No C 56/42 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 7. 3. 77 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  establishing  a European  agency  for 
trade  cooperation  with  the  developing  countries 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 256  of 29 October  1976,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 21  October  1976,  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  albove  matter  at its 
143rd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 24 and  25 November  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  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  request  for  an opinion  made 
by the  Council  of the  European  Communities  on 
21 October  1976, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau 
on 26 October  1976,  instructing  the  Section  for 
External  Relations  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, 
Having  regard  to its earlier  opinions  on the  Corn-
munkiy's  policy  of cooperation  with  the  developing 
countries, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Romer, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for External  Relations  at  its  meeting  on  10 
November  1976, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 143rd  plenary 
session  held  on 24 and  25 November  1976  (meeting 
of 25 November  1976), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously  with  six abstentions: 1. The  Commission  proposals 
1.1. The  proposed  European  Agency  is to  be 
charged  with  carrying  out a number  of practical  tasks 
in furtherance  of Community  objectives  in the  area 
of trade  relations  with  the developing  countries. 
1.2. The  tasks  fall  into  two  complementary 
categories:  the  generalized  tariff  preferences  scheme 
(GPS)  and  trade  promotion. 
1.3. The  GPS  department  of the  agency  is to have 
three  functions: 
— to compile  documentation  on  the  GPS 
(statistics  on imports  and  exports  made  under 
the GPS  scheme,  and  comparison  with  others), 
— to supply  information  ('by  publication  of  a 
practical  guide  to the GPS  and  to quotas), 
— to advise  users  and  industries  in the  developing 
countries  on contracts,  markets,  etc. 
1.4. The  trade  promotion  department  is to be 
responsible  for  preparing  the  technical  side  of the 
work  in the following  areas: 
— assisting  developing  countries  with  attendance  at 
trade  fairs,  publicity  weeks  for  particular 
products,  etc., 
7. 3. 77 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 56/43 
— organization  of trade  missions  and  seminars, 
— technical  training  and  assistance  (courses  for 
officials  whose  job it is to apply  the GPS,  sending 
of experts,  market  studies,  marketing). 
1.5. The  agency  is to have  a legal  personality  and 
would  be  independant  financially.  It would  be 
accountable  to the Commission. 
1.6. The  agency  ds to have  a budget  of 1 050 000  u.a. 
per annum  and  a staff  of 34 (salaries  and  social 
security  contributions  are  to account  for  750  000 
u.a.). 
2. Comments  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
2.1. Having  studied  the  Commission's  proposal  in 
detail,  the  Committee  welcomes  and  supports  the 
Commission's  initiative.  The  creation  of  a 
European  agency  for  trade  cooperation  with  the 
developing  countries  has  long  been  advocated  by all 
socio-economic  interest  groups  in the  Community 
and in the developing  countries. 
2.2. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee  was  first 
informed  of the  idea  of setting  up  a European 
documentation  agency  in  the  Commission's  GPS 
proposals  for  1975,  and  expressed  strong  interest  in 
the 'supplementary  measures  contemplated  by  the 
Commission  with  respect  to information,  documen-
tation,  trade  promotion  and  market  research'  (a). 
2.3. In its opinion  on the  GPS  scheme  for 1976  and 
the future  development  of the GPS  (2) the Committee 
'noted  with  satisfaction  that  the  Commission  had 
once  again  announced  the  setting  up of a documen-
tation  centre  to deal  with  problems  connected  with 
the Generalized  Preference  Scheme.  It thought, 
however,  that  the  aim  of the  centre,  which  should 
be at the  service  of all engaged  in economic  and 
social  processes  in 'both  the  developing  countries  and 
the Community,  should  be  coordinated  with  the 
information  work  which  was  needed  under  the  other 
cooperation  arrangements  covering  commercial  and 
economic  relations  between  the  Community  and  the 
developing  countries,  such  as  the  Convention  of 
Lome.' 2.4. In its opinion  on the  Lome  Convention  (3), the 
Committee  stressed  the  importance  of information 
being  available  to the  economic  operators  in the 
Community  and  the ACP  countries  in order  to achieve 
the aims  of the  Convention,  not  only  with  regard 
to trade  but  also  with  regard  to  industrial 
cooperation. 
2.5. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee  is pleased, 
therefore,  that  the  Commission  has  taken  up  its 
suggestion,  and  extended  its original  idea  of a GPS 
documentation  centre  to a European  agency  which 
will also  have  specific  duties  in the  achievement  of 
the Community's  aims  in regard  to trade  with  the 
developing  countries.  The  Committee  considers  it 
useful  that  the  agency  and  the  centre  for  industrial 
development  as foreseen  in the  Convention  of Lome 
should  work  in the closest  possible  way. 
2.6. The  Committee  expects  that  in carrying  out  its 
duties,  the  European  agency  will  work  very  closely 
with  all those  engaged  in the  economic  processes, 
i.e., in the  private  sector  (organizations  of industry, 
importers  and  exporters,  commercial  associations, 
cooperatives  agricultural  organizations,  trade  unions, 
etc.),  the  semi-official  sector  (chambers  of commerce 
and industry),  governmental  trade  promotion 
institutions  in the  Member  States,  or indeed  in the 
developing  countries.  The  agency  should  also  keep 
a permanent  liaison  with  similar  'bodies  established 
within  the  various  United  Nations  programmes  such 
as UNDP,  UNIDO  and  UNCTAD  and  within  GATT. 
The aims  should  be to streamline  the efforts  made  in 
favour  of developing  countries  in order  to avoid 
unnecessary  competition. 
2.7. The  Committee  trusts  that  both  the  govern-
ments  administrations  of member  countries  and  those 
of the developing  countries  will  provide  the statistical 
information,  concerning  ceilings,  use  of quotas  and 
so on,  which  the agency  needs  if it is to play  its role 
properly  and  the  Commission  needs  as  reference 
material  for  its  proposals  in development  policy 
matters.  In addition,  the  agency  must  be able  to 
provide  possible  users  with  all  basic  statistical 
material  about  the developing  countries. 
2.8. The  Committee  hopes  that  the  GPS  and  the 
trade  promotion  departments  within  the  European 
agency  will  work  together  so as  to  ensure  that 
(*) OJ No C 16, 23. 1. 1975. 
(2) OJ No C 286,  15. 12. 1975. (3) OJ No C 35, 16. 2. 1976. 
No C 56/44 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 7. 3.77 
potential  users  receive  information  which  takes  all 
relevant  data  into  account. 
2.9. Having  regard  to the  fact  that  the  political 
responsibility  for  the  various  programmes  for 
cooperation  with  the  developing  countries  remains 
within  the  EEC  institutional  framework,  the  Com-
mittee  expects  that  the  European  agency  will 
facilitate  the  practical  implementation  of  these 
cooperation  programmes.  It appreciates  the  detailed 
description  of the  various  tasks  to be taken  up by 
the agency  and  welcomes  the  stressing  of group 
cooperation  and  flexibility  in the  administrative 
organization  and  management,  made  in the proposal. 
This  will  indeed  be a realistic  basis  for coping  with 
the often  complicated  situations  in arranging  visits 
of delegations,  exhibitions,  etc.,  which  have  to find 
a solution  within  a limited  time.  It also  welcomes 
the fact  that  the Agency  will  be staffed  with  people 
who have  a practical  knowledge  of the  import  and 
export  trade. 2.10.  The  Committee  would  like  to receive  the 
report  which  the European  agency  is required,  under 
its rules,  to submit  to the  Commission  each  year. 
The report  should  give  a concrete  idea  of the extent 
to which  the  Community  and  the  developing 
countries  are  putting  into  practice  the  cooperation 
and the economic  inter-dependence  to which  they  are 
committed. 
2.11.  Subject  to above  considerations,  the  Com-
mittee  urges  the Council  to decide  as soon  as possible 
on this  Commission  proposal  so as to enable  the 
European  agency  for  trade  cooperation  with  the 
developing  countries  to  be  operative  by  the 
beginning  of 1977  at the latest. 
Done  at Brussels,  25 November  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the recommendation  of the Commission  concerning  the progressive 
extension  of social  protection  to categories  of persons  not  covered  by existing  schemes 
or inadequately  protected 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  not  been  published  in the Official  Journal  of 
the European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 17 September  1976,  the Commission  referred  the abovementioned  recommendation 
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 
143rd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 24 and  25 November  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: