No C 128/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 21. 5. 79 
express reference should be made to sporting activities, 
which would not appear to be covered by the Decision. 
Article 7 
The Committee suggests the following addition to 
paragraph 2: 
'The Committee may take decisions solely in respect 
of technical problems connected with the 
administration of the information system'. 
Done at Brussels, 24 January 1979. 
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 100 
thereof 
Having regard to the request by the Council of the 
European Communities on 14 August 1978 for an 
opinion, Annex 1 
The Committee notes that the size of the Community 
sample — 321 400 cases per year — is based on the 
British experience. This should be regarded as a suitable 
representative figure and should serve as the basis for 
improvement in the data, which in turn will provide the 
groundwork for achieving the objectives outlined by the 
Commission in its introductory report. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
18 October 1978, instructing the Section for Protection 
of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Af­
fairs to prepare an opinion and a report on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by that Section on 
3 January 1979, Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on the methods of measurement and 
frequencies of sampling and analysis of the parameters of the quality required of surface 
water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 208 of 1 September 1978, page 2. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 14 August 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 COMITTEE 
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. 
21. 5. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 128/41 
Having regard to the report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr van Campen, 
Having regard to the dicussions at its meeting on 
24 January 1979 (165th plenary session), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee approves the proposed Directive, 
which is a complement to the Directive of 16 June 1975 
on the quality required of surface water intended for the, 
abstraction of drinking water in the Member States. 
This Directive gave no indication as to the methods of 
measurement to be used to determine the quality 
parameters for surface water, neither did it lay down 
how often measurements were to be taken. The 
Committee is therefore pleased that this deficiency has 
been straightened out by the new draft Directive. 
Done at Brussels, 24 January 1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Opinion on the problems of frontier workers 
The opinion of the Committee is not based on any text. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 152th plenary session held on 26 and 27 October 1977 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 165th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 January 1979. 1.2. In the Committee's view the proposed Directive 
will not involve any supplementary costs for industry 
because checks on the quality of drinking water are 
already carried out. The only change that will result will 
be an alignment of measurement methods and the 
frequency of sampling. Such alignment is in the interest 
of those whose drinking water is abstracted from 
surface water. 
Specific comments 
Article 5 (2) 
The Committee would like to point out to the 
Commission that preservatives also modify the 
concentration of substances in water. This should be 
taken into account in the text. 
Annex I, No 21 
The Committee feels that hexavalent chromium should 
also be taken into consideration in future. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: