3.12.  77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 292/11 
Paragraph  4.2.  (text  withdrawn) 
'In the  absence  of further  progress  towards  political  — and  more  particularly  — 
economic  integration  in the  Community,  regional  policy  must  be a driving  force  for 
integration;  it cannot,  however,  replace  other  integration  measures.  It would  be 
undesirable  for  regional  policy  to be overburdened  with  problems  whose  solution 
should  be sought  in other  areas  of Community  policy'. 
Result  of the  voting 
Agreed  unanimously. 
Opinion  on  the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 3164/76  on the  Community  quota  for  the  carriage  of goods  by road  between 
Member  States 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 220  of 15 September  1977  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 12 September  1977,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  75 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 
151st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 28 and  29 September  1977. 
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  75 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities  on 12 
September  1977, 
Having  regard  to Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
1018/68  of 19 July  1968  (*), supplemented  by Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  2829/72  of 28  December 1972  (2), as last  amended  by  Council  Regulation 
(EEC)  No 3164/76  of 16 December  1976  (»), 
Having  regard  to its opinion  of 27 November  1975 
on the same  subject  (4), 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 16 September  1977,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Transport  and  Communications  to draw  up  an 
opinion  on the matter, 
(*) OJ  No L 175,  23. 7. 1968,  p. 13. n OJ  No L 298,  31. 12. 1972,  p. 16. 
(3) OJ  No L 357,  29. 12. 1976,  p. 1. 
(4) OJ  No C 35, 16. 2. 1976,  p. 44. 
No C 292/12 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 3. 12. 77 
Having  regard  to Articles  29,  46 and  47 of the  Rules 
of Procedure, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  adopted  by the  Section 
for Transport  and  Communications  at its  115th 
meeting,  held  on 21 September  1977, 
Having  regard  to  the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr.  Renaud, 
Having  regard  to the  discussion  at its 151st  plenary 
session,  held  on 28 and  29 September  1977  (meeting 
of 28 September  1977), 
Whereas  the  quotas  of Community  permits  for  road 
haulage  have  remained  unchanged  for  the  last  three 
years; 
Whereas  the  numbers  of  permits  issued  for 
international  transport  should  be adjusted  regularly; 
Whereas  the  number  of Community  haulage  permits 
should  be  updated  to match  the  increase  in the 
demand  for  haulage  between  Member  States  which  is 
not satisfied  by bilateral  permits, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by 51 votes  to 10,  with  12 abstentions: 
1. Subject  to the  comments  set  out  below,  the 
Committee  approves  the  Commission's  proposal  to 
double  the  number  of Community  haulage  permits 
for 1978,  2 363  to 4 726. 2. The  number  of permits,  which  has  been  frozen 
since  1974,  should  be progressively  stepped  up  to 
match  the  growth  in demand  and  to give  operators 
more  room  for  manoeuvre.  An  expansion  of the 
Community  permits  system  should  not  have  major 
repercussions  on the  market  since  only  between  4 
and 7 % of traffic  is involved. 
3. The  Commission  has  based  its  allocation  of 
permits  between  the  Members  States,  the  Committee 
notes,  on  returns  collected  in 1975.  However,  the 
rules  on the  use  of permits  have  been  loosened  up by 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  3164/76  of 16 December  1976. 
4. It  is therefore  possible  to have  reservations 
about  the  manner  in which  the  1978  quotas  have 
been  allocated,  since  in 1975  the  rules  governing  the 
use of permits  varied  from  one  Member  State  to 
another  depending  on  whether  the  national 
authorities  required  (as  far as multilateral  traffic  was 
concerned)  the  quota  of Community  permits  to be 
used  up  before  other  permits  were  utilized,  in 
accordance  with  Articles  2 and  4 of Regulation  (EEC) 
No 2829/72. 
The Committee  therefore  asks  to be given  greater 
detail  about  the  operation  of the  Community  quotas 
system. 
5. In  spite  of  the  above  reservations,  the 
Committee  considers  that  the  proposal  is a good 
basis  for  discussion  in the  Council  and  that  its 
adoption  would  demonstrate  the  Ministers'  will  to 
break  out  of the  present  stalemate  over  transport 
policy. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 September  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
APPENDIX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  defeated  during  discussion: 
'Replace  the body  of opinion  from  the first  "Whereas"  clause  onwards  by the following: 
Whereas  the Council  has not yet agreed  to a system  of regulation  of road  haulage  capacity 
forming  part  of an overall  plan  for the sector; 
3.12.  77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 292/13 
Whereas  the  market  does  not  warrant  an increase  in the  number  of Community  haulage 
permits  at the  present  time, 
HAS  ISSUED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION: 
1. The  Committee  does  not  think  it would  be wise  to follow  the Commission's  proposal. 
2. The  proposal  seeks  a 100  % increase  in the  number  of permits  for  1978,  but  does  not 
give the traffic  and  other  statistics  on which  the figure  was  arrived  at. 
3. Also,  the  Council  has  still  not  taken  a decision  on the  overall  organization  of the 
market  in freight  transport  between  Member  States,  on which  proposals  were  submitted  on 
1 October  1975. 
4. It  would  therefore  be premature  to allot  quotas  to the  Member  States  at this  stage 
using  as the  basic,  statistics  which  are  (a) out  of date  and  (b)  unsuited  to the  system  of 
market  monitoring  proposed  by the  Commission. 
5. The  Committee  therefore  asks  the  Council  to defer  consideration  of the  present 
proposal,  and  instead  to take  up (from  among  the  Commission's  1 October  1975  batch  of 
proposals  on the  overall  organization  of the  freight  market)  the  proposals  that  provide  the 
basis  for a Community  system  of capacity  regulation  in road  haulage'. 
Voting: 
For: 18 
Against:  50 
Abstentions:  10 
Opinion  on the European  Regional  Development  Fund  second  annual  report  (1976)  and 
summary  of the annual  information  for 1977 
The opinion  of the Committee  is not based  on any  published  text. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its 146th  plenary  session  held  on 23 and  24 February  1977  the Committee,  acting  on 
a proposal  from  the  Bureau,  decided  to deliver  an opinion  on the  abovementioned 
subject  on its own  initiative. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the  above  matter  at its 
151st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 28 and  29 September  1977. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the fourth  paragraph  of Article  20 
of the Rules  of Procedure  of the Committee, Having  regard  to its decision  of 23 and  24 February 
1977  to charge  the Section  for Regional  Development 
with  the  drawing  up of an opinion  on the  second 
annual  report  (1976)  of the  European  Regional