26. 4. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 105/7 
Having regard to the discussions at its 162nd plenary 
session held on 18 and 19 October 1978 (meeting of 
19 October), 
Whereas the European Council of 7 and 8 April 1978 
declared that the prevention of and fight against marine 
pollution, particularly by oil, must be made a major 
objective of Community action, and invited the Council, 
acting on proposals from the Commission, and the 
Member States to take appropriate action within the 
Community without delay and to adopt within the 
competent international organizations common 
positions on the rapid application of existing 
international rules in this field, particularly as regards 
minimum standards for the operating conditions of 
ships; 
Whereas a memorandum of understanding was adopted 
on 2 March 1978 between the maritime authorities of 
eight North Sea countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, 
the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, the 
United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden); whereas this 
administrative agreement is designed to achieve the 
following main aims: to coordinate the action of these 
authorities as regards the control of and the exchange of 
information regarding substandard ships using their 
ports, to permit the effective application of harmonized 
procedures of surveillance and control of ships as regards certain minimum standards of safety and health laid 
down in a number of international agreements, to permit 
remedial action to be taken where these standards are 
not met, and to ensure that on ships calling at their ports 
or using their inland waters there is nothing which is 
clearly dangerous for health or safety; 
Whereas the application of this memorandum of 
understanding, as extended to the Community as a 
whole, will have the effect of causing the maritime 
authorities of the Community to exercise more uniform 
surveillance of substandard ships using their ports, so as 
to ensure, on all coasts of the Community, the 
effectiveness of this supervision and control, and thus the 
safety of ships, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee approves the Commission's proposal 
that the Member States take the necessary steps to ensure 
that their maritime authorities, to the extent that they do 
not already participate, make application to participate 
in the memorandum of understanding signed in The 
Hague on 2 March 1978 on the maintenance of 
standards on merchant ships. 
Done at Brussels, 19 October 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 950/68 on 
the Common Customs Tariff 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 162 of 8 July 1978, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 3 July 1978 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 162nd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 18 and 19 October 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
No C 105/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 4. 79 
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 made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 3 July 1978 for an opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
11 July 1978 instructing the Section for Industry, 
Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an opinion on 
the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services at its meeting 
held on 6 September 1978, 
Having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in 
particular Article 18 thereof, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur-general, Mr Marvier, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 162nd plenary 
session held on 18 and 19 October 1978 (meeting on 
19 October), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
Subject to a ceiling of 60 European units of account, 
small non-commercial consignments and products 
Done at Brussels, 19 October 1978. contained in travellers' luggage currently attract a 
standard 10% ad valorem customs duty when they are 
imported into the Community. The draft Regulation 
raises this ceiling to 100 European units of account. The 
Committee endorses the proposal. 
The Committee notes, however, that this amendment 
will not, as the explanatory memorandum suggests, 
merely maintain 'the real value of goods eligible for the 
flat rate of duty'. 
In the weak-currency Member States, the amendment 
will lead to a quite significant increase in the quantities 
eligible for the flat-rate duty. It will have the opposite 
effect in the strong-currency Member States. 
This would not be particulary significant but for the fact 
that the flat-rate ceilings are linked de facto if not de jure 
to current duty-free allowances. 
The Committee therefore takes the view that the entire 
system of duty-free concessions (for goods purchased 
both inside and outside the Community) and the 
arrangements for duty-free shops should be reviewed at 
this juncture. 
The Committee recalls its opinion on the proposal on tax 
exemption for personal property imported from another 
Member State (1) and urges the Council to undertake 
a comprehensive review of customs concessions for 
travellers and small non-commercial consignments. 
(!) OJNoC 131, 12.6. 1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the development of an agricultural 
advisory service in Italy 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 169 of 14 July 1978, page 7. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 14 July 1978 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 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 162nd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 18 and 19 October 1978.