1. 10. ^9 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/53 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Regarding the conditions 
Committee considers that: of eligibility, the 
— particular care should be taken in arranging stays 
abroad for young people under the age of 18. They 
should be given adequate preparation and receive 
assistance throughout their stay abroad, 
— priority should be given to young people who began 
work before the age of 25. In its opinion on 
Educational and Vocational Training for Young 
Workers, the Committee stressed the importance of 
relevant measures for all young people, 'particularly 
for those who are under-qualified and for those with 
inadequate education'. 
2.2. The Committee appreciates that short-term 
exchanges play a secondary role in the programme, but 
stresses that such exchanges should have a high 
training-content, and should therefore mostly involve 
young workers who already possess a certain degree of 
skill and are interested in improving their abilities. 
2.3. The Committee endorses the increased 
importance attached to the language training of 
participants and stresses that the success of the programme depends to a large extent on this factor. In 
many instances, knowledge of a second language may in 
itself improve the employment prospects of the young 
people concerned. 
2.4. The Committee asks the Commission to take 
steps to encourage the establishment of promoting 
organizations operating at Community level, partly in 
order to bring as many productive sectors as possible 
within the scope of the programme. 
The Committee stresses that promoting organizations 
should always work in close liaison with the national 
authorities and with both sides of industry at the 
national and European levels. 
The Committee urges the groups and institutions having 
the desired characteristics (Article 2 of the proposal) to 
take prompt steps to establish the bodies which are to 
cooperate with the Commission on the implementation 
of the programme (where such bodies do not already 
exist). 
2.5. The Committee endorses the setting up of the 
Advisory Committee referred to in Article 8, but calls for 
greater participation by representatives of the various 
economic and social interest groups. 
Done at Brussels, 28 June 1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Raffaele VANNI 
Opinion on the: 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulations (EEC) No 1408/71 and (EEC) 
No 574/72 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons and their 
families moving within the Community 
— proposal for a Council Regulation amending the Annexes to Regulations (EEC) No 
1408/71 and (EEC) No 574/72 on the application of social security schemes to employed 
persons and their families moving within the Community 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official journal of the European 
Communities No C 115 of 8 May 1979, page 3. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 27 April 1979 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community. 
No C 247/54 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 10. 79 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 169th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 27 and 28 June 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 198 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 27 April 1979 for an opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
21 May 1979, instructing the Section for Social 
Questions to draw up an opinion and a report on the 
matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Social Questions at its meeting held on 7 June 1979, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 169th plenary 
rapporteur, Mr Bornard, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 169th plenary 
session held on 27 and 28 June 1979 (meeting of 27 June 
1979), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee approves the two proposed Council 
Regulations amending Regulations (EEC) No 1408/71 
and (EEC) No 574/72 and the Annexes thereto. It has 
the following general and specific comments to make. 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee supports the Commission's 
proposals since they are intended to improve the 
protection of the workers concerned and their families 
and to simplify the relevant procedures. 
1.2. In general terms the Committee would point out 
that it has on several occasions urged that every effort 
continue to be made to eliminate the barriers which still 
impede the mobility of workers within the Community 
and to achieve complete equality of treatment between 
national workers and migrant Community workers. providing for the extension of Regulations (EEC) No 
1408/71 and (EEC) No 574/72 to self-employed 
workers; the Committee gave its views on these 
proposals on 31 May 1978 (x). 
1.4. The Committee once again draws the attention of 
the Community authorities to the urgent need to 'codify' 
the provisions relating to social security for migrant 
workers and their families. Successive amendments to the 
basic Regulations have made it considerably harder to 
understand the provisions currently in force, and, as the 
Committee stated in 2.4.4 of its abovementioned opinion 
'we must avoid having a large number of different legal 
provisions since this can lead to uncertainty and 
confusion for Community citizens. The texts must be 
clear, in order to avoid discrimination against the 
workers concerned'. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The Committee approves the proposed 
amendments, which are intended to bring Community 
rules into line with changes in the law of some Member 
States, such as: 
— the taking into account in all cases, in Great Britain 
and Northern Ireland, of 'periods of insurance and 
employment accomplished by a person under the 
legislation of another Member State' for the purpose 
of determining entitlement to child benefit, 
— the taking into account of the provision in German 
law that conscientious objectors who perform a 
civilian service are to be treated in the same way as 
persons who perform military service. 
2.2. The Committee particularly welcomes the 
provisions intended (a), to simplify and speed up the 
procedures for allocating certain benefits to workers 
temporarily posted to another Member State and (b), to 
facilitate the transmission of the information needed to 
assess the contributions of employed persons who work 
simultaneously in several States, so as to assure a better 
protection of the worker when he invokes his right to 
benefits. 
1.3. In this connection the Committee calls for the 
adoption without delay of the draft Regulations (!) OJ No C 269, 13. 11. 1978, p. 40. 
1. 10. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/55 
2.3. The Committee also approves the proposed 
simplification of the procedure for amending the 
Annexes, whereby they may be amended by means of a 
Done at Brussels, 27 June 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 198 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 6 March 1979 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
22 March 1979 instructing the Section for Protection of 
the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs to 
draw up an opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Protection of the Environment, Public Health and 
Consumer Affairs at its meeting held on 29 May 1979, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Loughrey, simple Commission Regulation, except for Annexes 2, 3, 
9 and 10, to which the present amendment procedure 
will continue to apply. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Raffaele VANNI 
Having regard to the discussions at its 169th plenary 
session held on 27 and 28 June 1979 (meeting of 
27 June 1979), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee approves the proposed Council Decision 
and has the following comments to make: 
1. The Commission is motivated by the objectives in 
Article 2 of the Treaty to consolidate and coordinate 
research on the effects of thermal processing in the food 
industry at production level by drawing on the studies in 
food processing in national and private institutes which 
are already well developed in Europe. There is a 
considerable amount of work carried out by university 
and national centres on the influence of processing on the 
nutritive value of food, and similar work has been 
undertaken by major food processors. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a concerted action project of the 
European Economic Community on the effects of thermal processing and distribution on the 
quality and nutritive value of food 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 77 of 23 March 1979, page 14. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 6 March 1979 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 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 169th 
plenary session held in Brussels on 27 and 28 June 1979.