No C 126/20 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 28. 5. 77 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for a Council  Decision  subscribing,  on behalf  of the  Com-
munity,  to a Joint  Declaration  of Intent  to implement  a European  project  in the field 
of transport  on the subject:  'Electronic  traffic  aids  on major  roads'  (COST  Project  30) 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 91 of 15 April  1977,  page  11. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
Or 30 March  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 
148th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 27 and  28 April  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 30 
March  1977, 
Having  regard  to the decision,  which  the Bureau,  in 
anticipation  of the request  for an opinion,  took  on 29 
March  1977,  instructing  the  Section  for  Transport 
and Communications  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, 
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 112th 
meeting,  held  on 27 April  1977, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  Mr 
Renaud, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 148th  plenary 
session  of 27 and  28 April  1977  (meeting  on 28 April 
1977), Whereas  a project  on electronic  traffic  aids  on major 
roads  will  make  for road  safety  and  better  use of the 
traffic  infrastructure; 
Whereas  such  a project  will  be of particular  benefit 
to the Common  Transport  Policy; 
Whereas  it is therefore  appropriate  that  the 
Community  should  participate  in the project,  which 
has been  prepared  by  eleven  European  nations, 
including  six EEC  Member  States,  under  the auspices 
of the  Committee  on European  Cooperation  in the 
Field  of Scientific  and Technical  Research  (COST); 
Whereas  on 31 March  1977  nine  European  nations, 
including  five  EEC  Member  States  (Belgium,  France, 
Germany,  Great  Britain  and  Italy)  signed  (at  the 
Council's  headquarters)  the  Joint  Declaration  of 
Intent  to implement  a European  project  in the field  of 
transport  on the  subject:  'Electronic  traffic  aids  on 
major  roads'  (COST  project  30), 
HAS  UNANIMOUSLY  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING 
OPINION: 
1. The  Committee  broadly  endorses  the moves  to 
implement  a European  project  in the  field  of 
electronic  traffic  aids  on  major  roads,  with  the 
28. 5. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 126/21 
ultimate  objective  of  creating  a standardized 
European  system. 
2. Research  into  traffic  information  requirements 
(disruption  of traffic,  forecasts  on visibility  and  road 
conditions,  weather  forecasts,  oral  and  visual 
communication  with  drivers,  roadside  traffic 
re-routing  equipment  analysis  of the  problems  of 
traffic  control)  is of considerable  significance  in view 
of the  six-fold  increase  in long-distance  traffic 
between  1950  and  1970.  International  motor  traffic 
has increased  by a facotr  of 7-5 in a decade. Despite  substantial  investment  in the  field  of motor 
traffic,  the situation  as regards  road  capacity  and 
traffic  flow  had  deteriorated.  The  proposed  project  is 
therefore  calculated  to  make  a  significant 
contribution  to road  safety  and to better  use of traffic 
infrastructures. 
3. The  Committee  therefore  endorses  the 
Commission  proposal  that  the  President  of the 
Council  should  be  authorized  to  designate  the 
persons  empowered  to sign  the Declaration  of Intent 
on behalf  of the Community. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 April  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  for adopting  a research  programme  in 
the field  of treatment  and  use of sewage  sludge 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 86 of 6 April  1977,  page  8. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 January  1977,  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 
148th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 27 and  28 April  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  198  thereof, Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
25 January  1977,  instructing  the Section  for Energy 
and Nuclear  Questions  to draw  up an opinion  and  a 
report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities  on 20 
January  1977, Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by this  Section  at 
its 31st  meeting,  held  on 6 April  1977,