No C 125/60 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16.10.  74 
2.2.2.  The  Committee  therefore  expects  Community 
institutions  and  Member  Governments  to draw  up 
as a matter  of urgency  the  appropriate  measures  in 
the various  administrative,  financial  and  technical 
fields  with  respect  to research  and  development. 
Given  the relative  closeness  of the first  deadline  given 
by the Commission  and  the  time  which  will  elapse 
before  these  measures  make  themselves  felt,  the 
necessary  concrete  steps  should  be taken  immediately. 
2.3. The  annexed  proposals  and  Communication 
2.3.1.  The  Committee  notes  that  the annexes  to the 
Communication  set  out  some  of the  proposed 
measures.  It agrees  with  these  in principle. 
2.3.2.  When  it draws  up its additional  Opinion,  the 
Committee  will  give  detailed  consideration  to the 
proposal  for a Council  Directive  concerning  the use 
of natural  gas  and  to the  proposal  for  a Council 
Directive  concerning  the  restriction  of the  use  of 
petroleum  products  in power  stations  (Annexes  I and 
II). The  Committee  considers  this  detailed  consider-
ation  to be indispensable. 
2.3.3.  Regarding  the  proposal  for  a Council  Regu-
lation  concerning  the common  rules  for imports  and exports  of hydrocarbons  (Annex  III),  which  brings 
several  previous  proposals  together  in a single  text, 
the Committee  refers  back  to  the  Committee 
Opinions  delivered  on these  matters  (see  footnotes 
1 to 3). 
2.3.4.  Finally,  regarding  the  communication  from 
the Commission  to the  Council  regarding  rational 
utilization  of energy  (Annex  IV),  the Committee  notes 
that it is on the lines  laid  down  in its Study  on the 
objectives  and content  of a common  energy  policy. 
2.3.4.1.  The  Committee  is awaiting  the  proposals 
announced  in the Communication. 
2.3.4.2.  But,  as of now,  it would  emphasize  the 
overriding  need  — pointed  out  by the  Commission 
in the second  paragraph,  point  2, in Annex  4 — to 
adopt  every  precaution  to ensure  that  the measures 
envisaged  cannot  have  harmful  effects  on economic 
and social  development  or in particular,  on the level 
of employment. 
Done  at Brussels,  18 July  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 2108/70  of 20 October  1970  determining  the  Community  scale  for  grading  pig 
carcases 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 72 of 27 June  1974,  page  31. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 11 June  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Articles  43 and  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 
122nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 17 and 18 July  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
16.10.74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 125/61 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  request,  dated  11 June  1974, 
by the  Council  for  an opinion  on the  proposal  for 
a Regulation  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 2108/70  of 20 October  1970  determining  the 
Community  scale  for grading  pig carcases; 
Having  regard  to Articles  43 and  98 of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  of the  Economic  and 
Social  Committee  of 25  February  1970  on  the 
proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  determining  the 
Community  scale  for grading  pig carcases; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 18 June  1974  entrusting  the  Section  for  Agricul-
ture with  the  preparation  of the  Committee's  work 
on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  report  submitted  by  the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Guillaume; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  delivered  by the Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 4 July  1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 122nd  plenary 
session  on 17 and  18 July  1974,  sitting  of 17 July 
1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The  Committee  approves  the  Commission  pro-
posal  subject  to a number  of proposed  changes,  the 
reasons  and  technical  justifications  for which  are  set 
out in the report  of the Section  for Agriculture  which 
is annexed  to this  Opinion. 
2. Article  3 (a) 
The Committee  asks  for this  clause  to be deleted  and 
replaced  by the following:  # 
'to take  no account  of weight  categories  of less 
than  60 kg.' 
3. Article  3 (b) 
The Committee  asks  for  the  following  to be added 
to this  clause: 'and to replace  the  weight  categories  for  pig 
carcases  of 80 kg and  more  in commercial  grade  E 
by a single  weight  category  to include  pig carcases 
of which  the  thickness  of the  backfat  does  not 
exceed  25 mm.' 
4. Article  4 
The Committee  asks  that  Article  1 (a) be amended 
to read  as follows: 
'Article  1 (a) 
Member  States  shall  apply  one  of the  two 
methods  of grading  pig  carcases  described  in 
Annex  II. If a Member  State  applies  one  of the 
above  methods,  it shall  inform  the  Commission 
of this  immediately  and  supply  all the  technical 
details  necessary  for  its application.  However,  it 
should  be established  as  quickly  as  possible 
whether  the two  methods  are comparable. 
5. Article  6 
The Section  urges  that  provisions  amending  Regu-
lation  (EEC)  No  2108/70  (1) be adopted,  allowing 
a sufficient  time  lag  and  after  consultation  of the 
business  circles  concerned,  making  it compulsory  for 
all pig  carcases  to be marked  with  their  commercial 
grade. 
6. Annex  I 
1. Annex  I should  be amended  to cover  also  pigs 
weighing  less  than  50 kg. 
2. 'Formation  or' should  be replaced  by 'Description' 
as the heading  of the fifth  column. 
7. Annex  II 
The Committee  asks  for adoption  of the  changes  in 
wording  proposed  in the  report  of the  Section  for 
Agriculture. 
Done  at Brussels,  17 July  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS 
(!) OJ No L 234,  23. 10. 1970.