No C 225/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 9. 90 
Article 5 
2.5. Action research around pilot projects would clearly 
necessitate a reorientation of and a substantial boost to the 
preliminary draft budget for 1991/1992 of ECU 2 400 000, 
covered by Article 5 of the resolution. A yearly budget of 
not less than ECU 4 200 000 is necessary, of which 
ECU 3 million must be for pilot projects. The Committee 
considers, moreover, that an on-going four-year budget 
might be more appropriate. 
Article 6 
2.6. Article 6 refers only to the official Advisory 
Committee to be set up, composed as usual of representat­
ives of the Member States (national civil servants). The 
Article should also incorporate into the text the official 
setting up of a liaison group (as outlined in paragraph 63 of 
the introduction). This group should represent the elderly 
and be composed both of representative European 
organizations of the elderly or working on behalf of the 
elderly and of similar national organizations interested in 
the European Community dimension. Its work criteria 
should also be clarified. 
Article 7 
2.7. Article 7 should be modified in order to designate 
1993 as 'European Year for Older People'. The Committee 
believes that there would be greater participation by all 
1. Introduction 
1.1. Casein is the main protein in milk and is produced 
both in the EEC and elsewhere. Imports have been 
increasing and the Commission cannot use tariffs to 
counteract these because the protein is bound under the interested parties of all age groups in this year were the 
Commission to launch an immediate campaign, including 
appropriate legislative proposals (i.e. for older workers) 
and announce its plans and budget more explicitly, and 
present them for approval. 
2.8. Commission reports should be drawn up both at an 
interim stage and at the end of the programme's period of 
activity. Such reports should be referred respectively to the 
European Parliament and to the Economic and Social 
Committee. 
2.9. Given the importance and complexity of the subject 
as a whole, and the tight time limits necessary for the 
drawing up of this opinion, the Committee will prepare an 
own-initiative opinion at an early stage dealing with the 
role and situation of the elderly in the Community, 
especially in view of progress towards a 'People's Europe' 
without frontiers and with much more freedom of 
movement. In its own-initiative opinion the Committee 
also intends to put forward proposals for a Community 
action programme for the elderly. 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
GATT. The Commission has therefore resorted to 
administrative measures, but the ones chosen so far have 
been difficult to police, so much so, that there have even 
been speculative movements in the market. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down additional general rules on 
the common organization of the market in milk and milk products as regards cheese (*) 
(90/C 225/08) 
On 1 June 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Economic and Social Committee decided to appoint Mr Gardner as rapporteur-general with 
the task of preparing its work on the subject. 
At its 278th plenary session (meeting of 4 July 1990) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion unanimously. 
(!) OJ No C 135, 2. 6. 1990, p. 9. 1.2. The Commission believes that recent increases in 
casein usage are due to its incorporation in Natural cheeses, 
10. 9. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 225/17 
contrary to national legislation. It has therefore issued this 
proposal, which, as written, would severely limit the use of 
casein in all cheeses, while freeing the use of subsidized 
casein in other products. 
1.3. National legislation in all Member States prohibits 
the use of added casein in natural cheeses. 
1.4. Casein, however, is widely used as a technical aid to 
standardize and control the texture of processed cheese and 
cheese spreads. Its use, even at low levels, can help to 
balance the variation in texture and body of the many types 
and ages of natural cheese for processing. Casein is also an 
essential ingredient in the production of low fat or reduced 
calorie processed cheeses and spreads, for which there is an 
increasing consumer demand. Equally it is important for 
regional specialities such as the German 'Sauermilchkase'. 
1.5. Indeed its importance as a technical aid has already 
been recognized by the Council Regulation of 24 Novem­
ber 1988, allowing incorporation of 2 % of EEC subsidized 
casein because of technological reasons. The bulk of the 
casein used in these cheeses is of Community origin, most 
imported product being of insufficient quality. 
2. General comments 
2.1. The Committee welcomes equal treatment for EEC 
and imported casein. 
2.2. The Committee also fully endorses the stated aim of 
the Commission of restoring compliance with national 
legislations and stopping any illicit use of casein in natural 
cheese. 
2.3. Unfortunately as drafted the proposal also covers 
the products under 1.4 and this results in the following 
problems: 
2.3.1. It appears to limit the use of a highly nutritious 
food for administrative convenience. 
2.3.2. It would result in giving the consumer a less 
acceptable and dearer product in order to facilitate controls 
on casein. 
2.3.3. The Commission has published no figures of how 
much added casein is used in cheese. If the savings of this proposal are insufficient, the Commission could try to 
extend the measure to other dairy products. 
2.4. The Committee therefore urges the Commission to 
revise the proposal to make it clear that only natural cheese 
is covered. This can be done simply by changing Article 2 of 
the proposal in line with our comments under 3.2 below. 
3. Specific comments 
3.1. Article 1 
Change last line to: 
'Having regard to technical, production efficiency and 
nutritional considerations' 
Also the conditions should be laid down uniformly 
throughout the EEC by a Council procedure. 
3.2. Article 2 
This needs revising to clarify that natural cheeses are 
covered but not the products given under 1.4. 
3.3. Article 3 
1 (a) to (c) are onerous but probably necessary. Any 
measures under 1 (d) however, should be made by the 
Council and not by a Commission procedure. 
3.4. Export 
There needs to be an exemption for cheese exported out of 
the Community, so as not to put EEC products at a 
disadvantage with local product in export markets. 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE