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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)199
Vol.1978/0064

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(78)199final.
Brussels,17May1978
RENEWALOPTHEECONOMIC ANDSOCIALCOMMITTEE
(Communication fromtheCommissiontotheCouncil)
COM(78)199final.

Renewal oftheEconomic andSocial Committee
1.Article 195(2 )oftheEECTreaty provides that theCommission isto "be
consulted bytheCouncil onthecomposition oftheEconomic andSocial
7Committee .While notwishing toquestion this procedure ,which itvalues ,
theCommission would like toinform theCouncil atthis juncture ,with the
renewal oftheEconomic andSocial Committee scheduled totake place "by
16September ,ofitsviews concerning thebases onwhich theMember States
should draw upthelists ofcandidates .TheCommission does notintend ,
either ,topredetermine here what opinion itwill give onapossible reform
oftheESC ,when this isproposed .
2.TheCommission fully supports thedeclaration bytheCopenhagen European
Council totheeffect that itregarded thework oftheEconomic andSocial
Committee ashighly important .TheEuropean Council infact asked all concerned
tocooperate inconnection with therenewal oftheCommittee soastoincrease
theCommittee 'seffectiveness ,having regard toitsrole indecisions-taking
bytheEuropean Communities . '
3.Itisforprecisely this reason that theCommission isconcerned that
theMember States' lists ofcandidates should reflect asclosely aspossible
thebalance ofeconomic andsocial forces (agriculture ,industry ,trade ,
crafts ,professions ).Itisapparent that economic changes have hqri
repercussions onalltheforces active throughout theMember States .The •
composition ofthelists ofEconomic andSocial Committee representatives
should undoubtedly take account ofthis andensure special representation
ofconsumer groups ,environment specialists andtheeconomic andsocial forces
involved indevelopment cooperation .
TheCommission wants toseeimplemented inthebest possible conditions
theCommunity environment andconsumer policy which itoutlined inthe
action programme itpresented totheCouncil .Anditregards theEconomic
andSocial Committee asanappropriate forum foraconfrontation ofideas .
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Itwould therefore "bedesirable for acertain number ofenvironment
andconsumer specialists tobenominated ,sothat theCommission proposals
could bestudied inthelight ofthespecific interests ofthethree
existing groups ,butalso byadvisers whose specialized knowledge could
inform theopinions forwhich theCommittee isresponsible .
The Commission would also like the Economic and Social Committee tobe
able todiscuss what itregards asone ofthemajor problems ofour times ,
namely development aid -TheCommission considers that aninternational
division oflabour ,while improving theeconomic situation ofthedeveloping
countries ,will have economic andsocial repercussions intheCommunity ,
which must beassessed andprepared forbydetermining nowwhat restructuring
andadaptation will berequired .
Thevigilance shown bytheEconomic andSocial Committee inconsidering
these matters will give greater weight toitsopinions .