3. 12. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 292/3 
II 
(Preparatory  Acts) 
ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Directive  on the  approximation  of the  laws  of the 
Member  States  relating  to boats  and  their  fittings 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 198  of 24 August  1976,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 11 August  1976,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 
151st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 28 and  29 September  1977. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to  Article  100  of  the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities  on 11 
August  1976, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the Economic 
and Social  Committee's  Bureau  on  28  September 
1976,  instructing  the Section  for Industry,  Commerce, 
Crafts  and  Services  to draw  up an opinion  and  a 
report  on the matter, Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Masprone, 
Having  regard  to the  discussion  at its 151st  plenary 
session  held  on 28 and  29 September  1977  (meeting 
of 29 September), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  at its 
meeting  on 7 September  1977, The Committee  approves  the  proposal,  and  makes 
the comments  set out below: 
No C 292/4 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 3.12.  77 
A. General  comments 
1. The  proposal  under  review  comes  under  the 
supplement  (adopted  by the Council  in May  1973)  to 
the general  programme  for the removal  of technical 
barriers  to trade.  Boat  building  is also  covered  by the 
resolution  on industrial  policy  of December  1973, 
which  laid  down  a timetable  for  the  abolition  of 
technical  barriers.  At the  moment  France  and  Italy 
are the  only  two  Member  States  which  have 
coherent,  concrete  regulations  for  this  particular 
sector,  but  other  Member  States  are  drafting  laws, 
mainly  in regard  to safety. 
The Committee  therefore  sees  the  need  for 
Community  rules  on the  matter  and  welcomes  the 
Commission's  initiative.  Trade  could  be impeded  if 
there  were  to be a proliferation  of different  rules  in 
the Member  States. 
2. In  view  of the fact  that  this  will  be an outline 
Directive,  specific  Directives  will  follow  laying  down 
technical  specifications  for individual  parts,  features 
and fittings  and  methods  of inspection.  (Appended  to 
the proposal  is a specimen  list of parts,  features  and 
fittings.)  The  Committee  considers  that  the Directives 
pursuant  to the  proposal  under  review  should 
concentrate  on  laying  down  performance 
requirements  for  individual  parts,  features  and 
fittings,  rather  than  their  technical  specifications.  The 
scope  of these  specific  Directives  could  also  be 
limited  to certain  types  of boats,  with  particular 
attention  being  paid  to the parameter  'length'. 
3. Ihe  proposed  Directive  is based  on  the* 
'optional  harmonization'  method.  However,  there  is a 
possibility  that  the 'total  harmonization'  method  will 
be used  in certain  cases.  The  Committee  considers 
that 'total  harmonization'  should  be  required 
particularly  in the  specific  Directives  on individual 
parts,  features  and  fittings  which  are essential  for the 
safe use of the craft. 
4. The  Committee  considers  that  specific 
Directives  should  be  proposed  only  where  it is 
proven  that  they  are genuinely  necessary  in order  to 
promote  quality  and  safety  and  reduce  damage  to the 
environment.  Unlike  other  industrial  sectors  such  as 
the automobile  industry,  the boat  building  sector  is 
largely  made  up of small-  and  medium-sized  firms 
and small  craft  businesses  which  might  have  serious 
difficulties  in complying  with  the  procedures  and 
testing  methods  laid  down  in specific  Directives.  The 
need  for  specific  Directives  should  therefore  be 
evaluated  on  the  basis  of statistics  showing  the 
numbers  of fatalities,  injuries  and  damage  caused  by 
pleasure  craft. 4.1. No  such  statistics  are  yet  available  at 
Community  level.  Until  they  are  compiled,  the 
Commission  should  base  itself  for the moment  on the 
United  States  statistics  of boating  accidents,  which 
provide  useful  information  about  the  commonest 
types  of accidents. 
4.2. The  accident  statistics  show  that  in planning 
the programme  of specific  Directives  priority  should 
be given  to  the  following  aspects  of  boat 
construction: 
— individual  and  collective  lifesaving  appliances, 
— stability,  reserve  buoyancy  and  bulkhead  sub-
division, 
— fire  precautions, 
— fuel  system, 
— liquefied  gas system. 
5. Should  specific  Directives  be needed  in order  to 
protect  the environment,  they  too should  be based  on 
statistics. 
6. The  proposed  Directive  provides  for  official 
checking  of prototypes  (processing  of applications  for 
granting  of  approval  and  type  approval)  and 
inspection  of production  to be carried  out  by the 
Member  States.  It does  not  seem  necessary  to place 
so many  new  responsibilities  onto  the State. 
6.1. The  Committee  considers  that  here,  as in the 
harmonization  of technical  requirements  in other 
fields,  non-governmental  agencies  (e.g.  the 
classification  societies)  should  also  be given  authority 
to carry  out  such  tests  and  inspections.  As far as 
possible  reference  should  also  be  made  to the 
manufacturer's  certificate. 
6.2. The  Committee  considers  that  the  proposed 
type-approval  and  notification  system,  while  being 
justified  in the automobile  sector  because  of the large 
numbers  of units  produced,  is not appropriate  in this 
case.  In Germany,  for instance,  introduction  of the 
proposed  procedure  would  mean  setting  up new 
administrative  departments  or expanding  existing 
ones. 
B. Specific  comments 
7. Article  2 (c) should  be amended  as follows: 
'(c) "fittings"  means  any  piece  of equipment  or 
any device  which  is essential  for  the  safe 
operation  and  use  of  a boat'. 
3.12.  77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 292/5 
Done  at Brussels,  29 September  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the guidelines  for Community  regional  policy 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has not been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 June  1977,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  subject  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 
151st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 28 and  29 September  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  of the  European  Communities  on 20 
June  1977, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
22 February  1977,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Regional  Development  to prepare  the  Committee's 
work  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to its previous  opinions  and  studies  on 
this subject, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Regional  Development  at its meeting  on 14 
September  1977, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Cremer, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 151st  plenary 
session  of 28 and  29 September  1977  (meeting  of 29 
September  1977), HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously  less  2 abstentions: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  welcomes  the 'guidelines  for 
Community  regional  policy'.  This  document 
represents  an important  step  in the development  and 
implementation  of Community  regional  policy.  It 
also covers  the problems  connected  with  Community 
regional  policy,  which  all the Community  bodies  will 
have  to help  solve. 
1.2. In  the  document  under  consideration  the 
Commission  presents  a  clear  blueprint  for 
Community  regional  policy.  Regional  policy  is given 
particularly  high  priority  among  Community  policies, 
since  it can  serve  to promote  and  safeguard  effective 
integration  of the Community.  The  Committee  shares 
the Commission's  assessment  of  the  overall 
importance  of Community  regional  policy.  Similar 
views  have  been  expressed  in previous  Committee 
documents.  This  does  not  mean,  however,  that  the 
Commission's  ideas  on regional  policy  cannot  be