12. 11.82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 296/7 
3. The Committee therefore takes the view that 
Article 1 should be worded much more precisely so as 
to avoid a dispersion of the limited funds available for 
1982. 
4. It should also be made clearer that the 
Commission's present proposal is confined to the 
budget year 1982, pending a Council decision on the 
Commission proposal of 1976, which is more 
extensive in scope. The Council would thereby be 
acknowledging that it intends at last to adopt a more 
fundamental position on infrastructure policy in the 
near future. 
5. The Committee has repeatedly stressed that the 
development of transport infrastructure in the 
Community should be a priority aim of a common 
transport policy with a regional dimension. But 
regional policy instruments, too, must not be used 
Done at Brussels on 14 October 1982. 
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 
Articles 235 and 198 thereof, 
Having Regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 7 July 1982 for an according to the principle of 'something for 
everyone', which would be tantamount to a waste of 
budget funds. 
6. Without wishing to anticipate further Council 
decisions or curtail the powers of the committee in 
the field of transport infrastructure, the Committee 
accordingly recommends the Council to take a 
decision that will make it possible to give effective 
support in 1982 to an infrastructure project in the 
south of the Community (Domodossola marshalling 
yard), since only by eliminating bottlenecks in this 
area will it be possible to increase traffic flows from 
the northern part of the Community. 
7. Finally, the Committee would urgently call upon 
the Council to adopt the Commission's proposal of 
1976 so as to open up the way for a more extensive 
Community infrastructure policy. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation 
amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1736/79 of 
3 August 1979 on interest subsidies for certain loans 
granted under the European Monetary System, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
13 October 1982, and approved by its General 
Assembly on 14 October 1982, to appoint a rap­
porteur-general to draw up an opinion on the matter, Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 1736/79 of 3 August 1979 on interest subsidies for certain loans granted under the 
European Monetary System 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 196 of 30 July 1982, page 6. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 7 July 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Articles 198 and 235 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 
200th plenary session held in Brussels on 12, 13 and 14 October 1982. 
No C 296/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 11.82 
in accordance with Article 18 of its Rules of 
Procedure, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rap­
porteur-general, Mr Rouzier, 
Having regard to the discussions on 14 October 1982 
during the 200th plenary session, held on 12, 13 and 
14 October, 
Considering its opinions on the proposal for a 
Council Decision empowering the Commission to 
contract loans for the purpose of promoting 
investment within the Community ('), and the 
proposal for a Regulation concerning interest rebates 
for certain loans with a structural objective (2), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
In an opinion dated 22 May 1979, the Committee 
approved the proposal for a Council Regulation 
concerning interest rebates for certain loans with a 
structural objective. The draft Regulation provided 
for interest rebates of 3 % per year in respect of loans 
granted for infrastructure projects and programmes 
Done at Brussels, 14 October 1982. and financed from funds borrowed by the New 
Community Instrument and by the European 
Investment Bank. 
The rebates, which are charged to the Community 
budget, are to amount to 200 million EUA per year 
for a five-year period; the total cost is therefore not 
to exceed 1 000 million EUA. The fact that interest 
rebates should be granted not only on loans from 
funds borrowed by virtue of the first authorization of 
16 October 1978 (totalling 1 000 million EUA), but 
also on loans from funds borrowed in pursuance of 
the authorization of 15 March 1982 and all sub­
sequent authorizations, is a logical consequence of 
the initial Commission proposals (3). 
Therefore the Committee approves the Commission's 
proposal and would reiterate that such interest rebates 
should be made available for loans used mainly to 
finance projects and programmes which are in line 
with the Community's most pressing objectives. As 
indicated in the Committee's opinion of 1 July 1982 
(4) on the economic situation in the Community (mid-
1982), the most pressing current objective for the 
Community is the achievement of a coordinated 
policy to create jobs and improve the competitiveness 
of the economy. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
(') OJ No C 269, 13. 11. 1978, p. 9; OJ No C 138, 
9.6. 1981, p. 11. 
(*) OJ No C 227, 10. 9. 1979, p. 1. O Council Regulation (EEC) No 1736/79 of 3 August 
1979 (OJ No L 200, 8. 8. 1979, p. 1). 
(4) OJ No C 252, 27. 9. 1982, pp. 31-38.