8. 3. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 59/59 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  adopting  a concerted  research  action  on the 
growth  of large  urban  concentrations 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 199  of 20 August  1977,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 16 August  1977  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 154th 
plenary  session  held-in  Brussels  on 14 and  15 December  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 16 
August  1977, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 27 
September  1977  instructing  the Section  for Regional 
Development  to draw  up an opinion  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by that  Section  at 
its meeting  on 13 December  1977, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr Rees, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 154th  plenary 
session  held  on 14 and  15 December  1977  (meeting  of 
14 December  1977), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  holds  the view  that  in many  cases 
there  are serious  economic  and  social  problems  arising 
from  the growth  of large  urban  concentrations.  This  is 
not a .problem  unique  to certain  Member  States  of the Community,  but it is to be found  in developed  indus-
trial countries  throughout  the world. 
1.2. It must  not be lost  sight  of that  not all growth  in 
urban  concentration  is harmful;  indeed,  much  of the 
economic  prosperity  of Member  States  has come  about 
as a result  of the growth  of the urban  areas.  The  factors 
that contribute  to the growth  of urban  areas  are,  how-
ever,  complex,  and  the  level  at which  the  growth 
changes  from  being  beneficial  to the development  and 
prosperity  of the areas  to being  damaging  to the com-
munity  is very  difficult  to determine. 
1.3. It is generally  a fact  that  growth  in large  urban 
concentrations  is attended  by extensive  inner  city  urban 
decay.  The  social  evils  and  economic  disadvantages  of 
urban  decay  are obvious,  the social  and  economic  dis-
advantages  of the growth  of urban  areas  which  often 
lose all identity  of community  is less obvious.  The  seeds 
for many  future  social  and economic  problems  can lie in 
uncontrolled  and  unplanned  growth.  It is therefore 
urgently  necessary  to assess  the impact  of large  urban 
concentrations  in more  detail,  and draw  the appropriate 
conclusions. 
1.4. The  Committee  is aware  that  the responsibility  for 
programmes  to tackle  the problems  of the great  number 
of urban  concentrations,  the character  of which  is often 
very disparate,  rests  with  the Member  State  Govern-
ments  and  their  regional  and  local  administration.  The 
Community  has  neither  a legal  framework  nor  the 
necessary  executive  authority  to implement  major  solu-
tions  on the ground.  Part  of the cause  of the problem 
lies in economic  and  industrial  strategy  and  clearly  the 
Community  has a responsibility  and  a role  in this  area. 
No C 59/60 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 8.3.  78 
The problems  of undesirable  growth  of urban  concen-
trations  and  its effect  on rural  depopulation  sometimes 
extends  over  national  boundaries,  and  clearly  the 
Community  has  a coordination  role  here.  The  exchange 
of all available  information  is of vital  importance  to the 
Member  States  and  this  task  is an obvious  one  for the 
Community  institutions  and  the terms  of the proposed 
Council  Decision  in this  respect  are welcome. 
1.5. Although  the  problems  arising  from  large  urban 
concentrations  have  very  damaging  effects  on the qual-
ity of life  for a large  number  of people,  Member  State 
Governments  do not always  give  it a high  priority,  faced 
as they  are with  a wide  variety  of conflicting  demands 
on resources.  The  Section  is therefore  of the  opinion 
that the Community  must  use  its position  to stimulate 
action  based  on  a sense  of urgency.  Examinations 
should  be made  into  ways  and  means  of reinforcing  the 
Regional  Fund  and  the  Social  Fund  to help  meet  this 
objective. 
1.6. When  the  action  programme  was  originally  pro-
posed  in the report  entitled  'Development  of large  urban 
concentrations  — a suggested  Community  research 
programme',  the  programme  was  to be completed  by 
mid-1976.  The  'time  drift'  that  has  occurred  is unac-
ceptable.  The  social  and  economic  problems  in many  of 
the large  urban  concentrations  are so damaging  to the 
quality  of life  for a very  large  part  of the  population 
that time  cannot  be allowed  to slip  in this  way.  It is no 
exaggeration  to say that  these  problems  are contributing 
to the breakdown  of law  and  order. 
1.7. In some  of the Member  States,  and  indeed  in other 
third  countries,  detailed  studies  have  been  undertaken 
into matters  relating  to large  urban  concentrations  and 
information  now  exists.  The  Committee  recommends 
that within  the terms  of the Decision  a provision  should 
be made  for  gathering  together  the  findings  of these 
studies  into  urban  growth  and  making  the information 
available  to the Member  States.  These  studies  should  be 
analyzed  for: 
— all common  factors,  economic  or social,  that  have 
given  rise  to the  growth  of the concentrations,  in-
cluding  the tendency  for the concentrations  to gen-
erate  their  own  growth, 1.8. The  Committee  accepts  that  the  draft  decision  is 
an initial  if modest  step  in the  right  direction,  but  is 
surprised  to find  that  not all the proposed  studies  have  a 
direct  bearing  on the  problem  of large  urban  concen-
trations. 
1.9. The  Committee  also  recommends  that  detailed 
analytical  studies  should  be provided  for into  the costs 
of transport  and  housing  in the  large  urban  concen-
trations  and  the analysis  should  be both  on an economic 
and a social  basis.  A detailed  study  should  be made  of 
the causes  and  consequences  of population  migration 
from  outlying  areas  to towns  and  cities,  and  from 
inner-city  areas  to suburbs  and  outlying  areas. 
2. Specific  comments 
2.1. Article  5 
The underlying  principle  is welcomed,  and  so is the 
annual  progress  report.  It is noted  that  the general  re-
port is to be forwarded  to the Member  States  and  to the 
European  Parliament,  but that  the Economic  and  Social 
Committee  is omitted.  In the opinion  of the Committee, 
the unique  character  and  composition  of the Committee 
is such  that  it has  an important  role  to play  in giving 
comments  on these  reports  and  it should  therefore  be 
officially  consulted. 
2.2. Article  6 
The Committee  welcomes  the  specific  commitment  to 
extend  research  cooperation.  It regrets  that  there  is not 
a positive  commitment  to collect  information  on re-
search  and  action  undertaken  in other  industrial 
countries  outside  Europe. 
2.3. Article  7 
In view  of the 'time  slip'  which  has already  taken  place, 
and in view  of the damaging  consequence  in the quality 
of life  for many  people,  the  Committee  would  have 
wished  to see  a positive  indication  of the  need  for 
urgent  action. 
— details  of planning  solutions  that  have  been  applied 
but which  have  created  additional  problems, 
— details  of planning  controls  which  appear  to have 
been  helpful  in achieving  beneficial  growth  or con-
taining  growth. 2.4. Annex  2 
The Committee  regrets  that  in the terms  of reference  of 
the Concerted  Action  Committee  there  is no provision 
for the  Committee  to draw  up and  initiate  a specific 
concerted  programme  of research. 
8. 3. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 59/61 
2.5. Annex  A 
The proposed  Decision  has  very  limited  objectives.  In 
the opinion  of the  Committee  the  detailed  research 
projects  that  are set out in Annex  A may  each  be pro-jects which  are important  in their  own  way,  but they  do 
not collectively  add  up to a concerted  action  research 
programme  on the growth  of large  urban  concentra-
tions.  If the proposed  Decision  is to achieve  any  sig-
nificant  impact,  provision  must  be made  for stimulating 
a positive  planned  programme  of research. 
Done  at Brussels,  14 December  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic 
and Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI