28. 5. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 126/21 
ultimate  objective  of  creating  a standardized 
European  system. 
2. Research  into  traffic  information  requirements 
(disruption  of traffic,  forecasts  on visibility  and  road 
conditions,  weather  forecasts,  oral  and  visual 
communication  with  drivers,  roadside  traffic 
re-routing  equipment  analysis  of the  problems  of 
traffic  control)  is of considerable  significance  in view 
of the  six-fold  increase  in long-distance  traffic 
between  1950  and  1970.  International  motor  traffic 
has increased  by a facotr  of 7-5 in a decade. Despite  substantial  investment  in the  field  of motor 
traffic,  the situation  as regards  road  capacity  and 
traffic  flow  had  deteriorated.  The  proposed  project  is 
therefore  calculated  to  make  a  significant 
contribution  to road  safety  and to better  use of traffic 
infrastructures. 
3. The  Committee  therefore  endorses  the 
Commission  proposal  that  the  President  of the 
Council  should  be  authorized  to  designate  the 
persons  empowered  to sign  the Declaration  of Intent 
on behalf  of the Community. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 April  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  for adopting  a research  programme  in 
the field  of treatment  and  use of sewage  sludge 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 86 of 6 April  1977,  page  8. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 January  1977,  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 
148th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 27 and  28 April  1977. 
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  thereof, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
25 January  1977,  instructing  the Section  for Energy 
and Nuclear  Questions  to draw  up an opinion  and  a 
report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities  on 20 
January  1977, Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by this  Section  at 
its 31st  meeting,  held  on 6 April  1977, 
No C 126/22 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 28. 5. 77 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Sir John  Peel, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 148th  plenary 
session  of 27 and  28 April  1977  (meeting  on 27 April 
1977), 
Whereas  the  second  environmental  research 
programme,  adopted  by the  Council  on 15 March 
1976  (1), specifically  included  work  on the reduction 
and prevention  of pollution  and  nuisances  including 
the application  of clean  technologies; 
Whereas  the  treatment  and  utilization  of sewage 
sludge  was  one  of the research  topics  listed  under  this 
heading; 
Whereas  concerted  research  action  on sewage  sludge 
is likely  to contribute  effectively  both  to  the 
reduction  of environmental  pollution  and  to the 
economic  use of resources, 
HAS  UNANIMOUSLY  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING 
OPINION: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The  problem  of the disposal  of sewage  sludge 
becomes*  an ever  increasing  one  throughout  the 
Community.  Although  the  volume  of the  sludge  is 
such  a very  small  fraction  of the  volume  of the 
sewage  from  which  it is derived,  its treatment  and 
disposal  account  for almost  40 % of the total  cost  of 
sewage  treatment  and  disposal.  Disposal  at sea or on 
land causes  problems  of  odour  nuisance, 
eutrophication,  bacterial  and  chemical  pollution  of 
water.  Even  if incinerated,  water  and  air pollution 
can still  occur  and  the  process  is expensive.  Further 
research  into  improved  methods  of disposal  is, 
therefore,  essential. 
1.2. In  1971,  an agreement  was  signed  on COST 
Project  68  by  the  six  Member  States  of the 
Community  and  a number  of non-member  countries. 
This  was  to agree  a research  programme,  the object 
of which  was  'the  assessment  of methods  of 
processing  and  disposing  of sewage  sludge  by 
comparative  evaluation,  using  standardized  criteria, 
(!) OJ  No L 74, 20. 3. 1976,  p. 36. of existing  plants  of industrial  scale  in different 
countries'.  The  programme  was  for  two  years  and 
covered  laboratory  and  field  work  in  various 
countries.  The  special  feature  was  the coordination  of 
the research  undertaken  in the various  countries  by a 
specially  selected  committee  of experts  (Management 
Committee).  A final  report  was  published  in 
November  1975,  recording  the  results,  but  also 
expressing  the  view  that  the  project  had  been  a 
success  in that  more  comprehensive  research  was 
undertaken  than  could  have  been  done  by any  single 
country.  The  report  expressed  the  view  that  further 
multinational  research  programmes  would  be highly 
desirable. 
1.3. Based  on  these  recommendations,  the 
Commission  prepared  an  outline  of  a new 
multinational  project  which  was  submitted  to the 
Scientific  and  Technical  Research  Committee 
(CREST)  in 1975.  The  Council  recognized  the 
Community's  interest  in this  research  and  an expert 
committee  was  formed  to draw  up a further  research 
programme.  This  was  approved  by the  Advisory 
Committee  on  Programme  Management  for 
Environmental  Research  on 4 March  1976. 
1.4. The  present  proposal  for  a research 
programme,  coordinated  at Community  level  is to 
last for  three  years,  with  an allocation  of 140  000 
units  of  account  to  which  may  be  added 
contributions  from  the  non-member  countries.  The 
Management  Committee  will  organize  a number  of 
workshops  during  the  three-year  period,  bringing 
together  experts  from  all the collaborating  countries 
and will  issue  a final  report.  The  main  features  of the 
programme  are: 
— sludge  stabilization  and  odour  problems, 
— dewatering  of sludge, 
— problems  related  to sludge  characterization, 
— environmental  problems  related  to land  usage  — 
agriculture. 
