7.3. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 56/83 
extended  within  a short  time  to all other  waterways 
in the Community. 
4. Finally,  the  Committee  considers  that  the  Com-
mission  and  the  Council  should  do  everything 
possible  to deal  effectively  with  the  problem  of the 
surplus  capacity  caused  by structural  factors  in inland 
waterway  transport. Done  at Brussels,  16 December  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinions  on the communication  from  the Commission  to the Council  on action  in the 
field  of transport  infrastructure;  proposal  for a Council  Decision  instituting  a consultation 
procedure  and  creating  a committee  in the field  of transport  infrastructure;  proposal  for 
a Council  Regulation  concerning  aid to projects  of Community  interest  in the field  of 
transport  infrastructure 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 207  of 2 September  1976,  page  7. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 14 July  1976,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposals  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: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  75 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  request  for  an opinion  made 
by the  Council  of the  European  Communities  on 
14 July  1976, 
Having  regard  to  the  Council  Decision  of 
28 February  1966  instituting  a procedure  for 
consultation  in respect  of transport  infrastructure 
investment  (x), Having  regard  to its opinion  of 24 February  1965 
on this  matter  (2), 
Having  regard  to the communication  from  the Com-
mission  to the  Council  of 24 October  1973  on the 
development  of the common  transport  policy, 
Having  regard  to its opinion  of 25 September  1975 
on this  communication  (3), 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 29 July  1976,  instructing  the Section  for Transport 
(1) OJ  No 42, 8. 3. 1966,  p. 583. (2) OJ  No 63, 13. 4. 1965,  pp. 948  to 951. 
(3) OJ  No C 286,  15. 12. 1975,  pp. 1 to 5. 
No C 56/84 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 7.3. 77 
and Communications  to draw  up an opinion  and 
a report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Transport  and  Communications  at its  108th 
meeting,  held  on 3 December  1976, 
/ 
Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Renaud, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at 'its 144th  plenary 
session  held  on 15 and  16 December  1976  (meeting 
of 15 December  1976), 
Whereas  there  is a need  to improve  the  operation 
of the consultation  procedure  set up ;by the Council 
Decision  of 28 February  1966  by extending  its scope, 
though  without  interfering  with  national  decision-
making  processes  in the  field  of investment  or 
imposing  new  constraints  on the Member  States; 
Whereas  it is necessary  to  ensure  that  the 
consultation  procedure  is not  implemented  in 
isolation  from  other  vital  measures  in the  field  of 
transport  infrastructure  concerning  inter  alia  the 
compilation  of data  and  project  assessment  method's; 
Whereas  this  approach  calls  for  an  overall 
organization  which  will  enable  the different  measures 
to be implemented  side-by-side, 
HAS  UNANIMOUSLY  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING 
OPINION: 
1. Proposal  for  a Council  Decision  instituting  a 
consultation  procedure  and  creating  a committee 
in the field  of transport  infrastructure 
In its proposal  for  a Decision,  the  Commission  is 
seeking  to expand  the consultation  procedure  set up 
by the  Council  Decision  of 28 February  1966.  A 
shortcoming  of the  latter  Decision  is that  it applies 
only to  projects  which,  in many  cases,  have 
progressed  so far that  any  modifications  are  ruled 
out. The  existing  consultation  procedure  also  does 
not cover  plans  and  programmes;  above  all, it does 
not make  it possible  to deal  with  fundamental 
problems,  such  as: 
— coordination  with  other  policy  objectives, 
— analysis  and  processing  of  the  results  of 
forecasting  studies, — establishment  of a methodology  for the selection 
of investments. 
The Commission  therefore  proposes  that  a committee 
of government  experts  be set up. 
The Committee  approves  the measures  proposed  by 
the Commission  to improve  the  operation  of the 
consultation  procedure  set  up  by  the  Council 
Decision  of 28 February  1966.  The  practical  scope 
of this  procedure  is to be  expanded  without 
intervening  in national  decision-making  processes  in 
the field  of investment  or imposing  new  constraints 
on the Member  States. 
The Committee  also  agrees  that  steps  should  be 
taken  to ensure  that  the  consultation  procedure  is 
not implemented  in isolation  from  other  vital 
measures  in the  field  of transport  infrastructure 
concerning  inter  alia  the  compilation  of data  and 
project  assessment. 
1.1. Comments  on individual  Articles 
1.1.1.  Article  1 
Article  1 (2) describes  what  is meant  by projects  of 
Community  interest.  The  definition  embraces  cross-
frontier  infrastructures,  infrastructures  likely  to have 
an impact  on trade  between  the  Member  States  or 
with  non-mem!ber  countries,  projects  improving 
access  to outlying  or less-developed  regions,  projects 
having  an influence  on the effectiveness  of a common 
policy,  and  projects  making  use  of new  transport 
technologies  which  could  be applied  in inter-urban 
transport. 
