NoC223/64 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 31.8.92
3.2.Thisisaquestionofpublichealthinvolving
extremelylowCFCconsumption levels.TheCom­
missionshouldgetthecompetentnationalauthorities
tospeeduptheregistrationofthistypeofmedicinal
productassoonasthepropellantgaseshavebeen
modified.Theproposedreductionswillthusbebrought
aboutassoonaspossible,withoutthesickbeing
deprivedofessentialremedies.
B.Otherproducts
3.3.Asregardsexemptionsforotheressentialuses,
theCommitteecallsontheCommission toensurethat
theseare:—includedinanapprovedlist,
—accompaniedbyareferencetothe'essential'appli­
cations,
—grantedforalimitedperiod,
—kepttoaminimum.
4.Recycling
4.1.TheCommissionshouldexaminethepossibility
ofrecyclingandeliminatingthesubstancescoveredby
thisRegulation,especiallyfullyhalogenatedCFCsand
halonsusedinindustrialorprivateinstallationssince
beforethesigningoftheMontrealProtocol.
DoneatBrussels,27May1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)layingdownmarketingstandards
forcertainmilkandnon-milkfatsandfatscomposedofplantandanimalproducts(')
(92/C223/20)
On10February1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon12May1992.TheRapporteurwas
MrQuevedoRojo.
Atits297thPlenarySession(meetingof27May1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionby50votesto20with8abstentions .
1.2.TheCommitteewouldliketoseetheprotection
affordedtothisproductbyitsdefinitionatEClevel
extendedtootherCommunityproducts.1.Generalcomments
1.1.TheCommitteebasicallyapprovestheCom­
missionproposal,inparticularitseffortstoprotecta
productwhosequalityhasledtoahostofimitators
tryingtotakeadvantageofitsreputation.Itis
supremelyimportanttoprovidetheconsumerwith
maximumguaranteesandinformationastothereal
natureofproductsonsale.1.3.Tomatchthescopeoftheproposalitstitle
shouldbereplacedbythefollowing:'Proposalfora
CouncilRegulationlayingdownmarketingstandards
forcertainmilkfatsforuseasspreads,non-milkfats
andblendsthereof'. t1)OJNoC36,14.2.1992,p.12.

31.8.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC223/65
1.4.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheterm'butter'
shouldbereservedsolelyfortheproductobtainedfrom
milkorcreamwithafatcontentofmorethan80%.
TheCommissionisurgedtolaydownanothername
(e.g.'milkfatproduct)forproductswithalowerfat
contentinwhichthefathasbeensubstitutedbywater
oranothersubstance .
2.Specificcomments
2.1.TheCommitteeproposesaddingthefollowing
toArticle2(1):
'Thesedescriptionsshallalsobeusedwhensuch
productsarementionedasingredientsinotherfood­
stuffsofwhichtheyformpart.'
2.2.Article4
2.2.1.TheCommitteeproposesthefollowingword­
ingtoclarifythemeaningofparagraph1(b):
'thetotalfatcontentofthefinishedproductbefore
itsdispatchfromthemanufacturers ,fortheprod­
uctsreferredtoinAnnexIIwithafatcontentof
lessthan80%.'
2.2.2.IntheCommittee'sview,paragraph 1(d)
couldbedeleted,bearinginmindthatitrefersto
productscontainingnootherfatsthanmilkfatsand
thetotalfatcontentisindicatedpursuanttoparagraph
1(b).
2.2.3.Paragraph2:theCommitteeproposesthat
thisparagraphbeincludedintherelevantsectionof
AnnexII.2.2.4.Paragraph3:theCommitteeproposesthatthe
meaningof'variety'and'origin'beclarifiedasthese
termsarealsousedintheproposedRegulationsonthe
protectionofgeographicalindicationsanddesignation
oforiginforagriculturalproductsandfoodstuffsand
oncertificatesofspecificcharacterforfoodstuffs.
2.3.Article5
2.3.1.TheCommitteeproposesaddingthefollowing
toparagraph2:
'Thisinformationmustbeindicatedinthecommer­
cialdocumentswhichaccompanyproductswhen
theyarenotwrapped.'
2.4.TheCommitteeproposesdeletingthesecond
paragraphofArticle7.
2.5.TheCommitteeproposesthefollowingwording
toclarifythemeaningofArticle10.
'IncaseswherereferenceismadetothisArticle,
themeasuresinquestionshallbeadopted,where
appropriate :
—inaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddownin
Article30ofRegulation (EEC)No804/68,
—inaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddownin
Article38ofRegulation (EEC)No136/66,
—inaccordancewithbothproceduresinconjunc­
tion.'
DoneatBrussels,27May1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
APPENDIX
(Article43,4thparagraphoftheRulesofProcedure)
Thefollowingamendmentsweredefeatedduringthediscussion :
Page1,point1.4
Delete.
Reasons
Newrequirementsandproductinnovationhaveresultedintheincreasedproductionofbutterwitha60%
and40%milk-fatcontent.Theseproductsshouldnotbebarredfromthedenomination—butter—,
providingthatthemilk-fatcontentisclearlyindicatedonthepackaging.
Voting
For:21,against:45,abstentions :2.
Point1.4
Delete.

NoC223/66 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 31.8.92
Reasons
Butter(over80%fatcontent)shouldofcoursebecalledbutter;accordinglyhalf-fatbuttershouldbecalled
'half-fatbutter'andnot,astheRapporteurwouldlike,'milkfatproduct'.
Whowouldknowthata'milk-fatproduct'couldactuallybehalf-fatbutter?
Voting
For:21,against:45,abstentions :2.
Point1.4
Deleteandreplacebythefollowing:
'TheCommitteeconsidersthattraditionallymadebutterobtainedfrommilkorcreamwithafatcontentof
morethan80%shouldbegivenspecialprotectionunderArticle4(labelling)and/orArticle6(qualitylevels).'
Reasons
Thedefinitionofbutterproposedinpoint1.4istoorestrictivefortworeasons:
1.Itprohibitspracticallyallpossibilityofchangeinthewaybutterismade,andconsequentlytheintroduction
oftechnologicalinnovationsinthissector.Itwouldinfactbepossible,withoutaffectingtheintrinsic
propertiesoftheproduct(milk-fatcontent),toimprovethequalityandcompetitiveness oftheproduct
(makingiteasiertospreadforinstance),e.g.throughtheadditionofsubstances,providedofcoursethey
werenotintendedtoreplacethefatitself.
2.Itexcludesanypossibilityofdiversification fortheproduceronthebasisofthequalityimageoftheterm
'butter';inotherwords,itwouldnolongerbepossibletomarketproductsderivedfrombutterunder
descriptionssuchas'half-fatbutter'or'three-quarterfatbutter'definedintheproposedRegulation;the
possibilityofsuchdiversification existsalreadyfordairyproducts('semi-skimmed milk','skimmedmilk',
etc.)withoutharmingtheimageofmilkoritsintrinsicpropertiesandwithoutconfusingtheconsumer(in
thepresentcasetheRegulationstipulatesthatthemilk-fatcontentmustalwaysbeindicatedontheproduct).
Thereisinfactarealgapinthemarkethere,asconfirmedbythetrendinmarketdemand.
OpeningupthemilkfatsectortoreducedproductsisthereforedesirableifthepurposeoftheRegulation,
i.e.tosupportproducersbyincreasingthemarketvalueoftheirproducts,isnottobejeopardized .
3.Itisperfectlylegitimatetowanttoprotect'traditionalbutter'andthiscanbedoneundertheRegulation,
asindicatedinthisproposedamendment .
Itis,however,absolutelynecessarythatthedefinitionoftheword'butter'usedalonebesufficientlygeneral
toallowthissectortoevolve.ThedefinitionadoptedbytheproposedRegulationis,moreover,thatofthe
codex.
Voting
For:28,against:44,abstentions :4.
Addnewpoint2.6:
'AnnexII,BandC
ThesetwoAnnexesmakeillegalallproductsbetween3and15%milkfatandwouldthusstopthesaleof
productscurrentlyinthemarketwhichcontain10%milkfat.Thisisunacceptableandmustberectified.'
Reason
TheCommissionstatedduringtheSectionmeetingthatthiswasduetoignoranceandthattheydidnot
intendtomakeillegalproductsexistinginsomeMemberStates.Howeverweneedtomakethepointclearly
inourOpinion.FindingoutsucherrorsisoneoftheusefulfunctionswhichtheCommitteeperformsforthe
maninthestreet.
Voting
For:27,against:27,abstentions :18.

31.8.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC223/67
Addnewpoint2.7:
'Onamoregenerallevel,suchforbiddenzonesreduceconsumerchoiceandlimitproductdevelopment .They
are,therefore,inappropriate inaSingleMarketwhichistheretoimprovechoicefortheconsumerby
removingartificialbarriers.'
Reasons
Self-evident .TheSingleMarketshouldremoveexistingbarriersandnotcreatenewonesasthisproposal
attemptstodo.
Voting
For:17,against:40,abstentions :13.
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)authorizinganenhancedaidsystem
fortheformationofproducers'organizationsintheFrenchoverseasdepartments,inthe
CanaryIslands,inMadeiraandintheAzores(*)
(92/C223/21)
On22April1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedtoappointMrPricoloasRapporteur-General
foritsOpinion.
Atits297thPlenarySession(meetingof27May1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.TheCommitteefullyendorsestheCommission's
reasonsforproposingenhancedaidfortheformation
andinitialoperationofproducers'organizationsinthe
fisheriessectorintheFrenchoverseasdepartments ,
CanaryIslands,MadeiraandAzores.No1360/78of19June1978asamendedbyRegulation
(EEC)No3808/89of12December1989and,with
particularreferencetothefisheriessector,inRegulation
(EEC)No3687/91of28November1991.Thepro­
visionsaredesignedtoovercomestructuralproblems
connectedwiththeconcentration ofsupplyandthe
adjustmentofproductiontomarketdemand.
2.Theprinciplethataidshouldbegraduatedto
reflectthespecialstructuralcircumstancesofdifferent
ECregionsmustnowberecognizedasaconstantand
inalienablepartofagriculturalstructurespolicy.Theseproblemsaremuchmoreacute—sometimesdra­
maticallyso—intheCommunity'smostoutlying
regionsandislands.Hencetheneedforagreaterecon­
omicandfinancialefforttotackletheproblemofthe
veryhighnumberofsmall,inadequatelyorganized
enterprises.Theuseofdifferentiated parameterswhichtake
accountofthefactorsthatimpedeeconomicdevelop­
mentandproductioninthelessfavouredandmost
outlyingregionsoftheCommunityprovidesawayof
reducing(ifnoteliminating )structuraldisparitiesand
thusboostingeconomicandsocialcohesion.4.TheCommitteethereforewelcomestheCom­
mission'smove,notleastbecauseitwillprovidea
consistentderogationsystemforproducers'organiza­
tionsinthefisheriessector.TheCouncilDecisionsof
26June1991concerningthePoseican(CanaryIslands)
andPoseima(MadeiraandAzores)programmes
alreadyadopttheprinciplethatproducers'organiza­
tionsinthefisheriessectorintheseislandsshouldbe
eligibleforenhancedaid.3.Provisionsonproducergroupsandassociations
thereofarecontainedinhorizontalRegulation (EEC)
(!)OJNoC100,22.4.1992,p.13.