No C 56/86 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 7.3. 77 
interventions  of a Community  nature  which  the  Done  at Brussels,  15 December  1976. 
project  might  'benefit  from'. 
The Committee  considers  that  Community  aid 
should  take  the  following  forms  (in  the  order 
indicated):  loan  guarantees,  loans,  interest  rate 
reductions  and,  only  in the 'last  resort,  subsidies. The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
3330/75  extending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 1174/68  on the  introduction  of a system  of 
bracket  tariffs  for the carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 298  of 17 December  1976,  page  38. 
On 4 November  1976,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementionad  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  75 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 
144th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 15 and  16 December  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Council  Regulations  (BBC)  No  2826/72  (2), (BBC) 
No 3255/74  (3) and  (BBC)  No 3330/75  (4), 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the Euro-
pean  Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article 
75 thereof, Having  regard  to its opinion  of 27 November  1975 
on the amendment  of this  Regulation  (5), 
Having  regard  to Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
1174/68  of 30 July  1968  on the  introduction  of a 
system  of bracket  tariffs  for the carriage  of goods  by 
road  between  Member  States  (*), as amended  by Having  regard  to the  request  for  an opinion  made 
by the  Council  of the  European  Communities  on 
4 November  1976, Having  regard  to its opinion  of 30 September  1976 
on the  communication  from  the Commission  to the 
Council  on the  operation  of the  markets  in surface 
goods  transport  within  the  Community,  and 
especially  the part  on a system  of reference  tariffs  for 
the carriage  af goods  by road  between  Member 
States  ("), 
(*) OJ No L 194,  6. 8. 1968,  p. 1. (') OJ  No L 298,  31. 12. 1972,  p. 12. 
(') OJ  No L 348,  28. 12. 1974,  p. 3. 
(4) OJ  No L 329,  23. 12. 1975,  p. 8. 
(5) OJ  No C 35, 16. 2. 1976,  p. 40. 
(') OJ  No C 281,  27. 11. 1976,  p. 2. 
7. 3. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 56/87 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 26 November  1976,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Transport  and  Communications  to draw  up  an 
opinion  on the new  proposal, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Transport  and  Communications  at its 108  th 
meeting,  held  on 3 December  1976, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Heimes, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 144th  plenary 
session  held  on 15 and  16 December  1976  (meeting 
of 15 December  1976), 
Whereas  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1174/68  of 
30 July  1968,  as amended  by Regulation  (EEC)  No 
3330/75  of  18  December  1975,  expires  on 
31 December  1976; 
Whereas  a Council  Decision  on the system  df rates, 
that is to replace  the 'bracket  tariff  system,  has  not 
yet been  adopted  and  is not  likely  to be adopted 
before  the end of 1976, HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by 52 votes  to 22, with  7 abstentions: 
1. The  Committee  endorses  the  Commission's 
proposal  that  the bracket  tariff  system  be extended 
beyond  31 December  1976. 
2. Recalling  its opinion  of 30 September  1976  on the 
communication  from  the Commission  to the Council 
on a system  for observing  the markets  and  a system 
of reference  tariffs  for the carriage  of goods  by road, 
the Committee  doubts,  however,  whether  the  pre-
requisites  for the replacement  of the  bracket  tariffs 
system  by, say,  a system  of reference  tariffs  can be 
established  within  one  year,  that  is to say  by 31 
December  1977. 
Done  at Brussels,  15 December  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  discussions: 
Replace  the whole  text  of the opinion  by the following: 
'1. The  Committee  regrets  that  it cannot  agree  to the Commission's  proposal  to extend 
for a further  year  the system  of bracket  tariffs  for the carriage  of goods  by road  between 
Member  States. 
2. The  Committee,  however,  asks  that  a decision  be taken  as soon  as possible  on bringing 
a reference  tariffs  system  into  operation  soon. 
3. The  Committee  also  hopes  that  the Commission  will  continue  its efforts  to bring  about 
liberalization  of the transport  market  as soon  as possible.' 
Reasons 
For years,  transport  users  have  protested  vigorously  against  a systematic  extension  of 
compulsory  bilateral  tariffs  in road  transport. 
They  approve  the principle  of setting  up a system  of reference  tariffs  as a guide,  but they 
stress  that  the ultimate  aim  of the common  transport  policy  with  regard  to prices  is for prices 
to be determined  freely  in all modes  of transport,  as was  pointed  out in the Commission  com-
munication  of October  1975. 
Voting 
For: 26, against:  44, absentions:  12.