5.4.83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 90/9 
concentrated on the economic development of such 
areas. It would be desirable if the new ERDF Regulation 
could provide greater scope for integrated operations. 
2.2.2. The Committee regrets that there is still no legal 
vehicle of integrated operations — which are of 
importance to the regional economy — even though 
the Commission, supported by the Economic and Social 
Committee, has already made proposals to this end. It 
considers that more funds should be made available for 
integrated operations and studies of integrated 
operations so that the experiences gained can be drawn 
on to vet selection criteria (also taking into 
consideration the ESC's study of 15 April 1982 — CES 
916/80 fin.) and further develop the methods to be used 
in carrying out integrated operations. 
2.3. Studies 
The annual report lists completed studies and studies in 
course which cover important areas of interest. The 
Committee feels however that there should be more 
emphasis on studies dealing with the economic 
problems of border areas and possible remedies. 
More attention was admittedly paid to such areas in 
1982. 2.4. Verification 
2.4.J. In its seventh annual report the Commission 
once more states that its relevant department does not 
have enough staff to monitor the projects assisted. 
Hiring more staff will — assuming it is feasible — pose 
financial problems. The Committee therefore 
recommends that independent experts, e.g. auditors, be 
brought in from the Member States to lend their 
assistance. Acting on behalf of the Commission such 
auditors would be able to carry out at least some of the 
monitoring. The plan to fund programmes rather than 
individual projects will no doubt also facilitate 
monitoring. 
2.4.2. The Committee welcomes the emphasis given to 
the monitoring of 'dormant' projects. It means that 
funds wrongly set aside for certain projects can be 
switched to urgently needed projects. 
2.4.3. In addition to inspection of the books, the 
Committee feels that the results of projects should also 
be monitored to find out whether any tangible 
contribution has been made to the economic 
development of the region in question and, above all, to 
learn how many permanent jobs it has been possible to 
save or create. The Committee is aware that monitoring 
of this kind is not easy, but feels that it ought to be 
feasible, and so introduced for future programmes. 
Done at Brussels, 23 February 1983. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation determining the import duties applicable 
to fish fillets obtained on board Community vessels from fish originating in third countries 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 302 of 19 November 1982, page 6. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 19 November 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community. 
No C 90/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 4. 83 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 205th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 23 and 24 February 1983. 
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 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 23 November 1982 for 
an opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation 
determining the import duties applicable to fish fillets 
obtained on board Community vessels from fish 
originating in third countries (Council Decision of 
19 November 1982 (*)), 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
23 November 1982 instructing the Section for Agri­
culture to prepare the Committee's work on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Section 
for Agriculture at its 241st meeting held on 14 and 
15 February 1983, 
Having regard to the oral report by the rapporteur, 
Mr Milne, 
Having regard to the discussion on 23 February 1983 
during the 205th plenary session held on 23 and 
24 February 1983, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by a unanimous vote: 
The Committee approves the Commission proposal 
subject to the following comments: 
1. The Community finds itself in the situation in which 
it is unable to meet demands for fish from the fishing 
grounds available to it. It consequently has to depend 
on the import of fish either as wet fish or in the form of 
processed or semi-processed fish, i.e. fish fillets. 
2. The objective of the Regulation for determining 
import duties applicable to fish fillets obtained on board 
(!) OJ No C 302, 19. 11. 1982, p. 6. Community vessels from fish originating in third 
countries, is to remove an anomaly at present applying 
in the application of customs dues. 
3. At present fish caught in third-country waters may 
be put on board Community vessels. They are then 
filleted arid processed and the customs dues applied are 
on the basis of the value of the fish plus the value added 
by the processing. 
4. Ideally the best solution to the problem would be 
the import of wet fish direct to the Community. 
However there are a number of vessels from one or two 
Community countries equipped to both fillet and freeze 
fish and the Regulation proposes that the customs dues 
applied to fish treated this way should ignore the value 
added context. 
5. The application of such a principle has to be viewed 
in the context of whether it harms the interests of (a) 
the fishermen, (b) the fish processors, or (c) the 
consumers. It would seem not in fact. Firstly, it might 
well help towards creating a degree of stability and 
viability for the larger vessels of a number of 
Community countries engaged in this practice. 
Secondly, it would certainly be in the consumer's 
interest in that more fish would be available and in a 
form likely to be acceptable to the consumer. 
6. At the same time, there is little evidence that the 
application of duties in the way suggested above would 
in any way lead to a considerable increase in the 
operations referred to. 
7. Reference was made in the Committee to the need 
to ensure some form of effective and efficient 
monitoring to ensure (a) that the fish were caught in 
third-country waters and (b) that they were processed 
on Community vessels. Strict operations of quotas and 
necessary completion of approved documentation by 
the skippers involved must form a major element in that 
system of monitoring. 
8. After careful consideration, it was felt that the use 
of the words 'high seas' in paragraph 2, was 
inappropriate to the objects of the Regulation and that 
they could be dispensed with. 
5. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 90/11 
9. The Committee wishes to draw the Commission's 
attention to the fact that at the present moment, in a 
number of EEC countries trawlers from third countries 
are operating under the flag of the host nation. Many 
such vessels are of Spanish origin and they are registered 
in the UK and as Spain is seeking membership, this 
problem would solve itself. However, that is not to say 
that the problem of flags of convenience will necessarily 
disappear. 
In addition, Community factory ships operating in a 
given economic zone may produce fish caught not by 
citizens of the country with sovereignty over that 
economic zone but by citizens of non-Community 
countries authorized to fish in the economic zone in 
question. 
Done at Brussels, 23 February 1983. 
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, Care should therefore be taken to identify the origin of 
such fish, either in order to apply to them the customs 
duties for products originating from the said third 
countries or to ban or limit their import in cases where 
products of the said countries are subject to quota 
arrangements or may not be imported into the EEC. 
The Committee is thinking in particular of fish caught 
by the ships of Eastern-bloc countries. 
10. It is therefore the view of the Committee that the 
proposed Regulation, which seeks to remove an 
anomaly, could be beneficial to the catching, processing 
and consuming interests of the Community. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
Having regard to the Commission's letter of 
19 February 1982 in which it asked the Committee to 
take stock of the Lome Convention with a view to 
determining the guidelines which socio-economic 
interest groups consider to be desirable for closer Opinion on the definition of new guidelines for closer cooperation between the ACP 
countries and the Community 
The text referred to the Committee has not yet been published in the Official Journal of the 
European Communites. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 19 February 1982 the Commission 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 205th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 23 and 24 February 1983.