7. 3. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 56/17 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Decision  adopting  a technological  research 
programme  for the footwear  sector 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 209  of 4 September  1976,  page  5. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 17 August  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 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: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  198  thereof, 
Having  regard  to request  for an opinion  made  by the 
Council  of the European  Communities  on 17 August 
1976, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 10 September  1976,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to draw 
up an opinion  and  a report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  Mr 
Masprone,  standing  in for the rapporteur,  Mr Evain, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  on 
3 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  two  abstentions: 
The Committee  approves  the  proposal,  and  would 
make  the comments  set out below. 1. The  Committee  attaches  importance  to the Com-
mission's  endeavours  to introduce  common  policies 
for various  industries.  The  current  proposal  follows 
on from  the  Commission's  proposal  on  textiles, 
which  was  adopted  by the  Council  in 1975.  The 
Committee  wou'ld  urge  that  the  current  proposal  be 
adopted  by the Council  without  delay. 
2. The  Committee  agrees  with  the  Commission's 
analysis  of the position  of the Community's  footwear 
industry.  This  industry  is particularly  important  from 
the point  of view  of employment  (especially  employ-
ment  for women),  regional  equilibrium  and  the Com-
munity's  trade  balance.  It should  be stresssed  that  the 
footwear  industry  exploits  one  of the  few  raw 
materials  produced  by the Community. 
For the  above  reasons  the  Community  must  pay 
particular  attention  to keeping  its footwear  industry 
operating.  This  industry  produces  high-quality  goods 
and has  reached  a satisfactory  level  of technology. 
These  factors  have  enabled  the industry  to prove  its 
ability  to compete  on the world  market. 
3. The  Committee  approves  the various  projects  in 
the proposed  research  programme,  subject  to the 
comments  set out  in the opinion.  The  Community's 
footwear  industry  should  be still  further  rationalized, 
to enable  it to remain  competitive.  Better  use should 
also be made  of raw  materials  and  energy.  In order 
No C 56/18 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 7.3.77 
to take  into  account  the interests  of consumers,  con-
sideration  should  be given  in the studies  to the extent 
to which  new  manufacturing  processes  and  the  use 
of new  materials  affect  the repairability  of footwear. 
The Community's  footwear  industry  must  maintain 
its high  standards  of quality,  its considerable  degree 
of specialization,  and  its  ability  to produce  what 
the customer  wants.  These  features  have  enaibled  the 
industry  to expand  its exports  on the  world  market. 
It is important  to ensure  that  small-  and  medium-
sized  manufacturers  will  be able  to benefit  from  the 
results  of the  projects  in the  same  way  as  larger 
manufacturers.  The  Committee  therefore  asks  the 
Commission  to take  special  care  to prevent  any 
discrimination  between  firms,  based  either  on their 
size or regional  location.  It is also  important  that 
the research  institutes  making  use  of the  funds 
devoted  to these  projects  should  keep  in close  touch 
with  the  research  work  being  carried  out  by the 
suppliers  of footwear  manufacturing  machinery  in 
each  country,  so as to avoid  duplication  of efforts 
and to ensure  that  common  aims  are drawn  up. 
4. Because  the  proposed  projects  are  of  a pre-
dominantly  technical  nature,  they  are  to be carried 
out on  the  basis  of a collective  research  contract 
concluded  between  the  Commission  and  the 
organization  representing  the  employers,  i.e.,  the 
European  Footwear  Confederation.  Provision  is also 
made  for the setting-up  of management  and  advisory 
bodies.  These  will  comprise  delegates  from  national 
employers'  federations  and  national  research 
establishments,  on  whose  administrative  bodies 
workers  are  represented  (except  in Germany).  The 
Commission  has  the  right  to appoint  observers  to 
attend  meetings  of the  Programme  Advisory  Council. 
The Committee  proposes  that  these  observers  should 
include  workers'  representatives. 
5. The  measures  to be taken  in the  footwear  sector 
must  also  take  the  employment  situation  into 
account.  To this  end  analyses  will  have  to be made, 
outside  the  proposed  programme,  of the  current 
employment  situation  and  the  changes  likely  to take 
place  in the  future.  In connection  with  the  proposed 
programme,  studies  will  also  have  to be made  of the 
labour  market,  working  conditions  and  the  basic  and 
further  training  of workers  in the  footwear  industry. The measures  taken  as a result  of the  proposed 
studies  must  form  part  of a Community  policy  for 
the re-organization  of the footwear  industry;  workers* 
representatives  must  have  a say in this  policy. 
6. All  footwear  manufacturers  in the  Community, 
regardless  of size  and  location,  must  be  able  to 
benefit  from  the  results  of the  research  programme. 
The research  findings  could  also  be made  available 
to non-EEC  manufacturers,  as progress  is made 
towards  achieving  fair  conditions  of competition 
(reciprocity)  on the international  market. 
7. The  difficulties  facing  the  footwear  industry  can 
largely  be put  down  to two  factors:  (a) the restrictive 
policies  in force  in certain  markets  (e.g.,  Japan,  the 
USA  and,  more  recently,  Sweden)  which  have  the 
effect  of limiting  Community  exports;  (b) the  excep-
tionally  favourable  manufacturing  conditions  in a 
number  of  non-Member  States  which  have  an 
abundant  supply  of cheap  labour.  There  are  also 
some  countries,  such  as Brazil  and  Spain,  which  grant 
export  subsidies  to footwear  manufacturers.  In the 
light  of this  situation  the  Committee  would  draw 
the attention  of the  Community  authorities  to the 
need  to coordinate  the  implementation  of specific 
sectoral  policies  more  closely  with  the  Community's 
overall  trade  policy. 
In particular  it is vital  to  use  the  opportunity 
provided  by the  GATT  multilateral  negotiations  to 
ensure  full  reciprocity  in the  treatment  accorded  to 
Community  footwear  exports.  The  Community  must 
set itself  two  goals.  Firstly,  the  home  market  of its 
footwear  industry  must  be  protected  effectively 
against  abnormal  competition,  and  market  disrup-
tion must  be prevented  (consideration  should  be 
given  to the possibility  of making  selective  use  of the 
GATT  safeguard  clauses).  Secondly,  the  Community 
industry  must  have  freer  access  to the  markets  of 
non-Member  States.  If these  goals  are  not  achieved, 
the proposed  research  programme  will  be largely 
ineffective. 
Done  at Brussels,  25 November  1976. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
7. 3. 77 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 56/19 
ANNEX 
to the  opinion  of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  discussions: 
Paragraph  7 
The final  sentence  in the  first  paragraph  of paragraph  7 should  be amended  to read  as follows: 
'In the  light  of this  situation,  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  would  stress  the  need  for 
the Community  to establish  a closer  link  between,  on the  one  hand,  industrial  cooperation 
and marketing  in the  footwear  industry  and,  on the  other  hand,  social  policy  in this  industry'. 
Reasons 
It is perfectly  natural  that  industrial  cooperation  and  marketing  in the  footwear  industry  should 
not be divorced  from  the social  problems  of the  industry. 
Voting 
For : 13, against:  15, abstentions  : 10. 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  on the approximation  of the laws  of the 
Member  States  relating  to articles  of precious  metals 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 11 of 16 January  1976,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 19 December  1975,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the  Euro-
pean  Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article 
100 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  request  for  an opinion  made 
by the  Council  of the  European  Communities  on 
19 December  1975, Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by the  Bureau 
on 16 December  1975,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to prepare 
the Committee's  wofk  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  on 
3 November  1976,