8. 4. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 84/11 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  on the approximation  of the  laws  of 
the Member  States  relating  to the driver's  seat  on wheeled  agricultural  or forestry  tractors 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 229  of 26 September  1977,  page  16. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 25 July  1977,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the  Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 
155th  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 1 and 2 February  1978. 
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  100 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 25 July  1977  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
27 September  1977  instructing  the  Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to draw  up 
an opinion  and  a report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  at its 
meeting  on 11 January  1978, 
Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Masprone, 
Having  regard  to its discussions  at its 155th  plenary 
session  held  on 1 and  2 February  1978  (meeting  of 1 
February  1978), 1. In  its  explanatory  memorandum,  the 
Commission  itself  notes  the drawbacks  caused  by the 
delay  in the  adoption  of some  Directives.  The 
Committee,  repeating  what  it has  already  said  in the 
past,  also  regrets  this  delay  and  would  once  again 
draw  the Council's  attention  to the need  to adopt  the 
'technical  barriers'  Directives  as quickly  as possible. 
This  is after  all a sector  where  rapid  technical 
progress  is made  on occasions.  Above  all,  however, 
customs  union  will  not  be accomplished  without  the 
total  harmonization  of technical  barrier  provisions. 
2. Although  the  order  in which  the  articles  are 
presented  in the proposal  is not entirely  logical  (since 
the definition  of an agricultural  or forestry  tractor  is 
not given  until  Article  9), the Committee  is gratified  to 
see that  the  Commission's  new  proposal  contains  a 
number  of improvements.  This  is particularly  the 
case with  Articles  3, 6 and  11,  which  will  enable  the 
Commission  to make  more  certain  that  the Directive 
will be applied  in a non-discriminatory  manner. 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal  subject  to the 
comments  set out below. 3. The  provisions  of Article  9 are  such  that  the 
field  of application  of the Directive  must  be taken  to 
include  tractors  with  four-wheel  drive.  The 
Committee  has  however,  been  informed  that  the 
experiments  which  have  been  carried  out  most 
recently  point  to the  fact  that  it is very  difficult  to 
No C 84/12 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 8. 4. 78 
simulate  conditions  by means  of track  tests,  mainly 
because  of the influence  of climatic  conditions.  It will 
therefore  be necessary  to take  a fresh  look  at the 
testing  methods,  particularly  those  used  for 
non-standard  tractors. 4. The  Committee  draws  the  Commission's 
attention  to comments  of a technical  nature  on the 
Annexes  to the proposal  for a Directive  which  are to 
be found  in the Report  of the  Section  for Industry, 
Commerce,  Crafts  and Services. 
Done  at Brussels,  1 February  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Directive  on certain  immediate  measures  to 
adjust  capacity  in the fisheries  sector 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 278 of 18 November  1977,  page  15. 
On 16 November  1977,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Articles  43 and  47 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 
155th  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 1 and 2 February  1978. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Wick, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Articles  43 and  47 thereof, Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 19 January  1978, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 16 November  1977  for 
an opinion, Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 155th  plenary 
session  held  on 1 and  2 February  1978  (meeting  of 
2 February  1978), 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
22 November  1977  instructing  the Section  for Agricul-
ture to draw  up an opinion  on the matter, HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
Having  regard  to the urgency  procedure  provided  for 
in Articles  46 and  47 of the Rules  of Procedure, with  no votes  against  and  four  abstentions: