No C 72/14 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 24. 3. 80 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  made  by the Rap-
porteur,  Mr Ziinkler,  (Article  29 of the Rules  of Pro-
cedure), 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 173rd  Plenary 
Session,  held  on 21 November  1979, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION, 
unanimously: 
1. The  Committee  thinks  that it would  be useful  for 
the Member  States  and the Commission  to exchange 
views  on current  international  aviation  issues  of in-
terest  to the Community.  To that extent  the Commit-
tee supports  the Commission's  proposal. 
2. However,  a consultation  procedure  (involving  an 
additional  advisory  committee)  covering  all agree-
ments  and conventions  the Member  States  conclude 
on air transport  is considered  to be neither  necessary 
nor feasible.  In order  to prevent  overlapping  and du-
plication  of work,  it is recommended  that  the ex-
change  of views  between  the Member  States  and the Commission  should  take  place  within  the framework 
of the Council  Working  Party  on Transport  Ques-
tions. 
3. The  Committee  thinks  that  the  Commission 
should,  as a matter  of priority,  give  consideration  to 
measures  to promote  air transport  within  the Com-
munity  and  free  it of unnecessary  constraints  and 
burdens.  In this  connection  it may  be pointed  out 
that the lack  of cooperation  among  the Member 
States  towards  setting  up a common  air traffic  con-
trol system  and  improving  air traffic  control  proce-
dures  has repeatedly  led to considerable  disruption 
of air transport  in Europe  and  poses  an increasing 
threat  to safety.  The  differences  in the  Member 
States'  rules  and procedures  for passenger  and freight 
handling  also  form  an unnecessary  impediment  in in-
tra-Community  air transport. 
4. The  Committee  therefore  intends  to take  up im-
mediately  current  issues  of concern  to parties  in air 
transport  in the Community  and to submit  proposals 
for solutions. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 November  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
RafFaele  VANNI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  introducing  special  aid for small  and 
medium-sized  industrial  enterprises  in Portugal 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No C 257 of 11 October  1979  page  5. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 9 October  1979  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  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 
173rd  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 21 November  1979. 
The full text of the opinion  is as follows: 
24. 3. 80 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 72/15 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the provisions  of the Treaty  esta-
blishing  the European  Economic  Community  and in 
particular  Article  198, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 9 October  1979  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the Commit-
tee's Bureau  on 23 October  1979,  instructing  the Sec-
tion for External  Relations  to draw  up an opinion  on 
the matter, 
Having  regard  to the Rules  of Procedure  of the Com-
mittee  and in particular  Article  47 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section 
for External  Relations  at its meeting  on 13 Novem-
ber 1979, 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  made  by the Rap-
porteur,  Mr Hemmer, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 173rd  Plenary 
Session,  held  on 21 November  1979, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION, 
unanimously,  with  four  abstentions: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The  Commission  proposes  to grant  Portugal 
special  non-reimbursable  aid of 47 000 000 EUA  to 
help small  and  medium-sized  industrial  enterprises 
gradually  adjust  to the consequences  of accession  to 
the European  Community. 
1.2. Aid  would  be spread  over  a period  of three 
years  and  would  be granted  for  the  following 
operations  within  the framework  of an outline  pro-
gramme  : 
(a) Training  operations  designed  to improve  man-
agement  in SMIE; 
(b) Operations  designed  to improve  the  quality  of 
the services  available  to enterprises  (training  and 
information  centres,  access  of SMIE  to joint  ac-
counting  and  management  services); 
(c) Operations  to reorganize,  modernize  and  devel-
op the activities  of SMIE  in both  the industrial 
and crafts  sectors; 
(d) Training  and in-service  training  periods  abroad 
for experts  who  will  be responsible  for imple-
menting  the  programme  and  its various  opera-
tions. 1.3. The  Community's  financial  contribution  to 
modernization  operations  (point  1.2.  (c) above) 
would  be 50 %, with  a total  ceiling  of 35 000 000 
EUA.  Its contribution  to vocational  training  and as-
sistance  (points  1.2. (a), (b) and (d))  would  be 75 %, 
with a ceiling  of 12 000 000 EUA. 
1.4. The  Commission  proposal  also  specifies  a 
number  of conditions  which  operations  must  satisfy 
to be eligible  for Community  aid (Articles  4, 5 and 6). 
