3. 3. 80 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 53/43 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1117/78 
on the common organization of the market in dried fodder and Regulation (EEC) No 827/68 
on the common organization of the market in certain products listed in Annex II to the 
Treaty 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 242 of 27 September 1979, Page 6. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 20 September 1979 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Econ­
omic 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 
172nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 October 1979. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 198 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council 
on 20 September 1979 for an opinion, 
Having regard to Article 18 of its Rules of Proce­
dure, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur-general, Mr de Tavernier, Having regard to the discussions at its 172nd plen­
ary session held on 24 and 25 October 1979 (meeting 
of 24 October 1979), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee approves the Commission proposal. 
Done at Brussels, 24 October 1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
R. VANNI 
Opinion on the multiannual programme for the attainment of the customs union 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
At its 170th plenary session held on 17 and 18 July 1979 the Committee, acting on a 
proposal from the Bureau, decided to deliver an opinion on the abovementioned sub­
ject on its own initiative. 
No C 53/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 3. 80 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
172nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 October 1979. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the fourth paragraph of Article 20 
of its Rules of Procedure, 
Having regard to its decision of 17 July 1979, acting 
on a proposal from the Bureau, to deliver an own-
initiative opinion on the multiannual programme 
for the attainment of the customs union, 
Having regard to its decision of 17 July 1979 in­
structing the Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts 
and Services to prepare the Committee's work on 
the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section 
for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services at its 
meeting on 3 October 1979, 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Marvier, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 172nd plen­
ary session held on 24 and 25 October 1979 (meeting 
of 24 October 1979), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. The Committee notes the Commission pro­
gramme with interest and welcomes it as a logical 
follow-up to the communication of the Commission 
to the Council and to the European Parliament on 
the state of the customs union of the European 
Economic Community. The Committee's opinion 
on the communication, issued on 30 March 1978, 
specifically recommended that such a programme 
be drawn up, updated whenever necessary and 
closely monitored. 
2. The Committee feels that this programme is of 
major political significance. 
Unless the harmonization of customs legislation and 
customs procedure is completed, it will hardly be 
possible to achieve the customs union, which is one of the most effective principles of the common mar­
ket and the cornerstone of many Community poli­
cies. 
2.1. The Committee is of course well aware that 
the implementation of a common market is contin­
gent inter alia on the progress made in other areas, 
particularly fiscal policy, monetary policy, trade, 
transport, statistics and food legislation. The Com­
mittee nevertheless endorses the Commission's view 
that the harmonization of customs rules is a pre­
condition for the complete opening-up of national 
markets and will in itself facilitate the movement of 
goods within the Community and thus speed up the 
integration process. 
3. The impending enlargement of the Community, 
first to 10 and then in the not too distant future to 
12, is a further argument in favour of early comple­
tion of the customs union. 
Enlargement will inevitably highlight the major in 
equalities in the economic and administrative struc­
tures of the Member States. This will considerably 
complicate trade with the future Member States and 
the work still to be done on harmonizing Commun­
ity law. 
3.1. The Committee believes that for the sake of 
the customs union and its continued operation, cus­
toms legislation should be extensively harmonized 
before the new Member States join. 
4. The Committee notes with satisfaction the pro­
gress which the Council has made recently in adopt­
ing legislation. 
However, this has taken several years, so that the en­
tire customs union programme has been held up. 
The Committee deplores this delay. 
4.1. The Committee considers that the Council 
should swiftly adopt the draft instruments which are 
still pending, and on which the Committee gave its 
opinion some considerable time ago. 
5. The Committee feels that specific steps should 
be taken: 
3. 3. 80 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 53/45 
(a) to reduce the many differences and incompatibil­
ities between national law, which result in the 
rules of the customs union being implemented 
differently in practice; 
(b)to abolish commercial disparities (methods, pro­
cedures, documents, etc.) which are additional 
impediments to the development of the union; 
(c) to achieve greater consistency in commercial and 
administrative procedures, particularly as regards 
documents. 
5.1. Numerous provisions are over-complicated 
and difficult to understand. Moreover the plethora 
of legal instruments makes it impossible for many 
interested parties to form an overall picture of the 
laws in force. Checks in this area are extremely 
time-consuming. 
6. The Committee therefore welcomes the Com­
mission's intention to improve Community legisla­
tion, in particular by: 
(a) making customs rules clearer; 
(b) bringing together in one instrument all the provi­
sions on a particular subject; 
(c) drawing up a basic customs instrument (customs 
code) dealing systematically with all customs re­
gimes. 
7. The Committee considers that a Regulation is 
the appropriate Community instrument for provi­
sions on customs procedures, which must, in princi­
ple, be implemented uniformly in the Member 
States. 
Done at Brussels, 24 October 1979. 7.1. Nevertheless, in areas where progress has been 
hampered by the differences between national legal 
systems and administrative structures, a Directive 
could be an effective means of achieving a degree of 
harmonization in, for example, the area of customs 
penalties. 
8. Given the political importance of the multian-
nual programme, the Committee stresses the need to 
monitor the programme's implementation closely, 
particularly as regards the specified deadlines. It 
therefore endorses the Commission decision to issue 
an annual progress report on the programme setting 
out the reasons for any hold-ups or setbacks. 
9. The Commission should carry out periodic 
checks on national customs administrations to en­
sure that Community rules are being implemented 
uniformly in practice. The success of this approach 
requires determined Community action in the field 
of vocational training of customs officials. 
10. In conclusion the Committee urges the Mem­
ber States and the Council to give very special atten­
tion to the Commission's work in this area by adopt­
ing as soon as possible the instruments designed to 
implement the customs union. 
11. The Committee would like to revert, in a later 
opinion, to the need for sustained, comprehensive 
action, not only in the specific area of the customs 
union but also in all those areas which affect its op­
eration and which, in the final analysis, are crucial 
to the establishment of a genuine economic union. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
R. VANNI