7. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 114/5 
2.11. The Committee is convinced of the need to 
promote measures to help private owners of individual 
plots of woodland band together in order to streamline 
forest management methods. 
2.12. The Committee recognizes that in view of the 
long maturation time required for forestry, three things 
are necessary to ensure initial and continuing interest in 
afforestation, namely, 
i— reasonable grant levels in the initial years of the 
growth cycle to support those who convert their 
land; 
— reasonable provision of long-term capital by way of 
either loans with deferred interest and repayments 
or some similarly advantageous funding; 
— a long-term, positive and committed policy by 
governments and the Community on such matters 
as taxation, etc. 
2.13. The Committee urges that laws governing the 
protection of forests, individual trees and hedges need 
to be strengthened substantially and indeed there is 
much scope for harmonization, bearing in mind how 
different things are in the various Member States. The Committee also feels that the Commission should 
help owners of private forests to make better use of 
their properties or of any forests that may be planted in 
the future. It would point out that there are some five 
million hectares of land suitable for forestry in the 
Community. 
2.14. The Committee regards the present state of 
research and knowledge dissemination as unsatisfactory 
and urges that early decisions should be made and 
implemented to improve the situation. 
2.15. Finally, the Committee urges most strongly the 
need for a fundamental reappraisal of the attitude of the 
Community to forestry and the recognition of its vital 
role in the future. 
2.16. The Committee is aware that it may be difficult 
to put some wrongs right quickly by passing laws, etc., 
applicable throughout the Community. 
But until such time as a common forestry policy as 
defined in this opinion is implemented the Commission 
should, as an immediate first step, let the Member 
States know, say through a recommendation, what 
guidelines should be followed when framing national 
forestry policies. 
Done at Brussels, 12 July 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
Opinion on the cross-border communications study on the Londonderry/Donegal area 
The opinion of the Committee is not based on any text. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 161st plenary session held on 12 and 13 July 1978 the Committee, acting on a 
proposal from the Bureau, decided to deliver an opinion on the abovementioned subject on 
its own initiative. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 161st 
plenary session held in Brussels on 12 and 13 July 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
NoC 114/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 5. 79 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to its decision at its plenary session of 
12 and 13 July 1978 to deliver an opinon on the subject 
under Article 20 (4), of the Rules of Procedure, 
Having regard to the 'Cross-Border Communications 
Study for the Londonderry and Donegal area' 
undertaken at the request of the United Kingdom and 
Irish Governments and the European Commission (1), 
Having regard to the Information Report drawn up by 
the Section for Regional Development on the above 
Study, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur-general, Mr Cremer, appointed under 
Article 18 of the Rules of Procedure, „ 
Having regard to its discussions at the 161st plenary 
session held on 12 and 13 July 1978 (meeting of 
12 July), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with no votes against and one abstention: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee is convinced that the 
Londonderry/Donegal area is one of the most 
disadvantaged regions of the EEC in terms of 
employment, living standards and infrastructure 
development. The usual difficulties of peripheral areas 
have been aggravated by the fact that the 
Londonderry/Donegal area straddles the border and, in 
recent years, by the serious civil unrest in Northern 
Ireland. The unemployment rate is exceptionally and 
unacceptably high. Unless outside help is forthcoming, 
this combination of problems will make it impossible to 
achieve economic progress in the area, even in the long 
term. 
1.2. The immediate objective must be to improve the 
communication facilities and infrastructure of the area 
so as to enable it to exploit fully its own resources and 
to enable it to compete with other Community 
development areas in attracting new industry. Only then 
will it become possible to narrow significantly the 
(!) Doc. XVI/87/78. unacceptably wide disparity in living standards and 
incomes between this area and the more prosperous 
regions of the Community. 
1.3. The Committee is impressed by the determination 
of the local authorities and the economic and social 
interests to combine in furthering development and by 
the widespread agreement between them as to the 
overall economic and social objectives. 
1.4. The Committee welcomes the extent to which 
both governments have recognized the economic and 
social problems of the area and their efforts to solve 
them. The Committee recognizes that the task of setting 
priorities, drawing up plans, and putting them into 
effect is the prerogative of the national authorities. 
There is, however, a need for the national governments 
to coordinate their development plans. 
1.5. The Committee also notes that the 
Londonderry/Donegal area, considered as a natural 
economic unit, fulfils all criteria for Community aid. 
Action by the Community will assume a crucial role. 
Nevertheless, if it is to be effective, Regional Fund aid 
must be used in close conjunction with other 
Community aid and must be strictly concentrated on 
major improvements to the area's communications: this 
is a very good example of how the Regional Fund's 
non-quota section can be used. The Committee concurs 
with the view expressed at all levels that the EEC has a 
distinct role to play, not only in providing part of the 
finance but also in giving advice and by ensuring there 
is close coordination of aid from whatever source. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The Committee expresses serious concern for the 
future of bus services in the remote and sparsely 
populated parts of the study area. The Committee 
recommends that the possibility of Community aid to 
capital costs of the services be examined. 
2.2. The Committee also attaches particular 
importance to the upgrading of Eglinton airport which 
would contribute significantly to industrial development 
and tourism in the area, a view which is strongly 
supported - on both sides of the border. It is 
recommended that the Regional Development Fund 
should support the upgrading of Eglinton and that 
consideration be given by the national governments to 
an operational subsidy: this would encourage a 
recognized air operator to provide scheduled services 
London/Eglinton and Dublin/Eglinton. 
2.3. The Committee recognizes that the bulk of new 
jobs in the area must be found in the industrial sector. 
However, the Committee wishes to emphasize the need 
7. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 114/7 
to exploit the natural resources of the area and is 
concerned that the possibilities for job-preservation and 
job-creation in agriculture, forestry, tourism and 
fisheries should not be neglected. 
3. The Committee accordingly makes the following 
recommendations: 
3.1. The two governments should take action as a 
matter of urgency to implement the proposals contained 
in the cross-border study within a period not exceeding 
five years. 
3.2. In particular, the projects to which both 
governments assign priorities should immediately be 
submitted for financing within the existing 
arrangements of the European Regional Development 
Fund. 
3.3. When the non-quota section of the Regional Fund 
comes into operation, special regard should be paid to 
its use in the study area; it is therefore recommended that the cross-border region be made the object of a 
specific Community regional development measure 
under Article 13 of the revised Fund Regulation, so that 
funds can be provided immediately to contribute to the 
financing of those projects recommended in the 
crossborder study for which sufficient finance has not 
yet been forthcoming from other sources. 
3.4. In response to a strong demand in,the area, the 
European Commission should consider opening an 
Information Office in Northern Ireland as a matter of 
urgency. 
3.5. As described in the Information Report, the 
Steering Group should be given a positive role to play as 
a catalyst for economic and social development and, to 
assist the Steering Group, an Area Liaison Committee 
should be established composed of representatives of 
local authorities and of economic and social interest 
groups in order to provide meaningful local 
participation and to make use of local knowledge and 
experience. 
Done at Brussels, 12 July 1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Basil de FERRANTI 
Opinion on the implementation of the Lome Convention — the road towards a new 
Convention 
The opinion of the Committee is not based on any text. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 4 July 1977, the Bureau of the Committee decided, under the third paragraph of Article 
20 of its Rules of Procedure, to deliver an additional opinion on the abovementioned 
subject. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 161st 
plenary session held in Brussels on 12 and 13 July 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: