31. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 337/11 
second Directive on the coordination of laws, regu­
lations and administrative provisions relating to the 
Done at Brussels, 27 October 1988. 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The Council of Ministers has already adopted 
four Directives on summertime arrangements. Most 
recently, on 22 December 1987, it stipulated that in 
1989 summertime throughout the Community would 
begin at 1 a.m. on 26 March 1989 and end at 1 a.m. 
on 24 September 1989 with the exception of Ireland 
and the United Kingdom, where it would end at 1 a.m. 
on 29 October 1989. 
1.2. The ESC has always fought hard for harmon­
ization of the beginning and end of summertime 
throughout the Community, the last occasion being in 
its Opinion of 16 November 1987. 
(') OJ No C 202, 2. 8. 1988, p. 5. taking-up and pursuit of the business of credit insti­
tutions and amending Directive 77/780/EEC. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
1.3. The latest Commission proposal once again 
envisages a continuation of the status quo for 1990,1991 
and 1992, i.e. one date for the ending of summertime in 
the continental countries of the Community and 
another for its ending in Ireland and the United 
Kingdom. However, Ireland and the United Kingdom 
are free to fall in line with the rest of the Community 
before 1992. 
2. General comments 
Further to its previous Opinions, the Committee wel­
comes the sign that the Commission is also tending 
towards the objective unceasingly advocated by the 
ESC, namely a single date for the beginning and a single 
date for the ending of summertime throughout the 
Community. Opinion on the proposal for a fifth Council Directive on summertime arrangements (!) 
(88/C 337/05) 
On 2 August 1988 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 100 A of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The section for transport and communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 12 October 1988. The rapporteur 
was Mr Haas. 
At its 259th plenary session (meeting of 27 October 1988), the Committee adopted the 
following Opinion unanimously. 
No C 337/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 88 
However, the Committee thinks that the subject of 
summertime should not be linked to possible changes 
in the standard time in some Member States (viz. the 
United Kingdom and Ireland), especially as consul­
tations in these countries have not yet been concluded. 
In addition, in view of the complexity of the problem 
and the differences within and between Member States 
it is not likely that the study launched by the Com­
mission into the effects of summertime will produce 
clear results which will be equally applicable in all 
Member States. On the other hand, if summertime were to end on 
the same day throughout the Community, transport 
operators, travellers and other branches of the economy 
would be spared the considerable—and in some cases 
costly—difficulties caused by the different dates on 
which the clocks are changed. 
The Committee therefore urges that not only the begin­
ning but also the ending of summertime be standardized 
as soon as possible. 
Done at Brussels, 27 October 1988. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme for the 
dissemination and utilization of results from scientific and technological research, 1988-1992 
(88/C 337/06) 
On 16 June 1988, the Council of the European Communities decided to ask the Economic 
and Social Committee, under Article 130 Q of the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, for an Opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The section for energy, nuclear questions and research, which was responsible for the 
preparatory work on this matter, adopted its Opinion on 7 October 1988. Mr Proenca was 
rapporteur. 
At its 259th plenary session (meeting of 27 October 1988), the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted unanimously the following Opinion. 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The present Commission communication and 
proposal for a decision are part of action line 8.4 of the 
framework programme for Community research and 
technological development (RTD), 1987-1991. 
The proposed programme includes two sub-pro­
grammes, which correspond to two of the three areas 
of research covered by this action line: 
— the dissemination and utilization of results from 
Community RTD, and 
— communications networks. The third area covers the development of computerized 
translation systems and concerns the continuation of 
the EUROTRA programme adopted at the end of 1982. 
1.2. As well as providing information on Community 
RTD programmes and projects, the first sub-pro­
gramme aims to see that findings are used effectively 
so that the scientific and technological foundations of 
European industry are strengthened: this would be done 
through: 
— the dissemination of information on RTD, 
— the identification, characterization and screening of 
results,