2. General  comments 
2.1. The  Committee  welcomes  the  proposal 
recognizing  the  great  value  of  being  able  to 
coordinate  certain  aspects  of national  research.  This 
is continuing  in all the Member  States  on a very  large 
scale  (expenditure  of 6 million  units  of account  over 
the three-year  programme  period),  but  coordination 
28. 5. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 126/23 
by an Expert  Management  Committee  should  prove 
to be  very  valuable  in pooling  resources  and 
exchanging  information  and ideas. 
2.2. The  Committee  hopes  that,  as soon  as precise 
conclusions  can be drawn  from  the R &C D work,  the 
Commission  will  follow  these  up  with 
recommendations  to the Member  States  on how  best 
to benefit  from  the positive  value  of sludge  as well  as 
how best  to limit  any possible  harmful  effects. sludge  as a waste  product  rather  than  as a potential 
resource.  Since  the energy  crisis  and the very  high  cost 
of chemical  fertilizers,  not to mention  their  possible 
harmful  effects,  if misused,  attention  has  been 
focused  much  more  on sludge  as a possible  manure, 
supplying  useful  amounts  of nitrogen  and  phosphate. 
Although  full  utilization  of sludge  would  only  supply 
a small  proportion  of agricultural  needs  and  would 
be applicable  only  to limited  areas  of agricultural 
land,  it would  nevertheless  be  a very  useful 
contribution  towards  national  needs. 
2.3. The  Committee,  however,  believes  that  the 
Community  should  not limit  its activities  on sewage 
to the coordination  of R & D and the implementation 
of its results.  The  Community  should  also  encourage 
the Member  States  in their  programme  for  the 
construction  of sewage  treatment  plant. 
2.4. The  Committee  deplores  the fact  that  large 
amounts  of sewage  sludge  are still  disposed  of at sea 
and on land  without  further  treatment.  The  use after 
processing  for  agricultural  purposes  is a positive 
contribution,  but  in the present  state  of knowledge 
still leaves  many  problems  unsolved  — e.g.,  pollution 
by some  heavy  metals  and  organic  compounds, 
contamination  of surface  water  — as well  as leaving 
very objectionable  odour  problems.  Research  into  all 
these  problems  is a cardinal  feature  of the 
programme  and the Committee  welcomes  this. 
2.5. Some  of  the  research  covered  in  the 
programme  has already  been  extensively  carried  out 
in some  of the Member  States,  e.g.,  the comparative 
evaluation  of different  stabilization  procedures.  In 
order  to release  maximum  research  resources  for the 
study  of new  areas  in the wide  field  still  open  for 
research,  the Committee  stresses  the need  to avoid 
repetition.  Specifically,  the Management  Committee 
(Coordination  Committee)  should  devote  itself  to 
minimizing  duplication  in research  work. 
2.6. The  Committee  welcomes  the  fact  that  the 
main  topic  for  research  is the  processing  of raw 
sludge  so that  it can be used  both  as economically  as 
possible  and  with  minimal  adverse  effects  on 
agricultural  land  and  for  land  reclamation. 
Nevertheless,  there  seems  to be an over-emphasis  on 2.7. If  sludge  is to find  an outlet  in agriculture,  it is 
essential  to secure  its acceptability  to farmers.  The 
Committee  believes  that  efforts  should  be pursued  on 
two fronts.  Firstly,  the R&D  work  being  carried  out 
should  seek  to overcome  the outstanding  problems 
and should  result  in the identification  of tolerable 
application  limits.  Secondly,  there  should  be closer 
liaison  and  information-exchange  between  farm 
organizations  and  the  authorities  responsible  for 
sludge  disposal. 
2.8. The  Committee  notes  that  certain  aspects  of 
research  on sewage  sludge  are  also  relevant  to 
research  on farm  slurry.  Although  there  are  big 
differences  in quality,  there  is a good  deal  in common 
with the  problems  raised  by their  use  on land, 
especially  in relation  to water  pollution  from  run-off. 
The Community  is already  studying  farm  slurry  as 
part of its agricultural  research  programme.  The 
Committee  accordingly  stresses  the  need  for  close 
coordination  between  the two  programmes. 
2.9. The  Committee  is aware  that  energy  can  be 
derived  from  sewage  sludge  by anaerobic  digestion 
and recovery  of the mixture  of methane  and  carbon 
dioxide  produced,  and some  might  argue  that  further 
research  in this area  should  be pursued.  Although  the 
energy  produced  can  be  usefully  harnessed  for 
consumption  in the  sewage  works  itself,  it is not 
likely  to be  significant  in relation  to national 
requirements. 
2.10.  However,  the  Committee  is aware  that 
considerable  research  interest  is at present  being 
centred  on the possibilities  of utilizing  the appreciable 
No C 126/24 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 28. 5. 77 
protein  content  of sludge  as an additive  to animal  Committee  feels  that  these  areas  of research  should 
feed and  also  in the  recovery  of minerals.  The  not  be overlooked. 
Done  at Brussels,  27 April  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI