No C 125/54 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16.10.  74 
Having  regard  to the  various  opinions  delivered  by 
the Committee  pertaining  to the  harmonization  of 
laws  concerning  animal  and  plant  health  and  animal 
nutrition,  and  in particular  the  document  drawn  up 
by the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  on 
24 May  1972  on the  basis  of a report  submitted  by 
the Rapporteur,  Mr Bourel,  and  entitled  'Harmoniza-
tion of the  laws  concerning  agricultural  and  food 
products'; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  presented  by the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Droulin; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 4 July  1974; 
Having  regard  to its discussion  at its 122nd  plenary 
session  held  on  17  and  18  July  1974,  sitting  of 
17 July  1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee  approves  the  Commission's 
proposal,  subject  to the following  comments: 
1. The  Committee  approves  the  work  programme 
and timetable  put  forward  by the  Commission,  but 
is obliged,  regretfully,  to note  that  the  Community 
institutions  have  fallen  considerably  behind  schedule 
with  respect  to the  General  Programme  to eliminate 
trade  barriers,  which  had  been  laid  down.  As the 
Committee  has  already  pointed  out  on  several occasions,  basically  this  delay  is most  often  due  to 
the Council,  whose  working  methods  and  procedures 
have  not  enabled  the  Commission's  proposals  to be 
examined  as and  when  they  are  received  by the 
Council. 
2. The  Committee  hopes  sincerely  that  the 
programme  of work  currently  proposed  by the Com-
mission  will  draw  the  Council's  attention  to its 
responsibilities  and  to the consequences  which  would 
result  from  a further  increase  to the  considerable 
delays  which  have  already  occurred. 
3. The  Committee  therefore  calls  upon  the  Council 
to approve  and  adhere  to strictly  the dates  proposed 
to it by the Commission. 
4. The  Committee  for  its part  reserves  the  right  to 
take a stand  on each  of the  proposals  envisaged  in 
the programme  of work,  which  by the  way  is not 
exhaustive,  and  undertakes  to prepare  each  of its 
Opinions  as rapidly  as possible  so as to enable  the 
Council  to take  its Decisions  on schedule. 
Done  at Brussels,  17 July  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
Opinion  on the  situation  in the  Community 
The Opinion  of the Committee  is not based  on any  text. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
At its 120th  plenary  session  held  on 29 and  30 May  1974  the Committee,  acting  on a pro-
posal  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 Opinon  on the  above  matter  at its 
122nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 17 and  18 July  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
16.10.74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 125/55 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  statement  by its Chairman, 
A. Lappas,  on 29 May  1974  concerning  the situation 
in the  Community,  in which  the  Committee  was 
invited  to examine  ways  of making  public  opinion 
aware  of  the  favourable  results  of  European 
integration  and  of safeguarding  the principle  of the 
European  Community  and  its achievements; 
Having  regard  to the  Committee's  Decision  of 
30 May  1974  to draw  up an opinion  on this  subject 
under  Article  20,  fourth  paragraph,  of its Rules  of 
Procedure,  and  to instruct  Mr De Bruyn,  Rapporteur-
General,  and  Mr  Friedrichs  and  Mr  Masprone, 
co-Rapporteurs,  to submit  to it a draft  Opinion 
under  Article  18 of its Rules  of Procedure; 
Having  regard  to the  draft  Opinion  of 3 July  1974 
* delivered  by the  Rapporteur-General  and  the  co-
Rapporteurs; 
Having  regard  to the discussion  at its 122nd  plenary 
session,  held  on 17  and  18  July  1974,  sitting  of 
17 July, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously  with  1 abstention: 
The European  Community  has  for  some  time  been 
experiencing  serious  difficulties  which  could  threaten 
its future  and  call  into  question  the  very  principles 
on which  it is based.  While  recent  positive  signs 
might  diminish  fears  on this  score,  this  situation  has 
received  the  attention  of the  Economic  and  Social 
Committee. 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  notes  that 
public  opinion,  which  is not  sufficiently  informed, 
especially  about  the  fact  that  the  improvement  in 
the general  living  conditions  of the peoples  of Europe 
is due  to  the  Community,  does  not  properly 
appreciate  the  serious  economic  and  social 
consequences  that  would  inevitably  result  if 
European  integration  were  to fail. 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  stresses  that 
the Community's  balance  sheet  is on  the  whole 
a favourable  one,  though  it notes  that  certain  internal 
weaknesses  make  the  Community  vulnerable, 
particularly  to the effects  of international  imbalances. I. THE  COMMUNITY  AS A WHOLE  HAS  GREATLY 
BENEFITED  FROM  EUROPEAN  INTEGRATION 
The European  idea  stemmed  from  the  desire  to 
restore  to Europe  an international  role.  The  aim  was 
to ensure  lasting  peace  between  the  European  States 
within  an area  of economic  prosperity  and  political 
stability  that  was  open  to a world  which,  for  that 
very  reason,  would  be better  balanced. 
1. Economically,  European  integration  has  helped 
to bring  about  an improvement  in living  conditions 
The creation  among  the  Member  States  of a huge 
market  with  a common  customs  tariff  and  the 
principle  of Community  preference  have  stimulated 
commercial  activity  and  given  rise  to remarkable 
growth  in production,  trade  and  consumption. 
This  continuous  expansion  — between  1959  and 
1972  the  per  capita  gross  national  product  of 
Europe  of the  Six  more  than  tripled  (rising  from 
1012  to 3 400  dollars  per  annum)  — has  made 
possible  a considerable  rise  in living  standards  and 
levels  of employment  in each  of the Member  States. 
At the  practical  level,  the  Community  must  be 
credited  with  considerable  progress  and  a number 
of examples  are worth  mentioning. 
The liberalization  of trade  has  been  achieved  by the 
abolition  of customs  duties  and  the  harmonization 
of national  laws  on the  manufacture  and  marketing 
of products. 
Action  has  been  taken  on a broad  front  to promote 
the free  movement  of persons,  particularly  as regards 
freedom  of establishment  and  freedom  of the  self-
employed  to provide  services. 
The common  agricultural  policy  is the  most 
sophisticated  expression  of the  desire  for  economic 
integration  and  Community  solidarity.  In particular 
it has  made  possible  a considerable  improvement 
in farmers'  living  standards  and  conditions  of life. 
Progress  has  been  made  in harmonizing  transport 
policies  and  in regulating  working  conditions  in the 
transport  sector. 
No C 125/56 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16.10.  74 
In the social  sphere  certain  achievements  are to be 
stressed: 
— the various  forms  of action  by the  European 
Social  Fund, 
— the provisions  aimed  at protecting  the rights  of 
migrant  workers, 
— the appreciable  rise  in women's  pay  as a result 
of the implementation  of Article  119  of the EEC 
Treaty  (equal  pay for men  and women), 
— efforts  to set  up  regulations  guaranteeing 
employment  either  in a general  legal  framework 
(mergers  and  concentrations)  or through  specific 
intervention  in sectors  that  are in difficulties. 
The Community,  whose  economic  development  is 
based  on production  and  trade,  holds  a leading 
position  in international  trade.  Total  exports  from 
the nine  Member  States  at present  account  for 
approximately  50%  of world  trade. 
This naturally  means  considerable  responsibility  for 
the Community  as regards  world  equilibrium  and 
an enhancement  of each  individual  Member  State's 
international  influence. 
2. Politically,  European  integration  has  been  a 
powerful  stabilizing  factor 
Internally,  the continuity  of economic  growth  and 
the rise  in standards  of living  have  played  a part  in 
ensuring  the stability  of the  democratic  systems  of 
the various  Member  States  in an  age  of acute 
international  tension. 
On the  international  level,  the  histories  of the 
individual  Member  States,  as well  as the economic 
power  wielded  by the  Community  as a whole, 
bestow  considerable  prestige  on the Europe  of Nine 
and account  for  the  vast  store  of goodwill  in 
international  public  opinion,  particularly  in the 
developing  countries. 
