21. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 128/37 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 2 October 1978 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
18 October 1978, instructing the Section for Energy and 
Nuclear Questions to prepare an opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the above 
Section at its 45th meeting on 5 January 1979, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur, Mr Friedrichs, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 165th plenary 
session on 24 January 1979, HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The aim of the Community programme being 
proposed by the Commission is to establish here and 
now the technical basis which will make it possible to 
gradually align the codes and standards governing 
special components in liquid metal fast breeder reactors. 
The programme is thus the initial starting point for the 
later harmonization of these codes and standards from a 
technical angle and eventually from a legal angle, too. 
This will enable the regulatory authorities and electric 
utilities to accept the components licensed in one 
Member State as being reliable without any substantial 
modifications having to be made. 
2. The Committee would lay emphasis on the 
long-range approach of the proposed programme. Fast 
breeders are currently passing through the 
demonstration stage, and consequently technical 
developments in this field have not yet been terminated 
and a harmonization of codes and standards has not yet 
been possible. Nevertheless, the Committee thinks the 
Commission has been right to submit the proposal. The 
work on the structural integrity of fast breeder 
components envisaged in this proposal will contribute 
towards these components' safety and is also important 
with regard to later harmonization in this field. 
Done at Brussels, 24 January 1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the implementation in the solar energy 
sector of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1302/78 concerning the granting of financial 
support for projects to exploit alternative energy sources 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 259 of 1 November 1978, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 27 October 1978 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 235 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 165th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 January 1979. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
No C 128/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 21. 5. 79 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request by the Council of the 
European Communities on 27 October 1978 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 28 
November 1978, instructing the Section for Energy and 
Nuclear Questions to prepare an opinion and a report 
on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the above 
Section on 5 January 1979, 
Having regard to the report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Ceconi, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 165th plenary 
session on 24 January 1979, 
Whereas the Community needs to develop all sources 
and forms of energy — including new, renewable 
sources — in order to help secure its energy supplies; 
Whereas solar energy appears to be the most promising 
of the new, renewable sources; 
Whereas the Community is already carrying out a 
sizeable solar energy research programme, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by 72 votes to two with five abstentions: 
1. The Committee approves the proposed programme. 
Done at Brussels, 24 January 1979. 2. The Committee reaffirms (*) that it is vitally 
important (a) to develop techniques that improve 
utilization of 'new sources of energy', and (b) to 
discover additional alternative sources. 
3. The Committee notes that solar energy appears to 
be one of the most promising of the new, renewable 
sources. It is in this sector that the Community is 
deploying the largest share of the research resources it 
has allocated to these sources of energy. The Committee 
accordingly believes that the Community should back 
up its research efforts with a scheme of commensurate 
size that would provide financial support for 
demonstration projects on solar techniques in order to 
promote their practical application. The Committee 
maintains that the Commission's proposed budget of 60 
million EUA is but modest, given the aims of the 
projects, and should be regarded as a minimum not to 
be cut back under any circumstances — particularly in 
view of the still relatively high cost of solar energy 
compared with other traditional sources of energy. In 
this connection, the Committee thinks that similar 
efforts at national level should also be supported. 
4. The Committee believes that, in the selection of 
individual projects, the Commission should ensure not 
only that the conditions outlined in Article 2 of the 
Regulation are met, but also that such decisions are 
based on a detailed evaluation of the different points 
referred to in Article 4. 
5. The Committee welcomes the fact that the 
Community programme of financial support for 
demonstration projects in order to develop alternative 
energy sources has, — since the Committee delivered its 
last opinion — broadened to include solar energy. It 
hopes that the Commission will shortly submit similar 
proposals to cover wave, tide and wind energy. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
(!) OJ No C 287, 30. 11. 1977, p. 7.