23. 8. 76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 197/11 
for it would  be unthinkable  for  manufacturers  to 
have  to modify  vehicle  bodies  according  to the 
market  for which  they  are intended. Commission  to study  these  comments  with  the 
greatest  attention. 
Done  at Brussels,  25 May  1976. 
3. The  report  drawn  up by the  Section  includes 
technical  comments  on  the  angle  of binocular 
obstruction  in particular.  The  Committee  asks  the The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposals  for Council  Directives  on the approximation  of the laws  of 
the Member  States  relating  to the  permissible  sound  emission  levels  for:  A. tower 
cranes;  B. current  generators  for  welding;  C. current  generators  for  power  supply 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 54 of 8 March  1976,  page  63. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 14 January  1976,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposals  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 
139th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 25 and  26 May  1976. 
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 
14 January  1976, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
27 January  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  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  at its 
meeting  on 5 May  1976, 
Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Marvier, Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 139th  plenary 
session,  held  on 25 and  26 May  1976  (meeting  on 25 
May), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the  proposals,  subject  to 
the comments  set out below. 
1. General  comments 
1.1. Subject  of the proposal 
1.1.1.  The  Committee  feels  that  the  Commission 
has been  unable  to give  thorough  consideration  to 
No C 197/12 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 23. 8. 76 
all the various  aspects  involved,  because  of the haste 
with  which  the proposal  on cranes  has  been  drawn 
up. It is true  that  new  technical  barriers  might  have 
been  created  by the measures  introduced  recently  by 
certain  Member  States  despite  the  agreement  to 
maintain  the status  quo. 
1.1.2.  The  Committee  nevertheless  considers  that 
the aims  of the  proposal  on cranes  — namely  to 
remove  technical  barriers,  protect  the  environment 
and make  conditions  safer  for workers,  particularly 
those  working  in the  cabin  — can  be achieved 
without  introducing  type  approval  for  all types  of 
tower  cranes. 
1.1.3.  Cranes  are  assembled  from  standardized 
components.  The  components  can  be used  in a wide 
variety  of combinations  and  there  are  a very  large 
number  of different  types  of cranes.  If type  approval 
were  to be introduced  for  every  type  of crane, 
manufacturers  would  be obliged  to carry  out a large 
number  of procedures.  It has  yet to be proved  that 
benefits  would  accrue  from  such  procedures. 
1.1.4.  The  source  of the noise  emitted  by cranes  is 
the hoisting  winch.  This  is cearly  stated  in Annex  I, 
which  sets  out  the  proposed  method  of measuring 
sound  emissions.  There  are  not  as many  types  of 
hoisting  winches  as there  are of cranes. 
1.1.5.  If  type  approval  were  to be introduced  for 
hoisting  winches,  rather  than  cranes,  this  would 
simplify  procedures,  cut  down  the  number  of 
procedures  involved,  and  lower  costs. 
1.1.6.  The  Committee  therefore  asks  that  type 
approval  be introduced  for  the hoisting  winches  of 
tower  cranes,  rather  than  the  cranes.  The  proposal 
should  be amended  accordingly. 
1.2. The  type  of approximation 
1.2.1.  The  Committee  regrets  the  failure  to 
propose  'total'  approximation,  which  would  be 
necessary  to bring  about  better  protection  of the 
environment  and  make  conditions  safer  for workers, 
particularly  those  working  in the cabin. 2. Specific  comments 
A. PROPOSAL  FOR  A DIRECTIVE  ON  TOWER 
CRANES 
2.1 Article  1 
2.1.1.  The  second  paragraph  should  be amended 
to read  as follows: 
'For the  purposes  of this  Directive,  "tower 
crane"  means  a mechanically-powered  lifting 
device  capable  of being  dismantled,  possessing  a 
vertical  tower  or derrick  and  a boom  which  is 
either  horizontal  or inclined'. 
2.2. Article  2 
2.2.1.  Item  2.1  should  be amended  to read  as 
follows: 
'Member  States  shall  approve  the  hoisting 
winches  in tower  cranes  to be used  on building 
sites .. 
2.2.2.  The  following  sentence  should  be inserted 
immediately  after  the table: 
'The  other  gear  of the  tower  cranes  must  not 
exceed  the  permissible  sound  emission  levels 
given  in the  above  table  for  the  hoisting 
mechanism'. 
B. PROPOSAL  FOR  A DIRECTIVE  ON  CURRENT 
GENERATORS  FOR  WELDING 
(No comments). 
C. PROPOSAL  FOR  A DIRECTIVE  ON  CURRENT 
GENERATORS  FOR  POWER  SUPPLY 
(No comments). 
Done  at Brussels,  25 May  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE