1. 4. 74 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 37/7 
cooperation  of the  representatives  of economic  and 
social  activity  in the  preparation  of Community 
decisions.  The  Committee  feels  it is very  important 
that such  participation  should  occur  when  decisions 
are still  in preparation.  Therefore,  the  Committee 
considers  that  permanent  dialogue  between  itself  and 
the Economic  Policy  Committee  would  contribute  to 
achieving  the  goals  of economic  and  monetary 
union. 
8. The  innovations  the  Commission  proposes  in 
the monetary  field  prompt  the  Committee  to make 
several  comments. 
(a) As regards  the  pooling  of one-tenth  of currency 
reserves,  the Committee  would  like  to know  for 
what  purposes  the  reserve  assets  which  it is 
proposed  to hand  over  to EMCOF  will  be used. 
This  pooling  can  have  very  major  aims,  but 
these  are  not  the  aims  mentioned  in the  text 
proposed  by the Commission. 
In addition,  the  Committee  wonders  whether  it 
is realistic  to ask  the central  banks  to hand  over 
part of their  gold  assets  in the  absence  of prior 
agreement  on the  price  at which  such  reserves 
Done  at Brussels,  13 December  1973. are to be  transferred,  even  allowing  for  the 
guarantee  laid  down  in Article  4. 
(b) As regards  the  increase  in  the  monetary 
assistance  which  EMCOF  can  grant,  the 
Committee  considers  as  satisfactory  the 
provisions  laid  down  as regards  the  amount, 
duration  and  the  conditions  for  granting  credits 
and particularly  their  conditional  nature  once 
certain  limits  are exceeded.  It notes  however  that 
no new  measures  are proposed  for the repayment 
of credits  and  cannot  see  how  the  various 
monetary  proposals  made  by the  Commission 
can, as  the  explanatory  memorandum  to 
proposal  No  4 states,  eliminate  the  de facto 
blockage  in the  field  of settlements  between 
central  banks. 
To overcome  these  difficulties  it is essential  to take 
steps  to allow  the  sum  total  of the  reserve  assets  of 
the Member  States  to play,  once  again,  their  normal 
role as instruments  for settling  balances. 
The Committee  would  like  to receive  all relevant 
details  on  this  point,  which  it considers  to be 
fundamental. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS 
CONSULTATION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
on a proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No 1496/68 
of 27 September  1968  on the definition  of the customs  territory  of the Community 
A. REQUEST  FOR  AN  OPINION 
At its 254th  meeting  held  on 20 September  1973,  the  Council  decided  to exercise  its 
option  of consulting  the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on the  above  proposal  for a 
Regulation. 
The request  for an Opinion  was  sent  by the President  of the Council  to the Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on 24 September  1973. 
B. TEXT  WHICH  WAS  THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  CONSULTATION 
The text  which  was  the subject  of the consultation  was  published  in the Official  Journal 
of the European  Communities,  No  C 92 of 31 October  1973,  pp.  9 and  10. 
No C 37/8 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 1. 4. 74 
C. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
At its 115th  Plenary  Session  held  in Strasbourg  on 29 November  1973,  the Committee 
adopted  unanimously  by the  members  present  or represented,  its Opinion  on the  text 
referred  to under  B. 
The text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  by the President  of the 
Council  of  the  European  Communities  on 
24 September  1973  for an Opinion  on the  proposal 
for a Council  Regulation  amending  Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No 1496/68  of 27 September  1968 
on the  definition  of the  customs  territory  of the 
Community; 
Having  regard  to  Article  198  of  the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the  Decision  of its Bureau  on 
26 September  1973  entrusting  the  Section  for 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  with  the 
preparation  of an Opinion  and  a report  on this 
matter; 
Having  regard  to  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
Nos 1496/68  and  2744/72  on the  definition  of the 
customs  territory  of the  Community; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for  Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services 
at its meeting  on 7 November  1973; 
Done  at Strasbourg,  29 November  1973. Having  regard  to its discussions  at its 115th  Plenary 
Session  on 29 November  1973, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION: 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
proposal  for  a Regulation.  It notes  that  the  aim  of 
this proposal  is to extend  to 30 June  1977  the 
provisions  of Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2744/72 
of 19 December  1972  amending  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 1496/68  on  the  definition  of the  customs 
territory  of the Community. 
The Committee  wonders  whether  the  time  is not 
ripe for  simplifying  the  whole  definition  of the 
customs  territory  of  the  Community.  In  fact, 
maintaining  a certain  number  of particularities  that 
have  historical  roots,  and  are  moreover  perfectly 
justifiable,  gives  rise  to  difficulties  when  the 
Community  provisions  are implemented  that  are  out 
of all proportion  to the interests  these  provisions  are 
supposedly  intended  to respect. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS 
CONSULTATION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
on a Communication  from  the  Commission  to the  Council  on initial  implementation 
of the  guidelines  and  priorities  for a Community  Energy  Policy 
A. REQUEST  FOR  AN  OPINION 
At its 256th  meeting  held  on 24 September  1973,  the  Council  decided  to exercise  its 
option  of consulting  the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on the above  Communication. 
The request  for an Opinion  was  sent  by the President  of the Council  to the Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on 25 September  1973. 
B. TEXT  WHICH  WAS  THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  CONSULTATION 
The text  which  was  the  subject  of the  consultation  has  not  yet  been  published  in the 
Official  Journal  of the European  Communities.