4.3.76 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 50/29 
Item  2.11 
'The  Section  is unable  to accept  the average  figure  for two  main  reasons.' 
Item  2.12 
'The  average  increase  in farm  prices  this  year  should  therefore  be the higher  of the  two 
figures.' 
Item  2.18 
'The  above  observations  only  strengthen  the  Section's  belief  that  the  general  level  of the 
common  prices  this  year  is inadequate.' 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Directive  amending  Directives  66/403/EEC  and 
70/458/EEC  on the marketing  of seed  potatoes  and  vegetable  seed 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of  the 
European  Communities  No  C 267  of 21 November  1975,  page  14. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 10  November  1975  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 
136th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 28 and  29 January  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of  the  European  Communities  on 
10 November  1975, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
25 November  1975,  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 Murphy, Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 19 and  20 January 
1976, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 136th  plenary 
session  held  on 28 and  29 January  1976  (meeting  of 
28 January), 
HAS  UNANIMOUSLY  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING 
OPINION: 
The Commission  document  proposes  a one-year 
extension  of the  validity  of the  national  equivalences 
No C 50/30 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 4. 3.76 
which  Member  States  have  granted  in respect  of 
certain  non-member  countries.  The  Commission  also 
proposes  that  Member  States  be authorized  to take 
more  stringent  measures  than  those  provided  for in 
Article  13 (2) of Council  Directive  66/403/EEC  of 
14 June  1966,  in order  to protect  the health  of seed 
potatoes. 
The Committee  approves  the  Commission  proposal 
and recommends  that  Member  States  should  not  be obliged  to ease  the plant-health  protection  measures 
which  they  are already  enforcing. 
The Committee  trusts  that  the implementation  of this 
proposal  will  encourage  the Council  finally  to decide 
on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  on measures 
to prevent  the  introduction  into  Member  States  of 
organisms  harmful  to plant  life.  The  Economic  and 
Social  Committee  delivered  a detailed,  reasoned 
opinion  on this  proposal  on 29 September  1965. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 January  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE