28. 5. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 133/23 
countries  can be covered  on a pragmatic  basis  in some 
research  and  development  activities. 
9. The  Committee  would  like  also  to make  a 
suggestion  regarding  research  on energy  conservation. 
Changes  in consumer  habits  can probably  have  as large 
an effect  as the introduction  of energy-saving  techniques. 
Examples  of the steps  that  could  be taken  are consumer 
information  and a campaign  to make  the public  aware  of energy  consumption  trends  in the relative  price  structure. 
Alongside  specific  measures  of the kind  already  being 
implemented  by the Community,  such  as the labelling  of 
domestic  appliances  (1), this  could  be a fruitful  area  of 
research  and  a very  effective  one  as regards  energy 
conservation,  particularly  if an  inter-disciplinary 
approach  embracing  the social  sciences  were  adopted. 
(!) OJ  No C 212,  6. 9. 1978,  p. 2. 
Done  at Brussels,  21 February  1979. 
The Chairman  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 3164/76 
on the Community  quota  for the carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 309  of 28 December  1978,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 December  1978  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  75 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 166th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 21 and  22 February  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  75 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of the 
European  Communities  on 20 December  1978  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 18 
December  1978  instructing  the Section  for Transport 
and Communications  to draw  up an opinion  on the 
matter, Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Transport  and  Communications  at its 124th  meeting 
held on 7 February  1979, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr  Renaud  (Article  29 of the  Rules  of 
Procedure), 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 166th  plenary 
session  held  on 21 and  22 February  1979  (meeting  of 
22 February), 
Whereas  the introduction  of a common  transport  policy 
entails  inter  alia  the establishment  of common  rules  for 
No C 133/24 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 28. 5. 79 
the carriage  of goods  by road  between  Member  States 
and these  rules  must  be drawn  up so as to ensure  equal 
treatment  for road  haulage  operators  from  the various 
Member  States; 
Whereas,  in addition,  the introduction  of a permanent 
system  of Community  authorizations  pursuant  to 
Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  3164/76  (1), as last 
amended  by Regulation  (EEC)  No 3024/77  (2), has made 
for more  intensive  and  efficient  use of licensed  capacity 
and gradual  adaptation  of the undertakings  concerned  to 
the requirements  of traffic  between  Member  States; 
Whereas  the Member  States  should  contribute  towards 
the gradual  introduction  of  new  road  haulage 
undertakings  into  multilateral  transport  operations 
without  requiring  the  competent  authorities  to grant 
annual  Community  authorizations;  whereas  a solution 
of this  type  would  enable  undertakings  to adapt 
themselves  to such  transport  operations  while  engaging 
in these  operations, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a majority,  with  six  votes  against  and  nine 
abstentions: 
1. The  aim  of the draft  Regulation  is to introduce  a 
degree  of flexibility  into  the  rules  governing  the 
Community  quota  in order,  in particular,  to make  it 
possible  for small  firms  to have  access  to Community 
authorizations  enabling  them  to engage  in international 
road  transport  between  all the Member  States  of the 
Community. 
(J) OJ  No L 357,  29. 12. 1976,  p. 1. 
(2) OJ  No L 358,  31. 12. 1977,  p. 4. 
Done  at Brussels,  22 February  1979. 2. The  Commission  proposes  that  a maximum  of 
10%  of the  annual  authorizations  allocated  to each 
Member  State  may  be  converted  into  10-day 
authorizations,  on the basis  of 40 10-day  authorizations 
for each  annual  authorization. 
3. From  an overall  point  of view,  the  Committee 
approves  the Commission's  proposal,  but it would  like to 
make  a number  of comments  on the detailed  rules  set out 
in the proposed  Article  3 a. 
3.1. Under  Article  3a (1)  the  use  of short-term 
authorizations,  for which  there  is a 10 % ceiling,  entails  a 
proportionate  reduction  in the  quota  of  annual 
authorizations  allocated  to each  Member  State. 
Because  of the  small  size  of this  quota  of annual 
authorizations,  and  because  it is taken  up in full by firms 
engaged  in big  Community  transport  operations, 
the Committee  urges  that  the  10%  short-term 
authorizations  be granted  in addition  to, and  not  be 
taken  from,  the annual  quota. 
3.2. Under  Article  3a (2) one  annual  authorization  is 
to be  equivalent  to 40  short-term  authorizations. 
Under  Article  3 a (1) the  duration  of the  short-term 
authorizations  is set at 10 days. 
The Committee  approves  these  provisions  on a trial 
basis.  There  are,  however,  considerable  differences  in the 
geographical  situations  and  in the lengths  of the hauls 
under  this  system.  In view  of this,  and  also  the existence 
of seasonal  traffic,  it would  be advisable  to examine 
in the light  of experience,  under  what  circumstances 
the ratio  of  short-term  authorizations  to  annual 
authorizations  could  be brought  into  line  with  actual 
road-haulage  requirements  by  perhaps  varying  the 
duration  of the short-term  authorizations. 
The Chairman  of 
the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  passage  in the opinion  was  rejected  during  the debate: 
3.1. Under  Article  3a (1) the use of short-term  authorizations  for which  there  is a 10 % ceiling,  entails 
a proportionate  reduction  in the quota  of annual  authorizations  allocated  to each  Member  State. 
The Section  accepts  this  provision. 
Voting 
For:  34, against:  51, abstentions:  10.