No C 297/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 28.11.79 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on the adoption of a programme of 
technological research in the field of clay minerals and technical ceramics 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 155 of 21 June 1979, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 19 June 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 
171st plenary session, held in Brussels on 26 and 27 September 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, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 19 June 1979 for an 
opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
26 June 1979, instructing the Section for Industry, 
Commerce, Crafts and Services, to draw up an 
opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the Section 
for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services on 21 
September 1979, Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Loebl, 
Having regard to the discussion at its 171st plenary 
session held on 26 and 27 September 1979 (meeting 
of 26 September 1979), 
Having regard to the importance of the ceramics 
industry of the Community, 
Having regard to the vital role played by ceramic 
materials in many sectors of an industrial economy, 
Having regard to the need to maintain employment, 
improve working conditions and maintain the 
position of the ceramics industry in the face of price 
28. 11.79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 297/3 
and technical competition from countries outside the 
Community, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously less two abstentions: 
The Committee approves the proposal for a Decision. 
It would, however, make the following comments: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The ceramics industry of the Community has a 
turnover of 4 000 million units of account, which 
represents about 0-5 % of the Community's gross 
national product. The Community is the largest 
producer in the world. At the present time, about 
20 % of its production is exported. The industry has 
a high added value and it employs about 250 000 
people in 1 200 firms, the majority of which are small 
or medium-sized. 
1.2. The industry has developed mainly in those 
areas where its raw materials were originally found 
and many such areas are largely dependent on this 
single industry. 
1.3. "While the industry has shown an increasing 
scientific awareness for some years, an empirical 
approach still plays too large a role, particularly in 
the clay ceramics industry. This approach is becoming 
increasingly unacceptable for a number of reasons: it 
prevents the use of lower-grade raw materials; it leads 
to often inexplicable losses in the production process 
even when raw materials and the manufacturing 
process are closely monitored; in both the clay 
ceramics and the technical ceramics sections, it slows 
up the introduction of new processes and products; as 
the processes involved use large amounts of energy, 
there is a need for research which will lead to energy 
savings. 
1.4. While research organizations exist in all 
member countries, their efforts are often concentrated 
— because of limited resources — on particular 
aspects and although there is already some 
cooperation between some of these organizations, the 
scale of the effort and the cooperation are inadequate 
in relation to the needs of the industry. 1.5. The industry has to adjust to competition from 
State-trading countries, from various small East-Asian 
countries (South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan), 
from Spain and Brazil, and from Japan and the USA, 
where substantial advances have been made in 
technology, because of heavy investment in research. 
1.6. While the competition from State-trading 
countries is the most important factor disturbing the 
market at present, there is a danger that the industry 
may have to rely increasingly on licensing new 
processes and products from the USA and Japan, 
unless its own efforts to improve the theoretical 
knowledge of the complex physico-chemical process 
on which it depends are increased, i.e. unless more 
resources are devoted to research. 
1.7. The competition referred to under 1.5 and 1.6 
above applies, although for different reasons, to both 
the clay ceramics and the technical ceramics sections 
of the industry. 
1.8. In view of the fact that the Community's 
ceramics plants are predominantly of a small or 
medium size, the need for cooperative research at 
Community level, taking into account the existing 
industrial state and university research centres, has 
been felt for a long time. The promotion of such new 
efforts will lead to better quality, new products and 
energy savings and so make the industry more 
competitive. 
1.9. The proposal by the Commission is the result 
of many discussions since 1972 between the national 
and European industry associations involved, between 
national governments and between experts from 
ceramics research laboratories in member countries of 
the Community. 
1.10. The Commission proposal consists of two 
clearly defined sections, one dealing with clay 
ceramics and one dealing with technical ceramics. 
These separate sectional programmes are separately 
directed. 
1.11. Ceramics include products for thermal insu­
lation. Improvements in such materials have great 
significance for energy saving. 
1.12. Ceramic materials have some strategic 
importance. 
No C 297/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 28. 11.79 
1.13. The wider use of ceramics as substitute 
materials can reduce the dependence of the 
Community on the import of high-cost raw materials, 
whose availability is diminishing and whose supply 
may not always be certain. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The following comments may be made on the 
R&D programme set out in the Commission's 
proposal: 
2.1.1. In view of the fact that the proposed 
programme has been the subject of prolonged, careful 
and critical consideration by representatives of the 
industry and its representative bodies — both at 
national and at Community level — and by well-
known experts in the field to be covered over a 
period of seven years, the Committee endorses the 
selection of the projects in the two parts of the 
programme. The Committee notes, however, that the 
programme for clay ceramics has been given more 
detailed consideration (Technical Appendix of Doc. 
11/284/78 EN) than that for technical ceramics. 
2.1.2. In view of the extended time scale of the 
proposed programme, the Committee has satisfied 
itself that some flexibility has been built into the 
.direction of the programme, so that developments 
arising out of the work being done or,in the inter­
national sphere can be taken advantage of in meeting 
the main objectives of the programme. 
2.1.3. While the Committee endorses the proposed 
outline programme, it draws attention to the need to 
guard against the detailed programme becoming too 
academic. The Committee is concerned that the need 
to share results between large and small firms could 
lead to the avoidance of projects which are 
commercially significant to the industry as a whole. 
2.1.4. The Committee believes that there is always 
a risk with a programme of this kind that the separate 
studies become isolated from the central programme 
and that results of proprietary interest to particular 
organizations are aimed at and achieved in the 
separate studies. Unless this is avoided the benefits of 
wider European collaboration would be lost. The 
Done at Brussels, 26 September 1979. Committee understands from the partners who will be 
involved in the proposed programme, that they are 
aware of this and that the management of the 
programme is such that the risk is minimized. 
2.1.5. The Committee approves, in principle, the 
drawing into the programme of laboratories and 
centres of excellence existing in the Community and 
the Community wide cooperation envisaged. The 
Committee is concerned, however, that such a 
complex operation should not lead to an 
unreasonable amount of expenditure of money and 
time on administrative rather than on research 
activities. 
2.1.6. The Committee is concerned that the results 
arising from the programme should benefit the many 
small and medium-sized firms — which predominate 
in the industry — as well as the small number of large 
firms. The Committee is particularly interested that 
the small and medium-sized firms should be 
encouraged to implement the results of the 
programme. 
2.1.7. The Committee hopes that the contract 
clauses applicable to know-how and inventions 
(Article 3 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2380/74 
of 17 September 1974) do not operate against the 
objectives in 2.1.6 above. The Committee understand 
that the Commission will consider these questions in 
each case and make decisions which will be in the 
best interests of the ceramics industry of the 
Community. 
2.1.8. The Committee notes that the Commission 
has set up procedures and intends to monitor them to 
ensure that the several national programmes are 
integrated, and that the different sectors — industry, 
government, laboratories and universities, are enabled 
to make the maximum contribution to the technical 
programme. 
2.2. In view of the long gestation period of this 
programme and the needs of the industry, the 
Committee considers it desirable that this programme 
should be implemented as soon as possible and that 
the budget should be made available in the coming 
year. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Raffaele VANNI