31. 7. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 181/19 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  by the meeting. 
Add a new  section  2.5 as follows: 
'2.5. D;rgcf:z,g  72/161/EEC 
With  regard  to Directive  72/161/EEC,  experience  has shown  the need  to promote  and  ensure  the 
autonomy  of the relevant  professional  organizations  in the areas  of training,  social  and  economic 
guidance  and  technical  support.' 
Voting 
For: 8, against:  45, abstentions:  23. 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  on the  statistical  surveys  of the  areas 
under  vines 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 298  of 10 December  1977,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 30 November  1977,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Articles  47 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 157th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 29 and  30 March  1978. 
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  Articles  47 and 
198 thereof, 
Having  regard  to the Council's  request  of 30 November 
1977  for an opinion, Having  regard  to  the  decision  by  its  Bureau  on 
13 December  1977  instructing  the Section  for  Agricul-
ture to prepare  the Committee's  work  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to its previous  work  on the  matter, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made.,  by the  rap-
porteur,  Mr Guillaume, 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section  for 
Agriculture  at its meeting  of 9 March  1978, 
No C 181/20 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 31. 7. 78 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 157th  plenary 
session  of 29 and  30 March  1978  (meeting  of 29 March 
1978), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
Commission's  proposal,  subject  to the  following  com-
ments: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  takes  note  of the  difficulties  en-
countered  at Community  level  in carrying  out  a com-
plete  review  of the Community  viticultural  land  register. 
This  review  is scheduled  to be carried  out  every  10 
years,  beginning  in 1979,  in accordance  with  Regulation 
No 26/64/EEC  as last  amended  by Regulation  (EEC) 
No 1456/76. 
Viticultural  land  registers  have  been  drawn  up in the 
four  wine-producing  countries  in the  Community  but 
this was  done  at different  dates  and  using  different 
methods,  hence  the  difficulties  of bringing  out  a 
Community  land  register  within  the  time  limits  orig-
inally  planned. 
1.2. The  Committee  is therefore  generally  in favour  of 
a Regulation  setting  up a system  of statistical  surveys  of 
areas  under  vine.  This  would  make  it easier  to improve 
the way  in which  the wine  sector  is organized  because 
potential  output  would  be better  known. 
1.3. But  the Committee  feels  that  in the longer  term  a 
Community  viticultural  land  register  should  be drawn 
up as planned. 
1.4. The  Committee  notes  that,  in all the wine-produc-
ing Member  States,  it is possible  to meet  quickly  the 
requirements  of the draft  Regulation,  thanks  to existing 
statistical  services.  It has  long  been  an obligation  to 
provide  detailed  information  on harvests. 
1.5. While  a sampling  system  could,  in certain  cases, 
make  surveying  easier  and  simpler,  the Committee  feels 
that the first  time  round  it would  be preferable  to^carry 
out an exhaustive  survey.  This  would  make  the  sam-
pling  system  more  reliable  during  intermediate  surveys. 
1.6. The  Committee  would  point  out  that  in some 
Member  States  it is not possible  to distinguish  between 
vineyards  for  the production  of table  wines  and  vine-yards  for producing  quality  wines  psr because  only  the 
latter  classification  exists.  However,  some  of the  har-
vest in these  countries  may  be designated  as table  wine, 
the amount  varying  from  year  to year. 
2. Comments  on the Articles 
2.1. Article  2 
The Committee  proposes  that  the  fourth  indent  in 
Article  2 (2) (B)  should  read  'including  wines  for  the 
manufacture  of potable  spirits  produced  in specified 
regions'. 
2.1.1.  In addition,  the Committee  considers  that  since 
some  of the countries  seeking  EEC  membership  possess 
large  areas  of vineyard  for  producing  grapes  that  are 
subsequently  dried,  provision  should  be made  right  now 
for such  vineyards  to be declared. 