Articles  7 and 8 set out the rules  for transferring  and 
monitoring  funds. 
1.5. Appropriations  earmarked  for this special  aid 
are intended  to be included  in the Community  budg-
ets for 1980,  1981  and 1982. 
2. General  comments  by the Committee 
2.1. In its study  on relations  between  the EEC  and 
Portugal  the Economic  and  Social  Committee  ac-
knowledged  the principle  that  special  aid should  be 
granted  to facilitate  the entry  of Portugal  into  the 
Community.  The  Committee  accordingly  approves 
the Commission's  initiative. 
2.2. Since,  according  to the Commission,  SMIE 
provide  two-thirds  of Portugal's  industrial  employ-
ment  and account  for 12 % of her exports,  special  aid 
for these  types  of enterprises  can make  an effective 
contribution  towards  modernizing  and  improving 
Portugal's  economy.  Specific  aid of this  kind  also 
corresponds  with  the wishes  of the Portuguese  Gov-
ernment. 
2.3. The  Committee  regrets  the rather  unsatisfac-
tory conditions  in which  it has been  asked  to prepare 
an opinion.  This  is due to the shortness  of the Coun-
cil's deadline.  And  yet the financial  stakes  are very 
high (47 000 000 EUA);  aid would  be put to a wide 
variety  of uses  and the provisions  on the use of funds 
are complex  ones. 
2.4. Since  the application  of each  country  to join 
the EEC  must  be considered  individually,  the grant-
ing of aid to Portugal  cannot  be regarded  as a preced-
ent for giving  Community  aid to other  applicant 
countries. 
2.5. Excluding  enterprises  with  less than  six on the 
payroll  poses  problems  in the eyes  of the Committee. 
The Committee  wonders  whether,  in addition  to the 
numerical  criterion  of numbers  on the payroll,  con-
sideration  could  not also  be given  to another  factor, 
namely,  the independence  of the enterprise  in ques-
tion vis-a-vis  large-scale  enterprises  or groups  of en-
terprises. 
2.6. The  sectors  eligible  should  also  be specified. 
Are trading  companies  and service  industries  in gen-
No C 72/16 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 24. 3. 80 
eral to be excluded?  The  Committee  warns  against 
their  exclusion  because  commercial  firms  and service 
industries  can have  the same  importance  in the econ-
omic  structure  of a country  as the production  sector; 
in fact  they  provide  employment  and are a source  of 
tax revenue  in just the same  way  as the production 
sector. 
2.7. One  omission  from  the provisions  of the draft 
Decision  is any reference  to the publicity  to be given 
to the proposed  operations.  If the system  is to be a 
fair one then  all enterprises  fulfilling  the eligibility 
criteria  for Community  aid under  the programme 
must  have  access  to the relevant  information.  Provi-
sion should  be made  for the publishing  of the pro-
gramme  and its implementing  rules. 3. Specific  comments 
3.1. Article  4: The  penultimate  paragraph  on 
page  12 restricts  'access  to services'  to enterprises 
'whose  heads  or managers  have  participated  in train-
ing operations'  under  the programme.  This  provision 
is restrictive,  and wrongly  so. Is there  any reason  for 
example  why  enterprises,  whose  heads  or managers 
have  acquired  professional  skills  other  than  at train-
ing courses  organized  by the IAPMEI,  should  be re-
fused  access  to a joint  accounting  service? 
3.2. The  Committee  queries  the concept  of limiting 
Community-aided  operations  to 'financially  healthy' 
enterprises  (first  indent  on page  13, Article  4) and 
asks the Commission  to spell  out in detail  what  is 
meant. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 November  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Raffaele  VANNI 
APPENDIX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  the discussions. 
Amend  point  2.5 to read  as follows: 
"The  Committee  proposes  that  the category  of enterprises  eligible  for aid be extended  to include 
enterprises  with  less  than  six persons  on the payroll. 
It considers  that  the definition  of small  and  medium-sized  industrial  enterprises  adopted  by the 
Commission  entails  discrimination  against  certain  small  enterprises  and  is liable  to set a preced-
ent for future  policy  on small  and  medium-sized  industrial  enterprises. 
The Committee  also  wonders  whether,  in addition  to the numerical  criterion  ... (remainder  un-
changed)." 
Result  of the vote: 
for: 18, against:  22, abstentions:  13.