No C 303/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision empowering the Commission to borrow under the 
New Community Instrument for the purpose of promoting investment within the Community 
(NCI IV) 
(85/C 303/06) 
On 18 June 1985 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 
198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Economic and Financial Questions, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, unanimously adopted its opinion on 17 September 1985, in the 
light of the report by Mr Rouzier. 
At its 229th plenary session (meeting of 25 September 1985) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following opinion unanimously. 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee agrees that the Commission should 
be empowered to borrow 1 500 million ECU under the 
New Community Instrument (NCI IV). 
1.2. In voicing its agreement, the Committee reaffirms 
the view set out in its previous opinions on the NCI, viz. 
that NCI borrowing must be used to increase investment in 
order to support and improve economic growth and help 
combat unemployment. 
1.3. The Committee takes this opportunity to reiterate 
the need for an unflagging improvement in the coordi­
nation of the Community's financial and budgetary 
instruments to ensure optimum effectiveness. 
1.4. The main reason for the new proposal (NCI IV) is 
that the borrowings under NCI III are nearly exhausted. 
Community loans are advantageous, mainly because of (a) 
the excellent credit rating of the Community bodies on the 
capital markets, which enables them to borrow on the best 
terms and (b) the more favourable interest rates which may 
be obtained thanks to the mechanisms set up, at their own 
expense, by certain Member States to protect against 
fluctuations in the exchange rates. 
1.5. The proposal is also in keeping with the position 
taken by the European Council of 29 and 30 March 1985. 
This laid particular emphasis on the creation and 
development of small and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs), and on the need to strengthen the Community's 
technological base and industrial competitiveness by 
stimulating innovation and enterprise. 1.6. The Committee feels that the introduction of new 
technologies in companies and technological independence 
are an essential key to the Community's economic 
development. These are needed to improve the com­
petitiveness of companies in the Community and to ensure 
a return to a type of economic growth which respects the 
interests of the Community population as a whole. The 
new technologies should contribute to the development of 
companies, the improvement of living and working 
conditions and the creation of new jobs in order to reduce 
unemployment. If these aims are to be achieved there will 
have to be greater coordination of Member States' 
economic and industrial policies and considerable financial 
resources will have to be deployed at Community level. The 
Committee approves the Commission's intention to use the 
NCI to support technological innovation in companies. 
1.7. The Committee feels that SMEs have an important 
part to play in the development of new technologies. The 
present proposal should solve some of the financing 
problems faced by SMEs. 
1.8. The Committee would also stress that the Com­
munity should find the resources needed to carry out major 
Community industrial projects and major infrastructure 
projects of Community interest, in such areas as transport, 
telecommunications, and the environment. 
1.9. The granting of loans under the NCI, and certain 
national measures such as protective machinery against 
exchange risks which accompany these loans, should not 
create distortions in competition between companies from 
different Member States. Respect for this principle would 
encourage better geographical distribution of NCI loans in 
the Community. 
1.10. The Committee is pleased to note that NCI IV will 
also be used for the implementation of the integrated 
Mediterranean programmes (IMPs) and will be able to 
contribute to projects in Spain and Portugal. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 303/13 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The Commission proposal states that the borrow­
ings will be used to finance investment by SMEs in industry 
and other productive sectors. 
In practice, it appears that investment projects submitted 
by SMEs engaged in the distributive trades and tourism are 
not eligible. 
The Committee feels that firms in these sectors which meet 
the basic conditions (use of new technologies, innovation, 
rational use of energy, creation of new jobs and operation 
in development regions) should also be eligible for loans. 
Done at Brussels, 25 September 1985. 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Economic and Social Committee considers that 
the Green Paper provides an excellent analysis of the legal 
problems involved in unrestricted broadcasting and the 
creation of a Community broadcasting market, par­
ticularly in the context of the use of cable and satellites. 
However, it feels that economic, social, consumer and 
cultural problems should have been discussed in greater 
depth. 
1.2. The Economic and Social Committee considers that 
before any of the Directives envisaged in Part Six of the 
Green Paper are drafted, it should itself be involved in the 
opinion-forming process and should play its role as a major 
institutional vehicle for the expression of the views of 
economic and social interest groups. 2.2. The Commission proposal permits intermediaries 
to provide companies with finance in the form of both loans 
and capital contributions. While not opposed to the latter, 
which may in some cases be the most appropriate form of 
financing for innovative SMEs, which are often under­
capitalized, the Committee feels that the Commission 
should make sure it has special guarantees as to the 
solvency of the intermediaries. 
2.3. The Committee regrets that once again reports are 
to be sent to the European Parliament and the Council but 
not to the Committee. The Committee, which is the forum 
for the economic and social interest groups in the European 
Community, and therefore directly involved in Community 
financing operations, asks that in future provision be made 
for it to be kept informed. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
1.3. The Committee considers, in the light of the 
contents of the Green Paper, that it is not the task of the 
Community to interfere with the media structure of 
individual Member States. The licensing of television and 
radio organizations remains the sole responsibility of the 
Member State concerned. Member States also bear full 
responsibility for deciding whether to grant an operating 
licence to public broadcasting services, commercial 
broadcasting companies or both. The ideas set out in the 
Green Paper suggest rather that the sole aim is to ensure 
that broadcasters can transmit their programmes to all 
countries of the Community and that EEC viewers can 
receive all broadcasts transmitted in the Community. In 
this connection the Committee considers that EEC Treaty 
provisions, particularly those on competition policy, 
should be taken into account. Opinion on the Green Paper on the establishment of the common market for broadcasting, 
especially by satellite and cable 
(85/C 303/07) 
On 13 December 1984 the Economic and Social Committee, acting under the fourth paragraph of 
Article 20 of the Rules of procedure, decided to draw up an opinion on television without frontiers. 
The Sub-Committee on Television without Frontiers, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 26 July 1985. The rapporteur for Parts 
One, Two and Five was Mr Broicher, for Part Three Mr Pronk, and for Part Four Mr Ramaekers. 
At its 229th plenary session held on 25 and 26 September 1985 (meeting of 25 September 1985) the 
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 74 votes to eight, with seven 
abstentions.