2.1.2.  The  Committee  therefore  asks  that  after  the fifth 
indent  in Article  2 (2) (B),  a new  indent  should  be in-
serted,  reading  'the  area  cultivated  with  varieties  to be 
turned  into  dried  grapes'. 
2.2. Article  3 
The Committee  thinks  the first  basic  surveys  should  be 
exhaustive. 
2.3. Article  5 
The Committee  proposes  that  the fifth  indent  in Article 
5 (2)  should  read  'including  wines  intended  compul-
sorily  for the manufacture  of potable  spirits  produced  in 
specified  regions'. 
2.4. Article  6 
The Committee  would  point  out  that  classifying  vine-
yards  by yield  is a tricky  business,  since  annual  vari-
ations  in yield  may  be considerable,  especially  in some 
Member  States. 
2.4.1.  As  regards  Article  6 (2),  the  Committee  feels 
that the  classification  system  must  be identical  in all 
Member  States,  so that  data  can  be compared. 
2.4.2.  As  regards  the  evaluation  of yield  trends  over 
the next  five  wine-growing  years,  referred  to in Article  6 
(3), the  Committee  would  point  out  that  while  such 
projections  have  a certain  interest,  they  are very  uncer-
tain and  are only  of value  when  weather  conditions  are 
normal. 
31.17.  78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 181/21 
2.4.3.  It is proposed  that  the third  indent  in Article  6 
(4) should  read  'including  wines  intended  compulsorily 
for the  manufacture  of potable  spirits  produced  in 
specified  regions'. 
2.4.4.  As  regards  Article  6 (5),  it would  be interesting 
to make  it compulsory  for mean  alcoholic  strength  to be 
bfoken  down  by yield  class,  as well  as by geographical 
unit. 
2.4.5.  The  Committee  does  not agree  with  discriminat-
ing between  Member  States  on the  grounds  of the 
amount  of quality  wines  psr they  produce.  It proposes 
that all producer  countries  should  have  to produce 
separate  figures  on the mean  natural  alcoholic  strength 
of their  table  wines  and  their  quality  wines  psr. 
2.5. Article  9 
The Committee  considers  that  the expenditure  necessary 
for carrying  out intermediate  surveys  could  come  out of 
the EEC  budget. 
Done  at Brussels,  29 March  1978. 2.6. Article  10 
The Committee  notes  that,  according  to the  Com-
mission,  the derogations  provided  for in Article  10 (4) 
are to be incorporated  into  another  Community  Regu-
lation. 
3. Conclusions 
3.1. The  Committee  notes  with  interest  that,  according 
to the Commission,  the Member  States  themselves  will 
be largely  responsible  for  carrying  out  surveys,  es-
pecially  as regards  the choice  of methods  for attaining 
the Commission's  objectives.  The  Committee  would, 
however,  stress  the need  for statistics  that  can  be com-
pared  with  one  another. 
3.2. Finally,  the Committee  is aware  of the importance 
of the  present  proposed  Regulation  being  adopted  as 
soon  as possible,  so that  the basic  surveys  can be carried 
out in the 1978/79  marketing  year. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the proposals  for: 
— a Council  Regulation  defining  for 1978  measures  for conservation  and  management  of 
fishery  resources  by the establishment  of quotas 
— a Council  Regulation  laying  down  technical  measures  for the conservation  of fishery 
resources 
— a Council  Regulation  laying  down  certain  measures  of control  for fishing  activities 
— a Council  Decision  on financial  participation  by the Community  in respect  of the inspec-
tion and  surveillance  operations  in the maritime  waters  of Denmark  and  Ireland 
— a Council  Regulation  laying  down  special  aid measures  for herring  fisheries  in the North 
Sea and  the Celtic  Sea 
The texts  referred  to the Committee  have  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 278  of 18 November  1977,  pages  3 and  8, No C 307  of 21 December 
1977,  page  3, and  C 286  of 29 November  1977,  page  3.