No C 101/28 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 26. 4. 78 
can be done  by preparing  and  implementing  all 
appropriate  measures  both  in the energy  sector  (which 
includes  a rational  energy  (use  policy)  and  elsewhere. 
Such  measures,  however,  should  not  be confined  to 
purely  national  measures,  to what  lies  in the power 
of each  Member  State  acting  autonomously.  All that 
these  measures  achieve  is to make  the Community's 
energy  statistics  look  rosier.  No  energy  policy  can 
claim  to be a genuine  common  policy  unless  it helps 
to further  the Community's  fundamental  objectives 
both  within  the Nine  and  vis-a-vis  the outside  world; 
and these  objectives  go further  than  the mere  attain-
ment  of certain  production  levels  or energy  conser-
vation  targets  whose  importance  is largely  confined  to 
individual  national  economies.  To become  a fully-fledged  Community  policy,  the energy  strategy  must 
be planned  and  executed  in an atmosphere  of genuine 
solidarity  and  play  its part  in bringing  about  econo-
mic integration  and  political  unity. 
3.3. These  are  the  views  expressed  by  the 
Commission  in its second  report  (page  4: 'Main 
features').  In future  progress  reports  and  other 
documents,  however,  the  Commission  should 
concentrate  less  on  fluctuating  medium-term 
forecasts  and  more  on giving  an up-date  of the 
energy  policy  emphasizing  to what  extent  the 
Member  States  have  adhered  to  Community 
guidelines. 
Done  at Brussels,  1 March  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  amending  the Directive  of 26 July  1971 
concerning  the coordination  of procedures  for  the  award  of public  works  contracts 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 25 of 31 January  1978,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 25 January  1978,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 
156th  plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 1 and 2 March  1978. 
The full text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the Euro-
pean  Economic  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article  100  thereof, Having  regard  to the  request  made  by the  Council 
of the  European  Communities  on 25 January  1978 
for an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau 
on 31  January  1978  instructing  the  Section  for 
26. 4. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 101/29 
Industry,  Commerce,  Crafts  and  Services  to draw  up 
an opinion  and  a report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section 
for Industry,  Commerce  Crafts  and  Services  at its 
meeting  on 8 February  1978, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr De Grave, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 156th  plenary 
session  held  on 1 and  2 March  1978  (meeting  of 
1 March  1978), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
proposal  and  has the following  comments  to make: 
1. The  Committee  is pleased  that  the Commission 
is updating  Directive  71/305/EEC  so that  the Euro-
pean  unit  of account  is used  to calculate  the value 
thresholds  above  which  public  works  contracts  are 
subject  to the  Directive  in the  different  Member States.  The  European  unit  of account  has  already 
been  introduced  in the  sister  Directive  governing 
public  supply  contracts  by Directive  77/62/EEC.  The 
use of the  European  unit  of account  is a positive 
step since  it will  remove  the  divergence  in the 
thresholds  in different  Member  States  due  to the 
exchange  rate  changes  of recent  years. 
1.1. Some  Members  which  delayed  incorporating 
Directive  71/305/EEC  in their  legislation  have  in a 
way anticipated  the present  proposal  since  they  have 
already  made  provision  for the use of the European 
unit of account. 
2. The  Committee  would  have  been  grateful  if, 
when  presenting  this  proposal,  the Commission  had 
taken  stock  of the extent  to which  the 1971  Directive 
has been  applied  by the Member  States.  It wonders 
whether  it would  not  have  been  possible  to improve 
on the level  of compliance.  Now  that  the Directive 
has been  incorporated  into  the law  of all the Member 
States,  the  Committee  calls  upon  the  Commission 
to ensure  that  the Directive  is in fact  applied  prop-
erly in each  Member  State. 
3. The  Committee  regrets  that  legal  difficulties 
have  so far prevented  harmonization  of the  list  of 
activities  of public  authorities  which  are subject  to 
Directive  71/305/EEC. 
Done  at Brussels,  1 March  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  recommendation  on fluorocarbons  in the 
environment 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 217 of 10 September  1977,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 8 September  1977,  the  Council  referred  the  abovementioned  proposal  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  of the Treaty  establish-
ing the European  Economic  Community.