No C 247/66 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 10. 79 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation laying down special measures in the raw 
tobacco sector in respect of the Perustitza and Erzegovina varieties 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 88 of 4 April 1979, page 2. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 21 March 1979 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 
169th plenary session held in Brussels on 27 and 28 June 1979. 
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 21 March 1979 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
22 March 1979 instructing the Section for Agriculture to 
draw up an opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to its previous work on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Agriculture at its meeting held on 31 May 1979, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Paggi, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 169th plenary 
session held on 27 and 28 June 1979 (meeting of 27 June 
1979), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with no votes against and four abstentions: 
1.1. The Committee stresses the need to conserve the 
possibility of intervention to deal with problems arising 
on the market to the detriment of producers. But it believes that intervention should be the exception rather 
than the rule and that products should be disposed of as 
far as possible through the normal marketing channels. 
1.2. The Committee has a number of comments on 
the Commission's proposal. 
2.1. The Committee emphasizes that the 
Commission's proposal was submitted to the Council at 
a time when the Italian tobacco organizations and 
growers are doing all they can to make the situation of 
the Perustitza and Erzegovina varieties on the 
Community market less difficult. Their efforts have 
already been successful, since a comparison between the 
1976 and 1978 harvests shows a considerable reduction 
in both the acreage and production of the above varieties 
of tobacco. In particular, 1978 showed a drop of about 
45% in acreage and 41% in production of Perustitza 
compared with 1976 and a drop of 44 and 37% 
respectively for Erzegovina. 
2.2. The measures proposed for the period after the 
1979 harvest as part of an agricultural research 
programme for Oriental tobaccos should pave the way 
for an improvement in the medium term in the quality of 
production and thus make it easier to dispose of these 
two varieties through the normal marketing channels. 
2.3. Moreover, from 1979, Commission Regulation 
(EEC) No 1075/78 of 23 May 1978 will introduce a 
system of cultivation contracts for raw tobacco and 
make advance payment of premiums conditional on the 
existence of such contracts. This should help to put 
production in order and put a stop to indiscriminate 
intervention. 
1. 10. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/67 
2.4. The Committee notes that the Commission's 
proposal to reduce the intervention price for Erzegovina 
and Perustitza from 90 to 80% of the norm price 
complies with Article 13 (3) and (4) of Regulation (EEC) 
No 727/70, but comes at a time when both the 
Community and growers are taking measures to improve 
the situation of these two varieties. 
2.5. Moreover, the Committee notes that the 
Commission's proposal penalizes equally all the 
producers of these varieties, whereas — while taking into 
account the fact that recourse to intervention is to be 
exceptional — it should have considered the efforts made 
by those producers who normally sell their output on the 
open market and who sell to the intervention agency only 
intermittently and in situations that are very difficult in 
objective terms (e.g. the world market situation). 2.6. In conclusion, the Committee points out that, in 
contrast to Article 13 (3), the Commission's proposal 
provides for the adoption by the Council of specific 
measures which are valid for two harvests. Furthermore, 
it does not lay down measures to safeguard the position 
of those growers who normally sell their output on the 
open market — this could be done, for example, by 
stipulating that the reduction in the intervention 
guarantee given to growers is to vary according to the 
percentage of their output which they sell to the 
intervention agency. 
2.7. The Committee therefore urges the Commission 
to consider amending its proposal in the light of the 
above comments, and of the present state of the market. 
Done at Brussels, 27 June 1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Raffaele VANNI 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on investment aid at the marketing and 
processing stage of milk products 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 88 of 4 April 1979, page 9. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 28 March 1979 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Articles 43 and 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 
169th plenary session held in Brussels on 27 and 28 June 1979. 
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 Articles 43 and 
198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 28 March 1979 for an 
opinion, Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
3 April 1979 instructing the Section for Agriculture to 
draw up an opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to its previous work on the matter, and in 
particular its opinion on farm prices for the 1979/80 
marketing year and other related measures (1), 
(*) OJ No C 171, 9. 7. 1979, p. 1.