15. 7. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 178/11 
Opinion on the Commission's proposals for a Council Directive amending Directive 68/ 
414/EEC imposing an obligation on Member States of the EEC to maintain minimum 
stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products 
and for a Council Decision on a Community procedure for the adoption of measures to 
mitigate the effects of a limited shortage of crude oil and petroleum products 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the Euro­
pean Communities No C 55 of 3 March 1982, page 3. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 23 February 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposals to the 
Economic and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty estab­
lishing 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 
197th plenary session held in Brussels on 28 and 29 April 1982. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
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 
of the European Communities on 23 February 1982 
for an opinion on the proposals from the Commis­
sion to the Council dealing respectively with 
amending Directive 68/414/EEC imposing an obli­
gation on Member States of the EEC to maintain 
minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum 
products and with a Decision on a Community pro­
cedure for the adoption of measures to mitigate the 
effects of a limited shortage of crude oil and petro­
leum products, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau 
on 23 February 1982 instructing the Section for 
Energy and Nuclear Questions to draw up an opi­
nion and a report on the subject, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by that Sec­
tion at its 69th meeting, held on 2 April 1982, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rap­
porteur, Mr Mills, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 197th plenary 
session of 28 and 29 April 1982, unanimously: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The Committee has been asked to give its opi­
nion on the abovementioned draft amending Direc­
tive and draft Decision. The comments on the draft 
Directive are given in part A of this opinion and 
those on the draft Decision in part B. 
PART A 
2. Amending Directive on minimum stocks of crude 
oil and/or petroleum products 
2.1. General comments 
The Committee is in favour of policies which seek 
to minimize the risks arising from the Community 
being dependent on important oil. 
2.2. When the Council passed its original Directive 
on oil stocks in 1968 and then moved the first 
amendment in 1972, the conditions in the oil market 
No C 178/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 7. 82 
and political circumstances of the oil supplying 
countries were different from today. 
2.3. The advantages of adopting the amending 
Directive proposed by the Commission would be to 
make the Community's oil supplies relatively more 
secure from disruption. 
2.4. The main disadvantages in applying the mea­
sures will be the cost imposed on oil companies and 
consumers or governments and taxpayers. The extra 
cost would arise in the purchase of stock, interest on 
working capital, and the maintenance of storage 
facilities. 
2.5. The extra costs are likely to divert oil compan­
ies from trying to rationalize and restructure their 
operations in accordance with changed market con­
ditions. 
3. Specific comments 
3.1. The Committee asks for the proposal to be 
clarified so that it explains clearly how in a period 
of falling demand the 90 days oil stocking provision 
will be based on the average daily internal con­
sumption in the three preceding calendar years and 
how in a rising market this provision will be based 
on the daily average internal consumption for the 
preceding calendar year as operates under the pres­
ent Directive. 
3.2. The Committee agrees that the amendment to 
Directive 68/414/EEC would contribute to the 
security of supply of oil and petroleum products. 
However, the Committee thinks the proposal would 
act as a serious disincentive to oil companies 
engaged in rationalizing and restructuring their 
industry to meet changing market conditions. For this reason the Committee thinks that national legis­
lation on stocking should be harmonized with all 
possible speed and that the stocking obligation 
should be borne by an intervention agency similar 
to those which operate in West Germany, the 
Netherlands and Denmark. 
PART B 
4. Draft Decision for the adoption of measures to 
mitigate the effects of a limited shortage of crude 
oil and petroleum products 
4.1. General comments 
The Committee thinks the Community's system for 
reacting to a limited shortage of crude oil and petro­
leum products needs to be reconsidered because the 
ability of the Member States to deal with a shortfall 
in oil supplies is now poorer than in previous years 
because much of the waste in energy consumption 
has been eliminated. 
4.2. The Committee, therefore, supports the Com­
mission's proposal for improving the procedure for 
identifying shortfalls in oil supplies in line with the 
changes which have taken place in the oil market. 
5. Specific comments 
5.1. The present system for obtaining information 
on the Community's oil stocks is operating too 
slowly and a more efficient procedure is necessary. 
5.2. The Committee is pleased to note the new 
procedure should be able to operate without any 
need to increase staff numbers. 
Done at Brussels, 28 April 1982. 
Vie Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tom&s ROSEINGRAVE