The Community  is playing  an active  role  in the 
economic  expansion  of some  of these  countries  by 
providing  development  aid  under  association 
agreements,  by concluding  trade  agreements  and  by 
granting  generalized  preferences.  It is also  playing 
an important  part  in the  liberalization  of inter-
national  trade  and  in the expansion  of trade  with 
the other  countries  of Europe. II. PERSISTENT  INTERNAL  WEAKNESSES  MAKE 
THE  COMMUNITY  VULNERABLE  TO  THE  EFFECTS 
OF INTERNATIONAL  IMBALANCES 
The successes  that  have  been  achieved  must  not 
create  the illusion  that  there  is something  inexorable 
about  progress  in European  integration.  On  the 
contrary,  the present  crisis  shows  that  there  is a risk 
of failure  as a result  of serious  internal  shortcomings 
which  should  be remedied. 
1. Internal  shortcomings 
The faltering  of Community  solidarity  and  the lack 
of political  will,  have  given  rise  to serious  delays  in 
the implementation  of Community  priority  measures. 
In this  connection  the following  can be highlighted: 
— the lack  of unity  of energy  policy, 
— the delays  in the achievement  of economic  and 
monetary  union, 
— the serious  gaps  in the common  transport  policy, 
— the inadequate  achievements  in the social  policy 
sphere, 
— the delays  in the implementation  of the regional 
policy. 
In the  regional  policy  sphere  no  concerted  and 
effective  action  on structures  and  employment  has 
been  taken  to counter  the aggravation  of the initial 
imbalances  between  the regions  of the Community. 
This delay  in the achievement  of the Community's 
social  objectives  is impeding  the development  of its 
identity. 
Furthermore  the requirement  that  decisions  be taken 
unanimously  is leading  to a slowing  down  of 
procedures  and  even  a total  paralysis  of the decision-
making  process  — hardly  a state  of affairs  compatible 
with the need  for political  action. 
The various  summit  conferences,  which  were 
intended  to make  up for this  shortcoming,  did not 
come  up to expectations,  despite  the hopes  raised  by 
certain  formal  declarations  of intent. 
16.10.74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 125/57 
Outside  the Community,  the monetary  talks  and  the 
Washington  conference  on energy  have  only  too 
often  revealed  insufficient  cohesion,  despite  the efforts 
which  were  made  in Copenhagen  to assert  more 
strongly  the European  identity. 
2. The  risks  of failure 
What  is even  more  serious  is that  the high  inflation 
rates  which  are currently  a fact  of life in the Member 
States  are  threatening  to seriously  undermine  the 
progress  and  balance  that  has been  achieved. 
Of course,  rising  prices  and  balance  of payments 
difficulties  can  hardly  be attributed  to Community 
decisions;  they  are  largely  due  to external  factors, 
such  as the international  monetary  crisis  and  soaring 
energy  and  commodity  prices.  Be this  as it may,  the 
Community  is suffering  the effects,  effects  which  are 
felt all the  more  because  of the  absence  of the 
concerted  Community  action  that  would  enable  them 
to be overcome. 
Several  Member  States  have  already  opted  out of the 
monetary  agreement  in order  to  protect  their 
currencies  against  speculation.  Others  have  taken 
unilateral  decisions  in an attempt  to stave  off new 
threats  to their  balance  of payments. 
The beggar-my-neighbour  practices  the  Member 
States  are adopting  against  each  other  in trade  will 
not fail  to have  serious  repercussions  on production, 
employment  and  living  standards.  Social  peace  and 
international  relations  as  a whole  would  be 
undermined  in a general  economic  recession. 
There  is general  agreement  here  that  the  decisions 
taken  at national  level  within  each  State's  own  sphere 
of responsibility  are ineffective  and  dangerous  if not 
preceded  by Community  consultation.  But  Com-
munity  consultation  must  also  appear  a viable  solu-
tion to Member  States  in difficulties,  who  must  be 
able to rely  on Community  solidarity  being  effective. 
In the absence  of effective  solidarity,  there  is no way 
of avoiding  unilateral  decisions  if Member  States  are 
given  no alternative  but  to tackle  alone  domestic 
difficulties  caused  by  international  imbalances  to 
which  they  are  exposed  because  they  belong  to a 
largely  open  market. 
Hence  it would  appear  that  the Community  cannot, 
without  serious  risk,  assume  its world  role,  unless 
it takes  real  action  to strengthen  its own  identity. The Economic  and  Social  Committee  notes  with 
satisfaction  the recent  positive  signs  that  a fresh  start 
is being  made  and  the initial  concerted  efforts  to re-
establish  equilibrium.  It feels,  however,  that  the 
difficulties  are far from  being  overcome  and  call  for 
a return  to effective  Community  solidarity,  which 
should  take  the  form  of swift,  tangible  action  to: 
— bring  about  European  monetary  solidarity  with 
a view  to a return  to system  of fixed  parities, 
— set up  Community  machinery  for  effectively 
combatting  inflation, 
— implement  the  regional  policy  without  delay  by 
allocating  resources  to the Regional  Fund, 
— implement  with  all due  dispatch  the social  policy 
programme  laid  down  at  the  Paris  Summit 
Conference, 
— define  a common  energy  policy  which  aims  at 
guaranteeing  sufficient  supplies  at reasonable  cost 
and at reducing  the Community's  dependence  on 
external  suppliers. 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  considers  that 
the need  for  Community  political  action  makes  it 
essential  to reject  any  narrow,  constricting  legalism 
and precludes  alleged  institutional  weaknesses  being 
used  any  longer  as an excuse  for a lack  of decision. 
On the  contrary,  the  Committee  holds  that  the 
priority  common  measures  it proposes,  together  with 
others  which  might  turn  out  to be necessary  later, 
could  be carried  out by virtue  of the decision-making 
machinery  laid  down  in Article  148  of the  EEC 
Treaty,  which  sets  out  the  principle  of the  majority 
vote,  and  by making  extensive  use of Article  235,  as 
soon  as it appears  necessary  to take  appropriate 
measures  to attain  a new  Community  objective. 
It also  considers  that  an improvement  in the decision-
making  process  should  be accompanied  by: 
— a strenthening  of the powers  of supervision  of the 
European  Parliament  and  the  election  of its 
members  by universal  suffrage, 
No C 125/58 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16. 10. 74 
— increasing  participation  of the  economic  and 
social  groups  in the  Community's  decisions,  in 
particular  through  development  of the role  of the 
Economic  and Social  Committee. 
Lastly,  the Economic  and  Social  Committee  stresses 
the need  for a sustained  flow  of objective  informa-
tion to the public.  Instead  of using  the Community  as 
a scapegoat  by laying  unpopular  measures  at its door 
or, on the other  hand,  presenting  the progress  which 
has been  made  as national  victories,  politicians  have 
the duty  to point  out  to public  opinion  the progress 
made  in  Community  work.  The  professional 
organizations  and  trade  unions  should  assume  the 
same  responsibility  vis-a-vis  economic  and  social 
circles. The Economic  and  Social  Committee  considers  that 
the provision  of honest  information  to the  public 
and the  active  participation  of Community  citizens 
are the only  means  capable  of awakening  a European 
consciousness.  This  is currently  lacking  in the 
building  of Europe;  without  it Europe  will  make  no 
progress. 
Done  at Brussels,  17 July  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS 
Opinion  on the communication  from  the Commission  to the Council  entitled  'Towards 
a new  Energy  Policy  Strategy  for the European  Ccirmunity' 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  not  been  published  in the Official  Journal  of 
the European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 10 June  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  communication  to the Eco-
nomic  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 
122nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 17 and  18 July  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  letter  dated  12 June  1974  in 
which  the  Council  of the  European  Communities 
requested  it  to  deliver  an  opinion  on  the 
Communication  from  the Commission  to the Council 
entitled  'towards  a new  energy  policy  strategy  for the 
European  Community'; 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the  Euro-
pean  Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article 
198 thereof; 
Having  regard  to the Chairman's  decision  on 13 June 
1974  to  implement  the  urgency  procedure  in accordance  with  Article  46 of the Rules  of Procedure 
and to. entrust  the  Section  for  Energy  and  Nuclear 
Questions,  by virtue  of its terms  of reference,  with 
the preparation  of its Opinion  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  on 17 June  1974 
by the  Chairman  of the  Section  for  Energy  and 
Nuclear  Questions  under  Article  47 of the  Rules  of 
Procedure  to organize  the  section's  work  on  the 
matter; 
Having  regard  to its Opinion  on > the proposal  for 
a Council  Regulation  on  the  granting  of joint