24. 3. 80 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities  No  C 72/25 
2.30.  Chapter  II: Relief  from  Export  Duties 
The Committee's  comments  on relief  from  import 
duties  apply,  mutatis  mutandis,  to relief  from  export 
duties. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 November  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Raffaele  VANNI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  on the conclusion  of the Convention  on 
long-range  transboundary  air pollution 
The text referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Jounal  of the Euro-
pean  Communities  No C 281 of 10 November  1979  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 8 October  1979  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  235 of the Treaty  establishing  the Eu-
ropean  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
173rd  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 21 November  1979. 
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,  Ar-
ticle 235 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  on 
8 October  1979  for an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the Community's  environmental 
policy  objectives  which  were  adopted  by Council 
Declaration  of 22 November  1973  as supplemented 
by the Council  resolution  of 17 May  1977, 
Having  regard  to Articles  18 and 46 of its Rules  of 
Procedure, 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  made  by Mr Hatry, 
Rapporteur-General, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 173rd  Plenary 
Session,  held  on 21 November  1979, HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION, 
unanimously: 
1.1. The  Committee  welcomes  the decision  which 
the Council  took  on 15 October  1979  in Luxembourg 
to sign  the Convention  on long-range  transboundary 
air pollution,  at the high  level  conference  held  by the 
United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for Europe 
on 13 to 16 November  1979.  This  is highly  desirable 
both for political  and  environmental  reasons. 
The Committee  notes  with  interest  that  the Conven-
tion provides  a framework  for cooperation  not only 
between  the Community  and the non-EEC  members 
of the OECD  — with  which  numerous  joint  studies 
have  already  been  undertaken  in this field  — but also 
with European  countries  involved  in United  Nations 
work  in Geneva  and  with  some  of the countries 
which  attended  the Helsinki  Conference  on Security 
and Cooperation. 
No C 72/26 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 24. 3. 80 
In this connection,  the Committee  stresses  that,  by 
virtue  of Article  14, the Convention  will  be the first 
international  agreement  to which  both  the USSR  and 
the Community  are parties,  implicitly  recognizing 
the Community  while  clearly  distinguishing  it from 
other  blocs  which  do not possess  the same  powers. 
Even  though  the Convention  will not be an essential 
instrument  of internal  Community  environmental 
policy,  it may  be useful  in stimulating  new  environ-
mental  initiatives  within  the Nine. 
1.2. Investigations  carried  out in Europe,  the USA 
and Canada,  and especially  in the OECD,  have  con-
firmed  that  sulphur  compounds  can travel  long  dis-
tances  (and  hence  cross  frontiers)  and affect  the natu-
ral environment  and health. 
In-depth  studies  have  been  made  over  the last decade 
into pollutants,  the way  they  travel  and their  effects 
on plant  life,  waterways  and visibility. 
Against  this  background  the Committee  considers 
that the  international  cooperation  called  for by, 
among  others,  countries  outside  the Community 
which  could  be affected  by emissions  from  Member 
States,  and the fact that the Community  itself  is vul-
nerable  to external  pollution  are arguments  in favour 
of close  cooperation  in the field  of research,  informa-
tion, prevention  and  improvement  of the  status 
quo. 
1.3. Changes  are clearly  impossible  at this stage  in 
view  of the fact that Community  representatives  were 
authorized  at the Council  meeting  of 15 October  last 
to sign  the Convention  at the conference  on the envi-
ronment  covered  by the UN Economic  Commission 
for Europe. 
The Committee  observes  that  Articles  3 to 9 of the 
Convention  (principles  to be followed  by the parties 
to the Convention  in connection  with  the exchange  of 
information,  consultation,  research  and monitoring 
activities)  justify  the setting  up at the Commission  of 
a practical,  straightforward  and effective  system  de-
signed  to simplify  the administration  of the Conven-
tion in the Member  States. In this conection,  the Committee  observes  the parti-
cular  value  of Article  5 and Article  8. Article  5 pro-
vides  for bilateral  and  multilateral  consultations  at 
an early  stage  between  parties  affected  by trans-
boundary  air pollution.  Article  8 (a) concerns  emis-
sion levels  of the main  pollutants. 
1.4. The  Committee  considers  that the joint  investi-
gations  envisaged  by the Convention  are particularly 
important  in the light  of the synergistic  effects  of sul-
phur  dioxide  (some  of which  is indisputably 
discharged  by the Member  States  of the Community) 
combining  with  other  pollutants  generated  outside 
the Community,  such  as particles  and conjunctions 
with other  acid  sourcces  including  nitrogen-based 
compounds.  These  are recorded  by these  non-Com-
munity  countries  as NOx  pollution  originating  in the 
Community.  As regards  these  problems,  the Commit-
tee recommends  that  the proposed  investigations 
should  deal  swiftly  with  potential  transboundary  pol-
lutants  other  than  sulphur  dioxides. 
1.5. The  Committee  observes  that the Community's 
energy  policy  dating  back  to 1973  has already  signifi-
cantly  alleviated  the impact  of sulphur  compound 
discharges  on international  air pollution  by stabili-
zing the share  of imported  oil in the Community's 
energy  supplies.  The Committee  recommends  that ef-
forts  already  made  be stepped  up in order  to achieve 
additional  improvements. 
1.6. The  Committee  also  considers  that  the execu-
tive body  to be constituted  pursuant  to the Conven-
tion, whose  functions  are set out in Article  10, must 
implement  all the necessary  measures  without  de-
lay. 
Within  the Community,  the Commission  — the vital 
centre  for coordination  vis-a-vis  the Member  States 
— will fortunately  be able  to take  advantage  of the 
preliminary  procedure  of ratification  by the States 
and of the presence  of national  representatives  — 
even in the capacity  of observers  in numerous  fields 
— in future  work.  This  will also  help  to ensure  the 
adoption  of common  attitudes. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 November  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
Raffaele  VANNI