The Decision  has a very  broad  field  of application. 
The Committee  trusts  that  duplication  in the  field 
of investment  aid will  thus  be avoided. 
Moreover,  the  Committee  thinks  that  it should  be 
made  clear  what  is to be understood  by 'projects 
improving  access  to  outlying  or  less-"developed 
regions'.  It also  considers  that  there  is a need  for 
greater  clarity  in the item  concerning  projects  likely 
to have  an  influence  on  the  effectiveness  of a 
common  policy. 
1.1.2.  Article  4 
This  Article  provides  (for the establishment  of a com-
mittee  for  transport  infrastructure  comprising 
7. 3. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 56/85 
representatives  of the  Member  States,  under  the 
chairmanship  of a Commission  representative. 
The Committee  agrees  that  the  Commission's 
proposal  would  rationalize  action  in this  field,  which 
is too diffuse  at the moment. 
The Committee  would,  however,  reiterate  its 
reservations  about  the  establishment  of new  Com-
munity  bodies.  As the  nature  of this  committee  is 
clear  and  well-defined  — its members  are  to be 
representatives  of the  Memiber  States  — the  Com-
mittee's  reservations  in this  case  will  be confined  to 
what  it has to say on Article  8. 
1.1.3.  Article  5 
In the  Committee's  view,  the  way  in which  the 
transport  infrastructure  committee,  set  up  under 
Article  4, is to function  and  adopt  its position  is 
not clearly  defined. 
1.1.4.  Article  6 
The Committee  considers  that  the experts  provided 
for in Article  6 should  be drawn  as far as possible 
from  economic  and  social  circles.  In addition,  they 
should  be assigned  to the  transport  infrastructure 
committee  itself,  and  not  to  its  members. 
Consequently,  the  second  sentence  of Article  6 
should  be amended  to read  as follows: 
'The  Committee  may  be assisted  by experts  whom 
it may  appoint.' 
1.1.5.  Article  8 
This  Article  states  that  the Commission  is to forward 
to the  Council  every  three  years  a report  on the 
information  which  it has  received,  in accordance 
with  the Decision,  and  on the work  of the transport 
infrastructure  committee.  The  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  would  like  this  report  to be sent  to it 
too. 
2. Proposal  for a Council  Regulation  concerning  aid 
to projects  of Community  interest  in the field  of 
transport  infrastructure 
This  proposal  provides  for  Community  finance  for 
projects  of interest  to more  than  one  Member  State. The nature  and  the  extent  of this  aid  and  the 
practical  details  are not  to be lai'd  down  in advance. 
The Commission  proposes  that,  rather  than  setting 
up a new  fund,  the financial  aid should  come  from 
the Community  budget.  This  means  that  the 
European  Parliament  will  have  to be consulted,  in so 
far as the aid is not  provided  for  under  the  Treaty 
or by a Decision  of the  Council.  The  projects 
concerned  will,  of course,  have  to receive  the prior 
approval  of the  Advisory  Committee  set up under 
Article  4 of the Decision. 
2.1. Article  1 
2.1.1.  The  Committee  notes  that  the list of projects 
eligible  for  Community  aid  is not  so explicit  and 
more  limited  in scope  than  the 'list in Article  1 of the 
proposal  for a Decision. 
Infrastructures  designed  to  improve  access  to 
outlying  or  less-developed  regions,  and  new 
technologies  for  long-distance  inter-urban  transport 
are two  kinds  of national  infrastructure  which  are 
covered  iby the consultation  procedure  but  which  do 
not seem  to qualify  for financial  aid from  the Com-
munity. 
2.1.2.  In addition,  the Committee  is opposed  to the 
fact that,  in the  second  indent  of Article  1, a 
condition  should  be attached  to the  financing  of 
cross-frontier  projects  which  are  not  sufficiently 
viable  to pass  the  threshold  where  a Member  State 
will be willing  to intervene.  It thinks  that  the phrase 
'based  on available  resources'  should  be deleted. 
2.1.3.  As  the Member  States  are free  to lay questions 
before  the  Advisory  Committee,  there  will  be no 
conlflict  with  national  policies.  The  Committee  would 
therefore  like  an explanation  to be given  eventually 
of what  is meanlt  by 'the  Community's  objectives' 
in the third  indent  of Artide  1. 
2.2. Article  2 
This  Article  states  that  'aid  given  to a project  can 
take the form  of a Community  participation  in the 
finance  of a project  by the granting  of the following 
advantages:  loan  guarantee,  loans,  subsidies,  interest 
rate reductions,  taking  account  of the other  financial 
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.