No C 101/6 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 26. 4. 78 
Opinion  on the  Commission  report  to the  Council  on the  situation  regarding  the 
production  and  marketing  of hops:  1977  harvest,  and  the  proposal  for  a Council 
Regulation  laying  down,  in respect  of hops,  the  amount  of the  aid  to producers  for 
the 1977  harvest 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of  the 
European  Communities  No  C 44 of 22 February  1978,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20  February  1978,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Articles  47 and  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 
156th  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 1 and  2 March  1978. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Articles  47 and  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 20 February  1978  for 
an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its chairman 
on 22  February  1978  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to draw  up an opinion  on the  matter, 
Having  regard  to Articles  46 and  47 of the  Rules  of 
Procedure  (urgency  procedure), 
Having  regard  to the  ESC's  previous  work  on the 
matter  and,  in particular,  its opinions  on the proposal 
for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 1696/71  on  the  common  organization  of the 
market  in hops  ('),  the  amendment  to this  proposal 
(2), and  the  proposal  for a Council  Regulation  laying 
down,  in respect  of hops,  the  amount  of the  aid  to 
producers  for the 1976  harvest  (3), 
(») OJ No C 197,  23. 8. 1976. 
n OJ  No C 56, 7. 3. 1977. 
(3) OJ No C 180,  28. 7. 1977. Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 24 February  1978, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr Bernaert, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 156th  plenary 
session  held  on 1 and  2 March  1978  (meeting  of 
1 March  1978), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The  Committee  is pleased  to note  that  the 
Commission  has  submitted  its  proposal  for  a 
Regulation  in February.  This  should  enable  planters 
to get aid much  sooner  than  in previous  years. 
2. For  the  first  time,  the  Regulation  laying  down 
the aid to producers  for the 1977  harvest  is based  on 
Commission  Regulation  (EEC)  No 1517/77  (4), which 
was drawn  up  after  consulting  the  Management 
Committee  for  Hops  in line  with  Regulation  (EEC) 
(4) OJ No L 169,  7. 7. 1977. 
26. 4. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C101/7 
6. Under  the basic  Regulations  there  are two  ways 
in which  the  Commission  can  intervene  when  there 
are structural  surpluses: 
(a) it can  grant  aid  to only  a part  of the  cultivated 
area listed  for a given  year;  or 
(b) it can  withhold  aid from  areas  which  are in their 
first and/or  second  year  of production. 
The Commission  has chosen  the second  alternative. 
7. Under  Article  12  of  the  amended  basic 
Regulation,  aid may,  under  certain  circumstances,  be 
paid  upon  application  by producers'  groups. 
But, as the amended  Regulation  only  came  into  force 
on 1 July  1977,  it was  not  possible  for  the 
Commission  to apply  it to the 1977  harvest. 
8. Bearing  in mind  the  above  comments,  the 
Committee  approves  the Commission's  proposal. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the report  on starch  products  in the Community  and  the starch  production 
refund 
The opinion  of the Committee  does  not relate  to any  published  text. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its 152nd  plenary  session  held  on 25 and  26 October  1977  the  Committee,  acting 
on a proposal  from  its Bureau,  decided  to deliver  an opinion  on the  abovementioned 
subject  on its own  initiative. No 1696/71  (i) as amended  by Regulation  (EEC)  No 
1170/77  (:). 
3. According  to the  Commission's  report,  hop 
producers'  earnings  in 1977  were,  on average,  down 
1 % from  1976.  This  was  because  although  the  unit 
price  was  lower,  the harvest  was  bigger. 
4. To  counteract  this  drop  the  Commission  plans 
to increase  aid by an average  of 7 % over  its 1976 
level,  but  the  three  groups  of hop  varieties  will  be 
treated  differently.  Aid  to the  bitter  group  of hop 
varieties  will  go up 5 % and  the aromatic  group  will 
get 10 % more  aid,  but  other  varieties  will  get 10 % 
less. 
5. The  Commission  justifies  this  variation  by 
saying  that  it has  to ensure  that  planters  get  a fair 
income  and  that  the structural  surpluses  noted  in its 
report  to the Council  are corrected. 
(*) OJ No L 175,  4. 8. 1971. 
(2) OJ  No L 137,  3. 6. 1977. 
Done  at Brussels,  i March  1978.