31. 12.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/43 
industrial waste. This development means that by the end of the 1980s it will probably be 
possible to completely stop the dumping of waste from the titanium dioxide industry at sea. 
The Section asks the Commission to keep a close eye on this development. When appro­
priate, the Directive should be reviewed, and the present obligation to neutralize waste being 
dumped at sea should be replaced by a complete ban on the dumping of titanium dioxide 
waste in the aquatic environment.' 
Reasons 
Self-explanatory. 
Voting: 
For: 8, against: majority, abstentions: 18. 
Page 3 
Add: 
1.6. The Committee calls on the Community institutions, as well as on national govern­
ments and employers, to ensure that employment protection in the industry is taken fully 
into account in the harmonization process.' 
Reasons 
Self-explanatory. 
Voting: 
For: 40, against: 48, abstentions: 26. 
Page 3 
Add: 
'1.7. The Committee asks the Council to provide for the possibility of discharges in the 
aquatic environment to be controlled by a system of strictly enforced environmental quality 
objectives as an alternative to the system of reference values contained in the Commission's 
proposals.' 
Reasons 
The Council is being asked to bring the present proposals in line with existing EC instruments 
which allow for the setting of environmental quality objectives as a means of safeguarding the 
environment. 
Voting: 
For: 8, against: 82, abstentions: 11. 
Opinion on the Community policy on oils and fats 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 202nd plenary session held on 24 and 25 November 1982 the Committee acting 
on a proposal from its Bureau in accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 20 of 
its Rules of Procedure, decided to deliver an opinion on its own initiative on the 
above matter. 
No C 358/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 83 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
211th plenary session held in Brussels on 26 and 27 October 1983. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to Article 20, paragraph 4, of the 
Rules of Procedure, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular Arti­
cles 47 and 197 thereof, 
Having regard to the information report adopted by 
the Section for Agriculture at its meeting on 9 Sep­
tember 1982, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau 
on 23 November 1983, instructing the Section for 
Agriculture to prepare the proceedings of the Com­
mittee on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Sec­
tion for Agriculture at its 246th meeting on 6 Octo­
ber 1983, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rap­
porteur, Mr Lauga, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 211th plenary 
session held on 26 and 27 October 1983 (meeting of 
27 October), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by 73 votes to 64, with three abstentions: 
The Committee considers that Community policy 
for the whole oils and fats sector should be guided 
by the following observations and proposals. 
1. Views of the economic and social committee 
1.1. Butter, olive oil and oilseeds all have different 
Community marketing organizations. This is largely 
due to the substantial variations in the levels of 
self-sufficiency in these products which obtained 
when the common marketing organizations were 
established fifteen years ago. 1.2. The present arrangement for oilseeds and 
seed-oil is extremely attractive for Community con­
sumers and manufacturers, since it is one of the very 
few which allows them to obtain supplies at world 
prices rather than prices dictated by Community 
production costs. 
1.3. However, this arrangement (zero rating for 
seeds, low duties for oils) has a direct and indirect 
effect, which varies in intensity depending on use, 
on (i) butter, (ii) olive oil, (iii) Community-grown 
oilseeds (see below) and (iv) Community-produced 
vegetable protein. This has an impact on the Com­
munity budget. 
The Community's self-sufficiency is: 
— particularly low for vegetable fats and oils other 
than olive oil (around 20 to 25 %), 
— extremely low for high-protein vegetable prod­
ucts (5 % or so). 
This reliance on imports jeopardizes, if not Com­
munity supplies of vegetable oils, at least the supply 
security of high-protein products on which Com­
munity livestock farmers are increasingly depend­
ent. 
1.4. It is worth noting that, additionally, imports of 
vegetable proteins have soared in the last 15 years 
(from 6,5 to 25 million tonnes). Furthermore, oil 
seeds, which yield both proteins and fats, account 
for 50 % of vegetable protein imports. 
1.5. This has a twofold effect on Community 
finances: 
(a) Within the oils/fats sector, any relative fall in 
the price of imported oleaginous products 
boosts the cost of supporting consumption of 
olive oil and, to a lesser extent, butter. Further­
more, budget costs are pushed up by any expan­
sion of Community production of oilseeds and 
vegetable products because of the present sup-
31. 12.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/45 
port system enabling them to compete with fats, 
oils and vegetable proteins imported at world 
prices; 
(b) Zero-rated oilseed imports affect not only the 
Community oil and fats sector but also various 
stockfarming subsectors. (Oilcakes are a major 
factor in the expansion of livestock production, 
with its associated quantitative imbalances and 
the ensuing costs for the Community budget.) 
1.6. The Community line is, however, that expend­
iture on agriculture should not outstrip increases in 
the Community's 'own resources'. 
II. The committee's proposals 
2.1. The Committee considers that changes should 
be made with a view to ensuring: 
(i) a gradual, steady increase in Community self-
sufficiency in vegetable oils and fats, and in 
vegetable protein; 
(ii) diversification of farming — including 
increased production of oleaginous products 
and protein — geared to more rational utiliza­
tion of the Community's land and budgetary 
resources; 
(iii) tighter control of the external and internal fac­
tors which boost production in the livestock sec­
tor; 
(iv) stabilization and/or improvement of the terms 
of competition between (a) olive oil and seed 
oil, (b) butter and margarine; 
(v) consumption directed towards those products 
which are best for the health of the consumer 
and not merely towards those in which there is a 
surplus that is proving particularly difficult to 
dispose of. 
2.2. The Committee considers that attainment of 
the abovementioned objectives, i.e. implementation 
of a market and budget-equilibrium policy, hinges 
on a policy of reducing the supply of Community 
products in structural surplus and in this case the 
Committee would accept, as a quid pro quo, a reduc­tion in the gap between (a) the entry (or marketing) 
prices of imported vegetable oils, fats and proteins, 
and (b) the cost of producing these products (or sub­
stitutes) in the Community. 
Such a policy is the only way: 
(i) to contain the budgetary outlay which under the 
present system inevitably results from any 
increase in Community output of oleaginous 
and protein products (by making it possible to 
cut unit aid); 
(ii) at the same time, to cut the cost of supporting 
the marketing of olive oil; 
(iii) to improve the balance of Community agricul­
tural production by encouraging more intensive 
production of crops in which the Community is 
not self-sufficient and which can be substituted 
for surplus crops on a small but significant 
scale; 
(iv) to improve control of livestock products (milk 
in particular). 
2.3. The Committee therefore acknowledges the 
need to achieve an alignment in the oils and fats 
sector between the import price and the Community 
cost price. 
This could be achieved in various ways: 
The Commission, for its part, has opted for the use 
of taxation as set out in the proposal submitted on 
3 October 1983. 
The Committee notes this proposal and the sugges­
tions made on the subject by its Section for Agricul­
ture in point 2.3 of its opinion of 6 October 1983. 
The Committee would point out that it has come 
out against the introduction of a tax in the oils and 
fats sector on a number of occasions over the last 
few years. It does, however, recognize that the new 
background against which the Commission submit­
ted the abovementioned proposal — namely the 
revision of the CAP in accordance with the Stuttgart 
mandate — provides justification for a fresh and 
thorough consideration of the issue. 
The Committee intends to carry out such an exami­
nation and it will take up the matter anew in the 
No C 358/46 Official Journal of the European Communities 31.12.83 
opinion to be adopted in the near future on the pro­
posed revision of the CAP. 
At the present time the Committee recommends: 
— more intensive R&D (advice for farmers) 
designed to improve oleaginous and protein 
yields and varieties, 
— extending the present policy of production sup­
port for protein crops to a wider range of high-
protein products. 
2.4. The Committee considers that the recom­
mended closer alignment of import prices and Com­
munity cost prices must not result in a blanket rise 
in consumer prices of certain food products. This 
policy is not designed to upset the balance in agri­
cultural production and consumption but to halt 
and gradually change a trend which will otherwise 
lead to uncontrollable budgetary expenditure or to 
an extremely tight (and blind) policy on farm prices, 
with obvious repercussions for employment in agri­
culture. Community's relations with the rest of the world. 
Anyway, the Community is currently considering 
the introduction of various co-responsibility 
schemes for its own production, which virtually 
obliges it to review its commercial relations and 
farm trade with other countries. A non-discrimina­
tory tax on both imported and Community-prod­
uced oils and fats would not seem to be incompati­
ble with GATT rules, any more than some minimum 
marketing price schemes would be. 
2.5. An import levy system more closely in line 
with the general rules of Community preference 
would have to be discussed in GATT with the main 
supplier countries. At any rate, these countries 
would receive a significant quid pro quo in: (a) the 
relative contraction (or slower rate of growth) of 
Community cereal exports in the wake of a signifi-. 
cant expansion in Community output of oleaginous 
and protein products; (b) the relative contraction (or 
slower rate of growth) of Community dairy exports 
as vegetable protein imports were gradually 
replaced by home production ('). 
In the Committee's view these recommendations 
would not create insurmountable problems in the (') Ibid, for list of the main supplier countries concerned. 
Done at Brussels, 27 October 1983. 
TTie Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
APPENDICES 
to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 
APPENDIX 1 
Voting 
A roll-call vote was taken on the opinion as a whole. The following members, present or repre­
sented, voted for the opinion: 
Messrs Amato, Arena, Beretta, Berger, Bernasconi, Berns, Binnenbruck, Bonety, Bordes-Pages, 
Bornard, Brassier, Briganti, Burnel, de Caffarelli, Cammann, Carroll, Cashman, Cavazzuti, Chal-
ioris, Curlis, Dassis, De Bruyn, De Grave, d'Elia, Delia Croce, Delourme, De Tavernier, Dracos, 
Drago, Dunet, Eelsen, Emo Capodilista, Goris, Hovgaard Jakobsen, Kamizolas, Kelly, Kirschen, 
Kitsios, Kolble, Lauga, Laur, Marvier, Masucci, Meraviglia, Mols Sorensen, Monier, Morselli, 
Mourgues, Muller, Murphy, Nielsen B., Ognibene, Paggi, Pelletier, Querleux, Rainero, Regaldo, 
Rouzier, Schneider, Schnieders, Schoepges, Soulat, Spachos, Tixier, VasseUr, Vassilaras, Van der 
Veen, Ventejol, Vercellino, Wagner, Mrs Weber, Messrs Wick, Yverneau. 
31.12.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/47 
The following members, present or represented, voted against the Committee's opinion: 
Mr Antonsen, Mrs Bredima, Messrs Breitenstein, Broicher, Cremer, De Bievre, Von der Decken, 
Drain, Elkan, Mrs Engelen-Kefer, Messrs Etty, Flum, Fortuyn, Fuller, Glesener, Mrs Gredal, 
Messrs Van Greunsven, Hemmer, Mrs Heuser, Messrs Hilkens, Houthuys, Jaschick, Jenkins, 
Kenna, Kiibler, Law, L6w, Lojewski, Loughrey, Masprone, Milne, Muhr, Mrs Nielsen, Messrs 
Nierhaus, Noordwal, De Normann, Mrs Patterson, Messrs Pearson, Pfeiffer, Plank, Poeton, 
Pronk, Mrs Quigley, Mr Ramaekers, Mrs Rangoni-Machiavelli, Messrs van Rens, Romoli, Roy-
croft, Schwarz, Sir George Sharp, Messrs Smith A., Stahlmann, Staratzke, Storie-Pugh, Storm 
Hansen, Mrs Strobel, Messrs Swift, Tamlin, Van der Mensbrugghe, Van Melckenbeke, Wagen-
mans, Mrs Williams, Messrs De Wit, Zinkin. 
The following members, present or represented, abstained: 
Messrs Bagliano, Roseingrave, Strauss. 
APPENDIX 2 
A. Rejected amendment 
The following amendment to the Section opinion, tabled in accordance with the Rules of Proce­
dure, was rejected during the Committee's debate: 
Page 5 — point II 
Substitute by the following: 
'2. The Committee's proposals 
2.1. Any Community oils and fats policy has to try and meet a whole series of objectives. 
The housewife and industry want their oils and fats, and the livestock farmer wants his pro­
teins, at low prices. The producer of oils and fats needs a reasonable reward for his efforts. 
Suppliers elsewhere in the world expect the Community to abide by its obligations under 
GATT and Lome and to work towards the "harmonious development of world trade", as is 
required by Article 110 of the Treaty of Rome. Community preference must, at the same 
time, be respected, though this does not require the Community permanently to seek for 
self-sufficiency in each individual product. There needs to be some reduction in the Com­
munity's dependence on outside suppliers of vegetable oils and proteins from oilseeds. 
2.2. The Committee believes that hitherto the oils and fats policy has had a remarkable 
measure of success in achieving all these objectives at once. 
— A wide range of oils and fats has been available to the housewife and to industry at or 
near world prices. 
— The farmer has been protected by different methods for butter, olive oil and oilseeds but 
all of them have enabled him to obtain a reasonable price. 
— Proteins for animal feeds have been cheap and easily available, as is shown by the enor­
mous increase over the years in the consumption of soya meal. There has always been a 
preference for the Community product, though for oilseeds it has taken the form of a 
deficiency payment and not of a levy. 
— The external supplier has been content. The United States paid for the binding in GATT 
of the free entry of soya beans with considerable concessions. 
— Community production of rape seed has gone up six times in six years, of sunflower 
seed four times in four years. 
No C 358/48 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12.83 
2.3. The Committee is, therefore, chary of any major changes in the policy. In particular, it 
would oppose any measures, whether a levy, a minimum entry price or a tax, which would 
increase costs to the livestock farmer, to industry or to the housewife. 
2.4. A levy, if it was forced to bring the price of vegetable oils up to the price of olive oil, 
would roughly double the price of vegetable oils, and would cause some sympathetic 
increase in the price of lard and tallow too. This would increase the cost of cooking and 
spreading, affect industries ranging from soap and paint to biscuits and chocolate, and make 
animal feeds more expensive; a million tons of oils and fats a year are used in animal feeds. 
The effect would be particularly felt by the poor, in whose budgets oils and fats play a larger 
part than in those of the rich. In the UK, for example, old age pensioners spend twice as 
much on oils and fats as those with over £ 10 000 a year. 
2.5. A levy would be in clear breach of the Community's obligation under GATT and 
Lome. Large compensation would, therefore, have to be given to the Community's partners 
at the expense of industries like wine, whisky, steel, motor cars and machinery, or perhaps, 
in the case of the Lome countries, at the expense of the taxpayer. Alternatively, there might 
be massive retaliation which might have even more serious consequences for other Com­
munity industries. 
2.6. A minimum entry price would mean that the Community consumer would pay the for­
eign supplier more money than he could get from the market without the Community tax­
payer getting any of the difference. It would be a tax on the Community housewife and 
Community industry for the benefit of the foreign producer. 
2.7. The tax on oils and fats proposed by the Commission has, in the Committee's opinion, 
the same disadvantages as the levy, but on a smaller scale. Costs to industry, the consumer 
and the livestock farmer would go up less, the regressive effect would be less, and the reac­
tions of foreign suppliers would be more muted, though there are no signs that they would 
accept the Commission's contention that, since Community products will also be taxed, the 
Community would not be in breach of its obligations. The tax, moreover, might present two 
extra problems. As a tax, and not in any real sense an organization of the market, it might be 
held to come under Article 201 of the Treaty and therefore need ratification by all 10 parlia­
ments. 
Secondly, the Community might be perceived as asking for two extra taxes, this and the 
increase in the VAT ceiling, at a time when every Member State is making painful cuts in 
public expenditure in order to avoid increasing taxes. 
2.8. The Committee recognizes that if a levy, a minimum import price and a tax are all 
rejected a budgetary problem will remain and that this problem will become worse as the 
transition period after Spain's entry proceeds. By the early 1990s the costs for Spanish olive 
oil will be considerable. However, the taxpayer is also a consumer. So long as the Com­
munity is in heavy deficit for vegetable oils, the present system will be cheaper for the con­
sumer taxpayer than any other, especially since the costs to the consumer of any levy, 
minimum entry price or tax would be measurably increased by trade mark-ups. 
2.9. The Committee sees some possibilities for a reduction in expenditure through better 
administration of the olive oil aids (on this the Commission has already made proposals) 
and in a prudent price policy for sunflower and rape. These two crops are now over the tee­
thing troubles which beset any new crop and research is producing a steady improvement in 
yield and quality. Prudent prices should, therefore, still leave sunflower and rape at least as 
profitable as competing crops. There should also be Community measures to encourage 
research, particularly research aimed at removing the defects which limit the use of rape oil, 
(e.g. colour, linolenic acid content) and rape cake (notably the glucosinolate content), and to 
31. 12.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 358/49 
ensure that only oil and cake of high quality are produced, as has been done in Canada. This 
would enable Community rape seed to obtain a higher price from the market and would thus 
reduce the burden on the budget of deficiency payments. 
2.10. The Committee believes that there is a need for a further diversification in the use of 
land away from feed wheat which is in large surplus. It would, therefore, oppose any guaran­
tee threshold for rape seed for purely budgetary reasons provided that the cost of deficiency 
payments to rape seed per hectare do not, on an average of years, exceed those of exporting 
feed wheat. The Committee also considers that some reduction in the Community's depend­
ence on imported protein in animal feed would be desirable, though anything approaching 
complete self-sufficiency is impossible if only because the potential in the Community for 
growing soya beans is, in the present state of knowledge, so small. The shortage of Com­
munity grown proteins should not, however, be exaggerated. There are for instance, millions 
of tons of protein in the Community cereals fed to animals. 
2.11. The policy for proteins, however, should not be such as to put up costs to the lives­
tock farmer. 80 % of imported soya meal is fed to pigs and poultry and much of the rest goes 
to beef cattle. Any increase in soya meal prices is therefore to be avoided. There is, however, 
much scope for a more active policy in favour of Community proteins, notably peas and 
beans. It will be much easier to make such a policy effective if the price policy the Commis­
sion has proposed for cereals is adopted.' 
Result of the vote by name: 
For: 66, against: 68, abstentions: 7. 
The following members, present or represented, voted in favour of the amendment: 
Messrs Antonsen, Berger, Binnenbruck, Mrs Bredima, Messrs Breitenstein, Broicher, Cammann, 
Cremer, De Bievre, De Bruyn, Von der Decken, Drain, Elkan, Mrs Engelen-Kefer, Messrs Etty, 
Flum, Fortuyn, Fuller, Glesener, Mrs Gredal, Messrs Van Greunsven, Hemmer, Mrs Heuser, 
Messrs Hilkens, Houthuys, Jaschick, Jenkins, Kenna, Kolble, Kiibler, Law, Low, Lojewski, 
Loughrey, Masprone, Muhr, Mrs Nielsen, Messrs Nierhaus, Noordwal, de Normann, Mrs Patter­
son, Messrs Pearson, Pfeiffer, Plank, Poeton, Pronk, Mrs Quigley, Messrs Ramaekers, Van Rens, 
Romoli, Schwartz, Sir George Sharp, Messrs Smith A., Stahlmann, Staratzke, Storie-Pugh, Storm 
Hansen, Mrs Strobel, Messrs Swift, Tamlin, Van der Mensbrugghe, Van Melckenbeke, Wagen-
mans, Mrs Williams, Messrs De Wit, Zinkin. 
The following members, present or represented, voted against the amendment: 
Messrs Amato, Arena, Bagliano, Bazianas, Beretta, Berns, Bonety, Bordes-Pages, Bornard, Bras­
sier, Briganti, Burnel, De Caffarelli, Cashman, Cavazzuti* Chalioris, Curlis, Dassis, Dassoulas, 
D'Elia, Delia Croce, Delourme, De Tavernier, Dracos, Drago, Dunet, Eelsen, Emo Capodilista, 
Goris, Hadjivassiliou, Hovgaard Jakobsen, Kamizolas, Kelly, Kirschen, Lauga, Laur, Marvier, 
Masucci, Meraviglia, Mols Sorensen, Monier, Morselli, Mourgues, Muller, Murphy, Nielsen B., 
Ognibene, Paggi, Pelletier, Querleux, Raftopoulos, Rainero, Regaldo, Rouzier, Schneider, 
Schnieders, Schoepges, Soulat, Spachos, Tixier, Vasseur, Vassilaras, Van der Veen, Ventejol, Ver-
cellino, Wagner, Mrs Weber, Mr Yverneau. 
The following members, present or represented, abstained: 
Messrs Bernasconi, Carroll, De Grave, Margot, Roseingrave, Strauss, Wick. 
B. The following passage in the section opinion was deleted following adoption of an amendment 
during the debate 
Point 2.3 
'The Section therefore recommends: 
— minimum entry (or marketing) prices for imported seeds and oils. An excise tax on both 
imported and Community-produced vegetable fats and oils might be a viable alternative 
here, 
No C 358/50 Official Journal of the European Communities 31.12.83 
— more intensive R &D (advice for farmers) designed to improve oleaginous and protein 
yields and varieties, 
— extending the present policy of production support for protein crops to a wider range of 
high-protein products.' 
Voting: 
For: large majority, against: 4, abstentions: 19. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community scheme to 
provide forests in the Community with increased protection against fire and acid rain 
The text referred to the Committee has not yet been published in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 11. July 1983 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 
211th plenary session held in Brussels on 26 and 27 October 1983. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council 
of the European Communities on 11 July 1983 for 
an opinion on the proposal for a Council Regula­
tion establishing a Community scheme to provide 
forests in the Community with increased protection 
against fire and acid rain, 
Having regard to Article 18 of its Rules of Proce­
dure, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rap­
porteur, Mr Schnieders, 
Having regard to the proceedings at its 211th plen­
ary session held on 26 and 27 October 1983 (meeting 
of 27 October 1983), by a unanimous vote: 
1. The Committee welcomes the Commission's 
proposal. The damage to forests, forest floors and 
lakes, which has an incalculable impact on the ecol­
ogical balance and the economy of the EC Member 
States, has reached alarming proportions. Several 
hundred thousand hectares of forest have already 
been destroyed by acid rain and fires. 
2. The Committee deplores the fact that, as there is 
no common forestry policy, the EC Commission has 
few means of tackling the forest-damage problem. 
The Committee would draw attention once again to 
its opinion of 22 May 1979 on the establishment of 
a common forestry policy ('). 
(') OJ No C 227, 10. 9. 1979.