No C 64/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 3. 82 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a concerted-action project of the 
European Economic Community on the effect of processing on the physical properties of 
foodstuffs (COST project 90 bis) 
The text referred to the Committee has not yet been published in the Official Journal of 
the European Communities. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 2 October 1981 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 
193rd plenary session held in Brussels on 15 and 16 December 1981. 
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 
Article 198 thereef, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 2 October 1981 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision 
adopting a concerted-action project of the European 
Economic Community on the effect of processing on 
the physical properties of foodstuffs (COST project 
90 bis), 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
27 October 1981, instructing the Section for Industry, 
Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an 
opinion on the subject, 
Having regard to its opinion on the proposal for a 
Council Decision adopting a concerted-action 
project of the European Economic Community in the 
field of physical properties of foodstuffs (*), 
Having regard to its opinion on the proposal for a 
Council Decision adopting a concerted-action 
project of the European Economic Community on 
the effects of thermal processing and distribution on 
the quality and nutritive value of food (2), Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section 
for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services at its 
meeting on 2 December 1981; 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur, Mr Chabrol; 
Having regard to the discussions at its 193rd plenary 
session held on 15 and 16 December 1981 (session of 
15 December 1981), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The Committee notes that the present proposal is 
a logical continuation of the first concerted-action 
project (COST project 90, adopted by the Council on 
20 February 1978 (3)) and of COST project 91, 
adopted by the Council on 22 October 1979 (4). 
1.1. The aim of this new concerted-action project, 
as the Commission states in its introduction, is 
twofold: to bring the first project to a satisfactory 
conclusion; and to make use of the experience 
acquired so far by extending the area of coordination 
to cover certain properties knowledge of which is 
considered essential if the quality of foodstuffs is to 
(') OJ No C 59, 8. 3. 1978, p. 55. 
(2) OJ No C 247, 1. 10. 1979, p. 55. (3) OJ No L 54, 25. 2. 1978, p. 25. 
(4) OJ No L 270, 27. 10. 1979, p. 53. 
15. 3. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 64/11 
be improved. The Committee approves these two 
aims. 
2. The Committee stresses that the Commissions's 
responsibility in the present concerted-action project 
is confined to the coordination of research, just as it 
was in previous projects. This explains the relatively 
small financial contribution of the Community. 
2.1. The Committee would like to see the 
Commission play a more active role — at least at the 
following two stages: 
— firstly, when research topics are being allocated 
between Member States and laboratories, there 
should be greater publicity in order to give 
laboratories (including private laboratories) a 
better chance of being able to praticipate in 
projects. Laboratories do not always have access 
Done at Brussels, 15 December 1981. to detailed information on proposed research 
topics and are therefore unable to express any 
interest they might have in participating in 
research work, 
— secondly, research findings should be 
disseminated without reservation. In this respect 
the Committee reiterates what was said in its 
opinion referred to above (OJ No C 247, 1. 10. 
1979) and calls for deletion of the last two 
sentences of Article 5 (3). 
3. Article 5 (3) states that a consolidated report on 
the performance and result of the project is to be sent 
by the Commission to the Member States and to the 
European Parliament. The Committee urges that is 
should also be sent the report, as it requested in its 
opinion on the first concerted-action project. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE