No C 97/34 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 16. 8. 74 
In addition,  the Commission  should,  as a matter  of 
urgency,  initiate  a major  educational  programme 
whereby  the young,  at all levels  of education,  can  be 
better  informed  about  the  objectives  of  the 
Community  and  the  means  by  which  these 
objectives  are being  pursued. 
10. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee  would 
like the Commission  to report  annually  to it and  the 
European  Parliament  on all initiatives  and  measures 
taken  with  regard  to youth. 11. As  regards  the  definition  proposed  by  the 
Commission  for  the  term  'y°uth',  the  Committee 
would  like  to stress  the artificiality  of having  an age 
bracket  of 15 to 25 years. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 February  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS 
ANNEX 
to the Opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
on a 'Recommendation  for a Council  Decision  setting  up a Committee  for Youth  Questions' 
and a 'Recommendation  for  a Council  Decision  setting  up a Youth  Advisory  Committee' 
Rejected  amendment: 
The following  amendment,  submitted  in accordance  with  the provisions  of the Committee's 
Rules  of Procedure,  was  rejected  in the course  of the proceedings: 
Pages  7 and  8: 
Replace  the text  of point  8 by the following: 
'8. The  Committee  considers  that  it would  be useful  if the setting  up of a youth  advisory 
committee  as proposed  by the Commission  were  preceded  by a preliminary  phase  of 
information  and  consultation.  In addition,  the procedure  for appointing  the members  of 
this committee  should  be radically  different  to that  proposed  by the Commission.  Tlie 
youth  advisory  committee  will  then  be able  to discharge  functions  assigned  to it'. 
Reasons: 
To state  that  the time  is not yet ripe  for setting  up an advisory  committee,  without  laying  down 
a date,  a timetable  and  a procedure  for so doing,  amounts  to putting  off its creation  for ever. 
This would  run  directly  counter  to Point  16 of the Hague  Communique  referred  to in the 
Opinion  on page  2 and in the last sentence  of Point  7. 
If therefore  the Committee  does  not approve  the immediate  setting  up of the youth  advisory 
committee,  it is preferable  for it to adopt  an attitude  that  would  lead  to such  a committee 
being  set up in the foreseeable  future. 
Outcome  of the voting: 
Votes  in favour:  8. 
Abstentions:  6. 
CONSULTATION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
— on a proposal  for a Council  Decision  on action  by the European  Social  Fund  to 
assist  the social  and  occupational  integration  of handicapped  persons 
— on a proposal  for a Council  Decision  concerning  action  by the European  Social 
Fund  to assist  workers  moving  from  one Community  country  to another 
— on a proposal  for a Council  Regulation  on further  types  of aid for workers 
moving  from  one Community  country  to another 
— on a proposal  for a Council  Decision  on assistance  from  the European  Social  Fund 
to persons  employed  in the shipbuilding  industry 
16. 8. 74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 97/35 
A. REQUEST  FOR  AN  OPINION 
On 4 December  1973,  the  Council  decided  to exercise  its option  of consulting  the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  on the  above  proposals  for  a Regulation  and 
Decisions. 
The request  for an Opinion  was  sent  by the President  of the Council  to the Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on 4 December  1973. 
B. TEXT  WHICH  WAS  THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  CONSULTATION 
The text  of the first  three  proposals  which  were  the subject  of the consultation  has not 
been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the European  Communities.  The  text  of the 
fourth  proposal  was  published  in the Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 
No C 13 of 12 February  1974,  page  6. 
C. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
At its 119th  plenary  session  hdld  in Brussels  on 27 and  28 March  1974,  the Committee 
adopted  its Opinion  on the texts  referred  to under  B, by a unanimous  vote  of all the 
members  present  or represented. 
The text  of the  Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the letter  dated  4 December  1973, 
in which  the  President  of the  Council  of the 
European  Communities  requested  the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  to deliver  an Opinion  on action 
by the European  Social  Fund  to assist  handicapped 
persons  and  workers  moving  from  one  Community 
country  to another,  and  the letter  dated  29 January 
1974  in which  the  Committee  was  requested  to 
deliver  an Opinion  on assistance  from  the European 
Social  Fund  to persons  employed  in the shipbuilding 
industry; 
Having  regard  to the decisions  taken  by the Bureau 
of the  Committee  at its meetings  on 12 December 
1973  and  29 January  1974,  entrusting  the Section,  in 
accordance  with  Article  22  of  the  Rules  of 
Procedure  with  the  preparation  of an opinion  and 
report  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for  Social  Questions  at its  meeting  on 
14 March  1974; 
Having  regard  to the report  prepared  by Mr Fassina, 
rapporteur; 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at the  119th 
plenary  session  held  on 27 and  28 March  1974; 
Whereas  the  Commission  proposals  — if they  are 
approved  by the  Council  — will  make  it possible for two  of the  points  in the  preliminary  guidelines 
for a social  action  programme  to be implemented; 
Whereas  in approving  a resolution  on the  social 
action  programme,  the  Council  urged  that  'to 
achieve  the  proposed  actions  successfully,  and 
particularly  in view  of the  structural  changes  and 
imbalances  in  the  Community,  the  necessary 
resources  should  be  provided,  in particular  by 
strengthening  the role  of the European  Social  Fund'; 
Whereas  rehabilitation  programmes  should  be 
worked  out for the handicapped; 
Whereas  reception  and  support  facilities  for migrant 
workers  having  to be retrained  must  be improved  in 
liaison  with  other  Community  bodies  and  within  the 
framework  of a balanced  regional  policy; 
Whereas  there  is a pressing  need  to introduce 
programmes  of adapted  instruction  so as to provide 
better  continuity  of education  for  the  children  of 
immigrant  workers  and  to improve  their  chances  of 
obtaining  employment; 
Whereas  the  income  of migrant  workers  must  be 
guaranteed  if short-term  economic  factors  lead  to a 
reduction  in income; 
Whereas  assistance  from  the  Fund  in operations 
furthering  re-employment  and  the  geographical  and 
occupational  mobility  of  shipbuilding  workers 
should  take  the form  of a specific  programme  aimed 
No C 97/36 Official  Journal  ot the  European  Communities 16. 8. 74 
at rapidly  improving  the  competitiveness  of 
Community  undertakings  in this  sector, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION: 
Subject  to the  following  comments  and  proposed 
changes,  the Committee  approves  the proposals  put 
before  the Council  by the Commission. 
I. GENERAL  COMMENTS 
Handicapped  persons 
The Committee  stresses  the human  and  social  merit 
of the  Commission's  proposals  and  the  need  to 
adopt  them  without  delay.  Therefore  the Committee 
feels  that  the  Social  Fund  should  be provided  with 
adequate  financial  resources  to  implement  the 
proposed  measures. 
The Committee,  which  has  on  a number  of 
occasions  pointed  out  the  need  for certain  aids  for 
handicapped  persons,  welcomes  the  fact  that  in 
future  such  persons  will  be eligible  for  assistance 
from  the European  Social  Fund,  as the  Committee 
has requested.  In  connection  with  employment 
policy  the  Committee  has  pointed  out  in its 
Opinions  on the development  of the social  situation 
that full  and  better  employment  must  also  include 
the (re)integration  of handicapped  persons  into 
working  and  social  life;  to this  end  medical  aspects 
have  to  be  taken  into  account,  rehabilitation 
programmes  devised  and  use  made  of sheltered 
workshops.  The  Committee  has  also  drawn 
attention  to the  fact  that,  since  the  problems  of 
handicapped  workers  vary  according  to age,  different 
types  of measures  are necessary. 
As regards  concrete  measures  to be taken  to assist 
handicapped  people,  the  Committee  requests  that 
the Community  should  also  study  how  older 
workers  who  have  become  handicapped  as a result 
of their  work  can  be guaranteed  an income  during 
the period  of rehabilitation  (as  in the  case  of 
unemployed  workers  during  retraining). 
Finally,  the  Committee  trusts  that  programmes 
implemented  and  measures  adopted  for handicapped 
persons  at national  level  will  also  be taken  into 
consideration.  In view  of passible  financial  burdens 
the Committee  recommends  cooperation  between 
pilot  centres  for  rehabilitation.  However,  the 
Committee  feels  that  the  cost  of these  measures 
must  not  prejudice  action  to assist  migrant  workers and their  children.  Given  the  current  tendency  ro 
propose  action  on  the  basis  of Article  4, the 
Committee  emphasizes  the need  (a) to bear  in mind 
the possible  consequences  for Member  States  and  (b) 
to forestall  insurmountable  difficulties. 
Migrant  workers 
The Committee  feels  strongly  that  the  problems  of 
migrant  workers  are due  to the imbalance  between, 
on the  one  hand,  the  development  of  the 
Community,  its Member  States  and  regions,  and  the 
development  of countries  of emigration  on  the 
other.  The  Committee  emphasizes  the  need  to 
pursue  a development  policy  which  permits  balanced 
economic  and  social  development  both  in the 
countries  of emigration  and  immigration.  If workers 
still have  to emigrate  under  this  policy,  they  must  be 
offered  working  and  living  conditions  in the  host 
country  equivalent  to those  enjoyed  by indigenous 
workers. 
The Committee  underlines  the  need  to improve 
assisted  migration  by  coordinating  the  various 
phases  (recruitment,  preparation,  assistance  in the 
host country  and,  where  necessary,  repatriation). 
Migrant  workers  receive  vocational  training  in their 
countries  of origin.  Without  wishing  to advocate 
any sort  of discrimination  against  workers  from 
third  countries,  the Section  considers  that  it clearly 
transpires  from  Article  4 of the  Decision  on the 
Reform  of the  Social  Fund  that  the  Fund  can 
intervene  only  in the  Member  States.  However, 
Article  5 clearly  applies  to all  migrant  workers 
irrespective  of their  countries  of origin,  particularly 
as far as language  courses,  children's  education  and 
general  information  on  the  society  of the  host 
country  are concerned. 
Bearing  in mind  the  special  position  of migrant 
workers,  the Committee  also  urges  the need  to give 
them  the  same  employment  and  income  guarantees 
as indigenous  workers,  so that  they  do not  have  to 
return  to their  countries  of origin. 
The Committee  asks  the Commission  to review  the 
problem  of frontier  workers  not  being  eligible  for 
assistance  from  the  European  Social  Fund.  The 
Commission  should  make  a thorough  study  of this 
problem.  Furthermore,  the Fund  should  be used  to 
assist  workers,  who,  because  of the industrialization 
of frontier  zones,  wish  to take  up an occupation 
again  in their  country  of origin. 
16. 8. 74 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 97/37 
New  aids  for migrant  workers 
In its  Opinion  on  the  -social  situation  in the 
Community  the Committee  stressed  that  there  was  a 
danger  that  the  general  education  of millions  of 
children  of foreign  workers  would  suffer  irreparably. 
The Committee  asked  national  and  European  bodies 
to undertake  further  research  to find  appropriate 
solutions.  The  Committee  notes  with  satisfaction 
that the  Commission  has  followed  up  this 
suggestion. 
As regards  accommodation  the  Commission 
proposes  that  the  cost  of grants  to hostels,  transit 
centres  or  other  houses  managed  by  bodies 
specialized  in the  reception  of migrant  workers  and 
their  families  be covered  for a period  of six months. 
However,  the  Committee  feels  that  in order  to 
promote  the  re-uniting  of migrant  workers'  families 
it would  be better  for payment  to be made  direct  to 
the persons  concerned  through  the  machinery  for 
assisted  migration  in the  host  country  and  for  help 
given  in finding  accommodation. 
Assistance  to persons  employed  in the 
shipbuilding  industry 
In its  recent  proposals  to the  Council  on  the 
shipbuilding  industry  the  Commission  stressed  that 
the features  of a Community  policy  should  be an 
investment  support  policy,  the  drawing  up  of a 
research  and  development  programme  and  a labour 
redeployment  policy. 
It is worth  noting  that  at the  end  of  1973 
shipbuilding  employed  some  250  000  workers  to 
which  should  be  added  all  those  workers  — 
calculated  at roughly  800  000  — in activities  prior 
and subsequent  to shipbuilding  proper. 
The decisions  to be taken  by the  Community  on 
investment  support  will  most  certainly  have  an effect 
on the  professional  qualifications  of the  workers 
employed;  the  Committee  therefore  approves  the 
implementation  of  a Community  training  and 
redeployment  programme  receiving  assistance  from 
the European  Social  Fund. II. SPECIFIC  COMMENTS 
1. The  Committee  approves  the  proposal  for  a 
Council  decision  on action  by the  European  Social 
Fund  to  assist  the  social  and  occupational 
integration  of handicapped  persons. 
2. The  Committee  would  like  to make  a comment 
on Article  2 of the  proposal  for a Council  Decision 
concerning  action  by the  European  Social  Fund  to 
assist  workers  moving  from  one  Community  country 
to another. 
Frontier  workers  should  not  be  excluded  from 
assistance  from  the  Fund  for  measures  designed  to 
facilitate  the  reception  and  integration  into  the 
social  and  working  environment  of persons  who 
have  left  their  countries  of origin  to work  in a 
Community  country. 
In view  of the  industrialization  of certain  frontier 
areas,  such  workers  may  well  return  to their  country 
of origin. 
3. As  regards  the  proposal  for  a Council 
Regulation  on  further  types  of aid  for  workers 
moving  from  one  Community  country  to another, 
the Committee  suggests  that  aid  B  25 on 
accommodation  should  be amended. 
If the  worker  undertakes  to have  his  family  join 
him,  it seems  right  that  he should  receive  direct  aid 
during  the  prescribed  six-month  period;  this  would 
increase  the  volume  of assisted  migration,  at the 
expense  of  haphazard  migration,  which  still 
accounts  for nine  tenths  of migratory  movements. 
B 25 might  read  as follows: 
'Expenditure  in respect  of the  costs  incurred  by 
the worker  for  accommodation,  provided  that 
he can  show  that  his family  will  join  him  in the 
host country;  such  assistance  shall  cover  a six-
month  period  dating  from  the  arrival  of the 
persons  concerned  in the host  country'. 
Done  at Brussels,  28 March  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPPAS