No C 248/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 9. 84 
2.6.2. The Committee feels that specific, tailored 
measures are essential in this area, given the damage 
which pollution inflicts on the socio-economic and 
professional structure and on the inhabitants of coastal areas. There can be no question of neglecting 
the conditions for reviving economic activity in dis­
aster areas (e.g. assistance for fishermen to preserve 
or reconstitute biological resources and stocks ...). 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1984. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision concerning the signing of the Protocol on 
cooperation in combating oil spills in the wider Carribbean region and the conclusion of 
the Convention for the protection and development of the marine environment of the wider 
Carribbean region and also of the Protocol on cooperation in combating oil spills in the 
wider Carribbean region (*) 
(84/C 248/12) 
On 12 January 1984 the Council decided, in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty 
establishing the European Economic Community, to consult the Economic and Social 
Committee on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs 
was instructed to prepare the Committee's work and adopted its opinion on 26 and 27 
April 1984 in the light of the report by Mr Zoli. 
At its 218th plenary session (meeting of 4 July 1984) the Economic and Social Com­
mittee adopted the following opinion unanimously. 
1. The Committee approves the Commission pro­
posal. 
2. However, the Committee has misgivings about 
the additional rights and obligations which could 
ensue for those Member States which do not accede 
to the Convention. 
2.1. The Committee also wonders whether it would 
be more appropriate, in order to avoid inconsisten­
cies in the rights and obligations of those Member 
States which will not be party to the Convention on the Carribean, for the Caribbean to be designated a 
sixth 'special area' for the purposes of the interna­
tional 'MarpoF Convention, which was drawn up 
under the aegis of the Intergovernmental Maritime 
Consultative Organization and has been internation­
ally applicable since 2 October 1983. 
2.2. Most of the Member States of the Community 
have now ratified the Marpol Convention and its 
1978 Protocol, and the European Community, in its 
recommendation 78/584/EEC(2), called upon the 
Member States to ratify that Convention. 
(i) OJ No C 5, 10. 1. 1984, p. 7. (2) OJ No L 194, 19. 7. 1978. 
17. 9. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 248/23 
2.3. Regulation 10 (2) (a) of Annex I to the Con­
vention clearly lays down ways of preventing oil 
pollution from ships which sail in five 'special areas' 
(the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the 
Red Sea and the Gulf area). It includes the provision 
that 'any discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixture 
from any oil tanker or any ship of 400 tonnes gross 
tonnage and above other than an oil tanker, shall be 
prohibited while in a special area ...'. 
2.4. The Convention also lays down special arran­
gements for prevention of and protection against 
marine pollution, which have already entailed con­
siderable expense for its signatories, to cover the 
training of crews and the construction of suitable 
storage facilities at oil terminals. 
3. As the system for the protection of the marine 
environment in the Caribbean region is similar to 
that established for the Mediterranean by the 1976 
Barcelona Convention, the Committee would re­
mind the Commission of the difficulties encountered 
in applying that Convention. In the case of pollution 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1984. 
1. The Committee assumes that negotations on the 
entry of Portugal and Spain will by and large have 
(') OJ NoC23, 30. 1. 1984. from ships, all the contracting parties must show 
diligence in regularly and rapidly informing the 
other Member States about accidents and spills of 
oil and other chemical products. 
4. In the case of pollution caused by dumping, the 
Committee notes that one of the difficulties encoun­
tered in the Mediterranean has been the application 
of the measures concerning the designation of the 
authority or authorities competent to issue licences 
and register the type and quantity of waste and other 
substances dumped. 
5. In the case of pollution from land-based 
sources, the Committee would stress the benefits of 
the continuous surveillance and control programmes 
for the discharge of pollutants, which are not always 
followed by the contracting parties to the Barcelona 
Convention and its 1980 Athens Protocol. 
6. In the Committee's view we should learn from 
experience and try to avoid the difficulties encoun­
tered in the application of the Barcelona Conven­
tion and its Protocol. 
been successfully terminated by 30 September 1984 
and that membership proper can run from 1 January 
1986. It is also of the view that both countries must 
join the Community simultaneously. The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Opinion on enlargement of the Community to include Portugal and Spain (') 
(84/C 248/13) 
On 24 November 1983 the Economic and Social Committee delivered an opinion on 
the general principle of the enlargement of the Community to include Portugal and 
Spain. 
The Committee stated its intention of drawing up an opinion on problems of particu­
lar concern to socio-economic circles at a later date. Hence this present opinion. 
The Section for External Relations, which was asked to do the preparatory work, 
adopted its opinion on 19 June 1984. The rapporteur was Mrs Strobel. 
At its 218th plenary session (meeting on 4 July 1984) the Committee adopted the fol­
lowing opinion by a large majority with one vote against and 23 abstentions.