No C 35/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 2. 88 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The Committee is unable to make a proper 
assessment of the Commission's selection of 17 projects 
from the 92 projects representing 4 560 million ECU 
submitted by the Member States. More time would 
have been needed for this. 
2.2. The Committee recognizes, however, that the 
funds available under the 1986/1987 budget, i.e. 
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1987. 
1. The aim of the Commission proposal is to extend 
the period of validity of Regulation (EEC) No 3568/ 
83 (*) by one year to 31 December 1989, and accordingly 
to extend until 31 December 1988 the deadline for a 
Council decision on the subsequent rules governing 
rates and conditions for the carriage of goods by road 
between the Member States. This is approved. The 
Committee appreciates the Commission's argument 
that, given the link between transport rates and 
capacity, the submission at the present time of a Com­
mission proposal on the introduction of new tariff 
arrangements covering several years could hinder the 
forthcoming decisions on access to the road haulage 
market. 
(!) OJ No L 359, 22. 12. 1983, p. 1. 53 million ECU, made it necessary to confine the sup­
port to a certain number of projects listed in Article 1. 
2.3. The Committee notes with satisfaction that sev­
eral of these projects relate to major transit routes 
including routes intended to facilitate transit traffic 
through non-member countries. 
2.4. In the absence of precise information on this 
subject, the Committee is unable to judge whether the 
apportionment of funds over the various projects is 
justified. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
2. The Committee is aware of the difficulties 
involved in the introduction of a harmonized tariff 
system in the road haulage sector; this is a key element 
in any common transport policy and closely linked to 
several aspects of such a policy (2). The Committee 
would here also refer to its Opinion of 2 July 1987 on 
the elimination of distortions of competition of a fiscal 
nature in the transport of goods by road: study of 
vehicle taxes, fuel taxes and road tolls (3). It reiterates 
(2) Cf. ESC Opinion of 29 September 1983 on the proposal for a 
Council Regulation on the formation of rates for the carriage 
of goods by road between Member States, OJ No C 341, 
19. 12. 1983, p. 38. 
(3) OJ No C 232, 31. 8. 1987, p. 88. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 3568/83 on the fixing of rates for the carriage of goods by road between Member States 
(88/C 35/07) 
On 4 December 1987 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 100 A of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
As the Council had requested the Opinion for the plenary session of December 1987, Mr 
Eulen was appointed as rapporteur-general with the task of drawing up a draft Opinion on 
this subject, which falls within the remit of the Section for Transport and Communications. 
At its 251st plenary session (meeting of 17 December 1987) the Committee adopted the 
following Opinion by 67 votes to 7 with 17 abstentions: 
8. 2. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 35/11 
its view that a solution to the problem of different rates 
of tax in road transport is of major importance in the 
context of the elimination of distortions of competition 
in the internal market by 1992 and needs to be looked 
at urgently. 
Done at Brussels, 17 December 1987. 
1. Strengthening the cohesion of the Community — 
Key role of competition policy — Greater freedom 
of choice for consumers — Importance of social 
aspects — Internal market 
1.1. The Commission opens its sixteenth report, on 
competition in 1986, with a statement of the need to 
'strengthen the cohesion' of the Community of Twelve 
by completing the internal market. 
This declaration deserves wholehearted support. All 
initiatives in this direction, whether Community or 
national, should be more rigorously checked to make 
sure that they are compatible. 
The time has now come for words to be put into 
practice, bearing in mind that greater economic and 
political cohesion amongst the Member States is both 
a priority and a prerequisite. 
1.2. The internal market must lead now and in the 
future to greater efficiency and competitiveness in indi­
vidual firms and the Community as a whole. 3. The Committee expects the final Commission pro­
posal on road haulage rates to be submitted at a time 
when thorough discussion of the subject is possible and 
further thought has been given to road haulage policy. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
The new 'Community dimension' consists of a more 
coherent and convergent approach, with all policies 
playing a greater part in bringing about real integration. 
Competition policy has a key role to play in this process 
of integration: the main aim of unifying the market is 
to harness human, material and economic resources, in 
an environment of healthy national and international 
competition. 
1.3. Healthy and effective competition will, in turn, 
ensure that prices are competitive and that supply is 
transparent, thereby securing greater freedom of choice 
for the consumer without compromising the quality of 
products and services. 
1.4. Distribution and marketing anomalies will have 
to be tackled, as they seriously distort competition to 
the detriment of both consumers and producers. Opinion on the sixteenth report on competition policy 
(88/C 35/08) 
On 21 September 1987 the Commission of the European Communities decided to consult 
the Economic and Social Committee on the abovementioned report. 
The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing 
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 4 November 1987. The 
rapporteur was Mr Bagliano. 
At its 251st plenary session (meeting of 16 December 1987) the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following Opinion by a large majority, with 2 votes against and 
8 abstentions: