No C 47/34 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 27. 2. 75 
is not to be sold  on the internal  market  and  must  be 
exported.  The  producer  of this  sugar  thus  runs  a 
certain  risk  because  he is dependent  on the  world 
market  trend.  The  Committee  therefore  feels  that  if 
the Community  considers  'mobilizing'  some  of this 
'surplus-production'  sugar  to safeguard  its supply 
situation,  the decision  to do so must  be taken  by the 
Council,  bearing  in mind  the  special  status  of this 
sugar. 
2.6. Minimum  stock  (Article  17) 
This  Article  makes  it compulsory  for  each  sugar 
manufacturer  to hold  in stock  throughout  the 
marketing  year  a quantity  of sugar  which  may  not be 
less than  10 % of his actual  production  or 10 °/o of 
his basic  quota,  whichever  is the smaller. 
The Committee  stresses  the  urgent  need  for  a 
stockpiling  policy  to bring  equilibrium  to the market 
and safeguard  supplies. 
The Committee  wonders  whether  it will  be possible 
to apply  this  proposal  in the short  term  since,  given 
the state  of the Community's  sugar  balance,  it might 
jeopardize  supplies  to consumers.  Furthermore,  the 
Committee  considers  it absolutely  vital  that  account 
be taken,  in determining  the extra  sugar  production, 
of the financial  burdens  which  the proposal  involves. 
In view  of these  considerations,  the Committee  is of 
the opinion  that  the level  of the  stocks  in question, 
and the  way  in which  they  are  to be built  up, 
financed  and  administered,  must  be laid  down  at the 
appropriate  time  by  the  Council  in a separate 
Regulation. 
2.7. Refining  of sugar  imported  from  Associated 
States  (Article  33) 
The Committee  considers  that  stability  in the 
processing  of sugar  imported  from  Associated  States should  be ensured  by means  of refining  quotas,  as is 
already  the  case  for  Community  sugar  production. 
Detailed  rules  for  the  allocation  of these  quotas 
should  be laid  down  by the  Council,  taking  into 
account  the interests  of consumers,  producers  of raw 
sugar  and  the various  types  of sugar-refining  firms. 
2.8. French  overseas  departments  and  Italy 
The Committee  draws  the  attention  of the  Council 
to: 
— the  plight  of cane  sugar  producers  in the French 
overseas  departments  who  at all events  should 
not be placed  in a less-favourable  position  than 
sugar  producers  in the Associated  States; 
— the  specific  natural  and  structural  drawbacks 
affecting  beet  production  and  industrial-scale 
processing  in Italy  where,  mainly  because  of the 
climate,  yields  per  acre  are  lower  and  plant 
stands  idle  for longer  periods. 
The Committee  considers  that  these  regions  should  be 
the subject  of special  measures  similar  to those 
which  have  been  introduced  under  Article  34 of 
Regulation  No 1009/67/EEC  (in the case  of Italy  the 
measures  should  apply  in both  the  agricultural  and 
the industrial  spheres). 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  on the financing  by the Community 
of certain  emergency  measures  in the  field  of animal  health 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 145  of 22 November  1974,  pages  58 and  59. 
A. LEGAL  'BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 29 October  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
27. 2. 75 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 47/35 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 126th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 19 December  1974. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 29 October  1974  by 
the Council  of the European  Communities; 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  100  thereof; 
Having  regard  to the  decision  of its Bureau  of 29 
October  1974  instructing  the Section  for Agriculture 
to prepare  the Committee's  work  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Schnieders; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 5 December 
1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 126th  plenary 
session,  held  on 19 December  1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  welcomes  the  Commission  proposal 
but feels  that  a number  of comments  are  called  for. 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  agrees  with  the  Commission 
that action  should  initially  be confined  to dealing 
with  the  risk  of outbreaks  of 'exotic  diseases' 
within  the territory  of the Community. 
1.2. The  Committee  considers  that  to  enable 
Community  action  to be expanded  and  taken  soon 
enough,  all  efforts  designed  to  further  the 
harmonization  of national  measures  in the  field  of 
animal  health  would  have  to be speeded  up and 
given  top  priority.  Therefore,  the  provisions  should 
not be  extended  to  cover  other  diseases  until 
national  measures  in respect  of animal  health  have 
been  harmonized.  It should,  however,  be pointed  out 
that such  harmonization  at Community  level  is a 
precondition  of  an  effective  campaign  against 
epizootic  diseases. 2. Specific  comments 
2.1. Article  1(1) 
The fifth  indent  of Article  1 (1)  should  read  as 
follows: 
'the application  of measures  to prevent  the 
spread  of infection  by human  beings,  animals, 
means  of transport  or  objects  coming  from 
contaminated  farms  or buffer  zones.' 
2.2. Article  1 (4) 
The Committee  notes  that  only  diseases  which  occur 
in third  countries  ('exotic  diseases')  may  be added  to 
the list of diseases. 
2.3. Article  3 
The first  line  should  be amended  to read: 
'The  Community  may  decide  to  build  up 
stocks  ...' 
2.4. Article  4 (1) 
In keeping  with  the comment  made  on Article  3, the 
Committee  requests  that  the last  line  of Article  4 (1) 
should  read  as follows: 
'.. . disease  by  providing  vaccines  or  by 
financing  the purchase  thereof.' 
2.5. Article  6 
The Committee  considers  that  the  sum  proposed  is 
adequate  for the first  year  of operation.  However,  to 
achieve  the desired  degree  of effectiveness,  provision 
will have  to be made  subsequently  for  funds  more 
commensurate  with  the  action  to be  taken.  In 
particular,  it should  be laid  down  that  the Council  is 
to grant  supplementary  credits  in the  event  of a 
persistent  epidemic. 
No C 47/36 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 27. 2. 75 
2.6. Article  7 
The Committee  urges  that  the  present  temporary 
provisions  governing  the  'Standing  Veterinary 
Committee'  be made  definitive  as soon  as possible. 
2.7. Article  7 (a) 
The Committee  requests  the  insertion  of  an 
additional  Article  requiring  the Commission  to send to the Council  every  two  years  a report  on the use  of 
the funds  and  the  results  obtained. 
Done  at Brussels,  19 December  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on  the  proposal  for  a Council  Directive  amending  for  the  second  time 
Directive  No  73/241/EEC  on the  approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
relating  to cocoa  and  chocolate  products  intended  for  human  consumption 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 154  of 7 December  1974,  pages  6 to 9. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 25 November  1974,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committe  drew  up its Opinion  at its 126th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 19 December  1974. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 25 November  1974 
by the Council  of the European  Communities  of the 
proposal  for  a Council  Directive  amending  for  the 
second  time  Directive  No  73/241/EEC  on  the 
approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
relating  to cocoa  and  chocolate  products  intended 
for human  consumption; 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  100  thereof; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 26 November  1974  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to prepare  the Committee's  work  on the 
matter,  under  the  urgency  procedure  laid  down  in 
Articles  46 and  47 of the Rules  of Procedure; Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Bourel; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  adopted  by  the 
Section  for  Agriculture  at its  meeting  held  on 
5 December  1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 126th  plenary 
session,  held  on 19 December  1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  subject  to the 
following  comments: 
1. The  Committee  notes  with  satisfaction  that  the 
Commission  has  acted  on most  of the requests  made 
by the relevant  economic  interests  and  social  groups