15.12.  75 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 286/39 
2.2.2.  The  Committee  also  draws  attention  to the 
fact that  as it stands  the Directive  does  not apply  to 
preparations  or foods  made  with  fats  and  oils.  It 
would  like  to see  identical  protection,  whether  the 
food  is prepared  at home,  in institutions,  by caterers 
and restaurateurs,  or by the food  industry.  The  title 
and text  of the Directive  should  therefore  be brought 
up to date. 
Done  at Brussels,  24 September  1975. 2.2.3.  A  new  paragraph  could  be added,  extending 
the concept  of 'products  referred  to in Article  V so 
as to make  Article  2 applicable  to preparations  and 
to prohibit  the  marketing  of manufactured  or 
imported  products  with  an erucic  acid  content  higher 
than that  specified  in Article  2. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
657/75  on the standard  quality  for colza  and  rape  seed 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of  the 
European  Communities  No  C 150  of 5 July  1975,  page  6. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 3 July  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  under  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 133rd  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 24 and  25 September  1975. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  request  for an Opinion  made 
by the Council  on 3 July  1975; 
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 
15 July  1975,  instructing  the Section  for Agriculture 
to draw  up an Opinion  on the matter; Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Schnieders; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 15 September  1975; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 133rd  plenary 
session,  held  on 24 and  25 September  1975; 
No C 286/40 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 15.12.  75 
HAS  ISSUED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the  proposal  for  a 
Regulation,  subject  to the  following  comments. 
1. The  Committee  would  first  and  foremost 
emphasize  the  value  of the  measures  by which  the 
Commission  proposes  to  promote  wider-scale 
cultivation  in the Community  of colza  varieties  with 
a low  erucic  acid  content.  The  Committee  would, 
however,  point  out  that  the  introduction  of new 
varieties  poses  three  main  problems  which  the 
Commission  must  try to solve,  namely: 
— the  oil content  of the new  varieties, 
— the  yield  per hectare  of the new  varieties, 
— the  need  to ensure  that  producers'  efforts  to 
produce  higher  quality  will  not  be penalized  by a 
reduction  in their  income. 
2. In  the  light  of the  above  comments,  the 
Committee  would  emphasize  the close  links  between 
the proposal  under  consideration  and  the 
accompanying  Commission  proposal  for  a Directive 
'fixing  the maximum  level  of erucic  acid  in fats  and 
oil and  margarine  for food'. 
The Committee  considers  that  this  proposal  for 
a Directive  may  be  of  considerable  value  in 
encouraging  farmers  to grow  colza  varieties  with  a 
low erucic  acid  content.  A prerequisite  is that  it be 
enacted  simultaneously  and  with  all possible  speed  in 
all nine  Member  States.  The  Committee,  therefore, 
particularly  urges  the  Council  to  take  the 
appropriate  measures. 
3. The  Regulation  proposed  by the Commission  is 
to have  retroactive  effect  from  1 July  1975  and 
therefore  applies  to the  1975  crop,  i.e. a crop  sown 
before  the  Commission's  proposals  were  drafted. 
This  leads  to the  conclusion  that  the  present 
Regulation  is merely  a compensatory  measure 
designed  to ensure  that  those  farmers  who  decided, 
on their  own  initiative,  to sow  new  colza  varieties 
with  a low  erucic  acid  content  are not  penalized  for 
having  done  so,  on  account  of the  considerably 
lower  oil content  of the new  varieties  compared  with 
the high-erucic-acid  varieties  grown  until  now  in the 
Community. 
Done  at Brussels,  24 September  1975. 4. In  the light  of the  past  three  years'  experience, 
there  is every  reason  to believe  that  the  yield  per 
hectare  of the new  varieties  of colza  will,  in addition, 
be considerably  down  on that  of varieties  with  a 
high  erucic  acid  content.  The  Committee  would 
point  out  that  this  proposal  for  a Regulation  does 
not solve  the problem.  The  Committee  therefore  asks 
the Commission  to follow  developments  closely  so 
that it can,  if necessary,  propose  that  appropriate 
action  be taken  under  the Regulation  providing  for a 
common  organization  of the market. 
5. The  Committee  points  out  that  as a result  of 
the amendment  proposed  by  the  Commission  in 
respect  of the  standard  quality  of colza  and  rape 
seed,  the  system  for  calculating  the  aid  currently 
granted  at the  processing  stage  will  have  to be 
adjusted  accordingly.  In short,  the  Committee  calls 
for a review  of the  calculation  method  which  the 
Commission  sets  out  in point  5.2  of the  financial 
sheet  annexed  to the proposal. 
6. The  Committee  urges  the  Commission  to take 
account,  when  submitting  future  proposals  for  farm 
prices,  of the  various  problems  caused  by the  wider 
scale  cultivation  of new  colza  varieties  in the 
Community.  All  Community  colza  producers  must 
be guaranteed  a similar  level  of income  regardless  of 
the variety  of colza  grown. 
7. The  Committee  notes  that  certain  branches  of 
the chemical  industry  have  a specific  demand  for 
colza  seeds  with  a high  erucic  acid  content.  The 
Committee  agrees  with  the Commission  when  it says 
that the chemical  industry  must  be allowed  to obtain 
within  the  Community  the  colza  seeds  it requires. 
Colza  seeds  are  required  in particular  for  the 
manufacture  of biodegradable  detergents,  which 
make  for  improved  environmental  protection.  The 
Committee  considers  that  the Commission  must  take 
the necessary  steps  to ensure  that  the  incomes  of 
producers  of colza  with  a high  erucic  acid  content 
are safeguarded  by  means  of contracts  with  the 
processing  industries  concerned.  The  Commission 
must,  however,  keep  a close  watch  on the  use  of 
products  with  a high  erucic  acid  content,  in 
particular,  by ensuring  effective  enforcement  of the 
accompanying  Directive  fixing  the maximum  level  of 
erucic  acid  in fats,  oil and  margarine  for food. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE