which are of particular importance in the 
Community context. 
4. The Economic and Social Committee notes with 
satisfaction that the results of programmes on reference 
materials, more especially inorganic reference materials, 
are now firmly established. More complex problems may 
arise with regard to organic reference materials, which will need further work in the future. Practically-oriented 
work will therefore be very important here. 
5. In its opinion (J) on the last R&D programme 
(1979 to 1982) in this area, the Economic and Social 
Committee drew attention to the need for a 
comprehensive information programme: 'It believes that 
it is essential to back up the valuable research work being 
done with a comprehensive information programme on 
the materials available, so that the maximum practical 
benefit may be derived from the Community's work.' The 
Economic and Social Committee regrets that far too little 
progress has been made in this area with the result that the 
services and opportunities set up with Community money 
could be utilized. The Economic and Social Committee 
once again stresses the need for an information 
programme of this type, and asks the Commission to 
investigate whether the situation could be remedied by 
increasing the support - drastically pruned two years 
ago - which the programme receives from the JRC. 
6. The Economic and Social Committee welcomes the 
Commission's intention, via the ACPM, to review and if 
necessary adapt the programme after three years. It is very 
important to ensure that users' views are taken into 
account when this is done. 
(•) OJNo C 128, 21. 5. 1979. 
Done at Brussels, 24 November 1982. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulations (EEC) No 3164/76 
and (EEC) No 2964/79 on the Community quota for the carriage of goods by road between 
Member States 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 247 of 21 September 1982, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 24 September 1982 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. 
No C 346/6 Official'Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 82 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
202nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 November 1982. 
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 75 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council on 
24 September 1982 for an opinion on the proposal for a 
Council Regulation amending Regulations (EEC) No 
3164/76 and (EEC) No 2964/79 on the Community 
quota for the carriage of goods by road between Member 
States, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3164/76 
of 16 December 1976 on the Community quota for the 
carriage of goods by road between Member States (*), as 
last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 663/82 (2), 
Having regard to previous Committee opinions on this 
matter, and in particular that of 26 November 
1981 (3), 
Having regard to the decision taken by the Committee 
chairman on 19 October 1982 instructing the Section for 
Transport and Communications to draw up an opinion 
on this matter (Article 22 of the Rules of Procedure), 
Having regard to the preparatory work undertaken by 
Mr Morselli (rapporteur), and by Mr Binnenbruck and 
Mr Schneider (co-rapporteurs), 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the 
aforementioned Section at its 146th meeting held on 
10 November 1982, 
Having regard to the oral report made by Mr 
Morselli, 
Having regard to the discussions on 24 November 1982 
during the 202nd plenary session held on 24 and 
25 November 1982, 
Whereas the introduction of a common transport policy 
entails inter alia the establishment of common rules for 
the carriage of goods by road between Member States; 
Whereas these rules must be drawn up so as to help bring 
about a common transport market; 
Whereas the system of Community authorizations for the 
transport of goods by road between Member States must 
(») OJ No L 357, 29. 12. 1976, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 78, 24. 3. 1982, p. 2. 
(3) OJ No C 348, 31. 12. 1981, p. 38. allow road haulage operators from Member States to 
have equal access to the market; 
Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 2964/79 introduced a 
10 per cent increase in the maximum number of 
short-term Community authorizations, valid for 30 
days; 
Whereas this Regulation expires on 31 December 
1982; 
Whereas the aforementioned Regulation (EEC) 
No 663/82 allows 4 038 authorizations under the 
Community quota from 1 April 1982, and Regulation 
(EEC) No 3164/76 states that 'The Council, acting on a 
proposal from the Commission, shall decide, by 30 
November of each year, on any increase in the 
Community quota and on the allocation to the Member 
States of the extra authorizations resulting therefrom', 
and that the last Regulation adopted 'shall remain 
applicable until the Council has taken a decision on a 
proposal for a Regulation reviewing the amount and/or 
the allocation of the quota', 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by 92 votes to 30, with three abstentions: 
The Committee is unable, at the present time, to approve 
the Commission's proposal to increase the Community 
quota by 189 authorizations, i.e. an overall increase of 
4*3% plus a total of 15 authorizations for the four 
peripheral Member States. The reasons are as follows: 
1. Commission proposals to increase the Community 
quota drawn up under the terms of Article 3 of the 
aforementioned Regulation (EEC) No 3164/76 have led 
in recent years to disagreements within the Council. The 
only solution to these disagreements has been a basically 
political compromise. 
Differences of opinion in the Council also became 
apparent when the previous Commission proposal was 
discussed. 
2. Although the Commission was forced at this 
juncture to find a method which took account of the 
interests of all those involved, neither the Committee nor 
the Council were given sufficient time to discuss such a 
method and its criteria in detail. 
3. The Committee notes that in its explanatory 
memorandum the Commission itself refers to the lack of 
time for detailed discussion on a suitable method, and 
31. 12. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 346/7 
5. The Committee considers that consequently, in the 
current situation, the Council should merely extend 
Regulation (EEC) No 2964/79 concerning short-term 
quotas, which expires on 31 December 1982, and only 
take a final decision on the subject of quotas after 
examining the new Commission proposal at the 
beginning of 1983 and hearing the views of the Economic 
and Social Committee, which will re-examine the matter 
in due course. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
APPENDIX 
to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 
Defeated amendment 
The following amendment, tabled in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, was rejected during plenary 
session discussions: 
Page 2, first paragraph 
Delete. 
Page 3, point 5 
Replace by the following: 
'5. In view of all these considerations the Committee feels that the Council's first priority must be to 
concern itself with the extension of Regulation (EEC) No 2964/79 on short-term Community 
authorizations, which is due to expire on 31 December 1982, as a decision on this matter must be taken 
before the end of the year. 
6. As regards the fixed number of Community authorizations laid down by Regulations (EEC) No 
3164/76 and (EEC) No 663 / 82, which will be increased to 189 by the Commission's present proposal, 
the Committee does, however, find itself in a difficult position for the following reasons: 
The most recent increase in the Community quota for 1982 dates from 1 April 1982, when the Council 
enacted Regulation (EEC) No 663/82 of 22 March 1982. On that occasion the Council did not follow 
the Commission's proposals at that time concerning either timing or scope, which clearly showed the 
difficulties at Council level. In view of this situation, which still prevails, the Commission has 
announced a new draft Regulation for the beginning of 1983, which will include an improved method 
for calculating the Community quota. It therefore sees its proposal to increase the Community quota 
for 1983 as a transitional measure, although it has used the methods of calculation which are still in 
force. 
The Committee is therefore prepared for one last time to approve the Commission's proposal, even on 
this point, but only on the condition that the Commission gives an undertaking to the Council of regrets that the Commission itself is partly to blame, as its 
proposal for an amendment of the aforementioned 
Regulations was not submitted until September 1982. 
4. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Commission 
sees its proposal as temporary, valid only for 1983, and 
plans to take a new initiative at the beginning of 1983 to 
determine a permanent method to be used as a basis for 
annual Council decisions on the Community quota. 
Done at Brussels, 24 November 1982. 
No C 346/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 82 
Ministers that it will submit the new proposal which has been announced to the Council and the 
Economic and Social Committee by the end of June 1983. The new method of calculation must take 
due account of the interests of all those concerned and be based on objective criteria.' 
Reasons 
See above. 
Voting 
For: 43, Against: 71, Abstentions: 14. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 on 
common measures to improve the conditions under which agricultural products are processed 
and marketed 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 147 of 11 June 1982, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 7 June 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and Social 
Committee in accordance with Article 43 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 
202nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 November 1982. 
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 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 7 June 1982 for an opinion on 
the proposal for a Council Regulation amending 
Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 on common measures to 
improve the conditions under which agricultural 
products are processed and marketed, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
29 June 1982 instructing the Section for Agriculture to 
prepare the work on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Section for 
Agriculture at its 238th meeting held on 4 November 
1982, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rapporteur, 
Mr Wick, 
Having regard to the discussions on 24 November 1982 
during the 202nd plenary session held on 24 and 
25 November 1982, HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with no dissenting votes, but with five abstentions: 
I. General comments 
1. Ever since its introduction in 1964, the 
Community's market-structure policy has been an 
important adjunct to the policy on agricultural structures. 
The Community's market-structure policy has proved to 
be an effective instrument of the common agricultural 
policy and has played an important role in improving the 
treatment, processing and marketing of agricultural 
products; it has also served consumers' interests by 
improving food quality. 
2. The Community's market-structure policy has also 
done much to further supply-side adjustment to changed 
consumer demand, thereby reducing expenditure on 
market support for agricultural products. The continuing 
need for structural adjustment means that these common 
measures must be continued beyond 1982, among other 
things to complement the Community's policy on