17.11.  75 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 263/61 
areas,  a large  number  of serious  or fatal  accidents 
occur  when  tractors  overturn  or roll  over. 
2.4. The  Committee  would  have  welcomed 
inclusion  in the present  proposal  of safety  standards 
for the use of tractors  by farmers.  If these  standards 
could  not  be introduced  under  Article  100,  Article 
235 could  have  been  invoked.  Article  235  states  that 
'if action  by the Community  should  prove  necessary 
to attain,  in the  course  of the  operation  of the 
common  market,  one  of the  objectives  of the 
Community  and  this  Treaty  has  not  provided  the 
necessary  powers,  the  Council  shall  ...  take  the 
appropriate  measures'. 
2.5. In  the present  proposal,  as in other  Directives 
concerning  agricultural  and  forestry  tractors,  the 
Commission  proposes  'optional'  harmonization, 
that is to say  the  Member  States  are  at liberty  to 
retain  their  relevant  municipal  legislation  side-by-
side with  the Community  Directive. 
2.6. As  a general  rule,  the Committee  has in recent 
years  supported  'total'  harmonization,  which  is 
more  compatible  with  the  aims  of eliminating 
technical  barriers  and  of approximating  the  laws, 
regulations  and  administrative  provisions  of the 
Member  States.  The  Committee  did,  however, 
support  optional  harmonization  in its Opinion  on 
the other  Directives  concerning  agricultural  and 
forestry  tractors. 
2.7. As  regards  devices  to prevent  tractors  from 
overturning,  it is essential  to recall  that  one  of the 
aims,  if not  the  key  aim,  of harmonization  is the 
prevention  of occupational  accidents.  Accordingly, 
total  harmonization  is called  for. 2.8. The  Committee  can  therefore  accept  optional 
harmonization  for a limited  period  only,  after  which 
total  harmonization  should  be enforced. 
3. Specific  comments 
3.1. Article  6 
3.1.1.  Article  6 stipulates  the  date  of entry  into 
force  of the proposed  Directive.  The  Member  States 
are obliged  to publish  not later  than  1 June  1976  the 
provisions  needed  to bring  their  national  legislation 
into line  with  the  Directive.  Community  standards 
are to apply  as from  1 January  1977. 
3.1.2.  The  Committee  notes  that,  as a general  rule, 
Community  Directives  enter  into  force  18 months 
after  they  have  been  approved  and  published  in the 
individual  Member  States.  The  Committee  therefore 
proposes  that  the date  of entry  into  force  should  be 
postponed  from  1 January  1977  to 1 January  1978. 
3.2. Technical  annexes 
The Committee  requests  that  the  Commission  and 
the Council  examine  a number  of purely  technical 
comments  which  it has  made  on the annexes  to the 
proposed  Directive  and  which  are  contained  in the 
report. 
Done  at Brussels,  25 June  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  laying  down  measures  for  the 
rationalization  of horticultural  production  under  glass 
The text  referred  to the Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 125  of 5 June  1975,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 28 April  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  under  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community. 
No C 263/62 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 17. 11. 75 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 131st  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 25 and  26 June  1975. 
The Opinion  is published  below. 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an Opinion  made 
by the Council  on 28 April  1975; 
Having  regard  to Article  198  of the EEC  Treaty; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman, 
instructing  the Section  for Agriculture  to draw  up an 
Opinion  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Bukman; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 5 June  1975; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its meeting  on 26 
June  1975  (131st  plenary  session  of 25 and  26 June 
1975), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a large  majority,  there  being  6 votes  against  and 
5 abstentions: 
The Committee  approves  the proposal,  subject  to the 
following  comments: 
1. General  comments 
1. The  Commission  states  that  the  steeply 
increased  cost  of glasshouse  production  cannot  be 
passed  on in the form  of higher  selling  prices,  since 
these  are determined  by supply  and  demand.  Energy 
costs  for heated  glasshouses  now  account  for 35 °/o 
of total  production  costs,  as compared  to 25 °/o 
previously. 
2. The  Committee  agrees  with  the Commission  on 
this point  and  would  add  that  the steep  rise in costs 
has already  brought  about  a  considerable 
deterioration  in incomes  in the glasshouse  industry, 
just as it has in other  branches  of production  using 
comparable  amounts  of fuel. 3. It  is therefore,  in the  Committee's  view, 
urgently  necessary  to make  it possible  for glasshouse 
producers  to adapt  gradually  to the  changed  fuel 
cost situation.  This  entails,  inter  alia,  replacement  of 
national  aids  by  degressive  Community  aids 
stretching  over  several  years  and  covering  part  of the 
fuel cost.  It also  means  that  efforts  must  be made  to 
reduce  the differences  in fuel  costs  which  now  exist 
between  Member  States.  If these  conditions  are not 
fulfilled,  there  is a danger  that  glasshouse  producers 
who are perfectly  efficient  will  be compelled  to give 
up all or part  of their  glasshouse  production.  This 
should  not and  cannot  be the object  of measures  to 
rationalize  the  glasshouse  industry,  since  it would 
run counter  to the  aim  of preserving  independent 
activities  and the jobs  which  depend  on them. 
4. The  Committee  notes  that  a major  part  of the 
increase  in costs  in the glasshouse  industry  will  be 
due to structural  factors.  This  will  necessitate  an 
adjustment  process  in the  industry,  for  which 
allowance  will  have  to be made  by the Community 
authorities.  The  following  could  be important  in this 
process: 
— exploration  of  possibilities  for  encouraging 
energy  conservation:  in  this  respect  the 
Committee  asks  the  Commission  to make  a 
thorough  study  of  the  advantages  and 
disadvantages  of  the  present  geographical 
distribution  of production  under  glass  within  the 
EEC; 
— replacement  of national  aids  by  temporary 
degressive  Community  aid aimed  at cushioning 
the effects  of increased  fuel  costs; 
— glasshouse-dismantlement  grants  for  producers 
giving  up glasshouse  production  partially  or 
completely; 
— better  application  of the principle  of Community 
preference  for glasshouse  crops  (vegetables,  fruit, 
flowers),  inter  alia,  within  the framework  of the 
Mediterranean  policy  and  relations  with  the ACP 
countries. 
2. Comments  on individual  articles 
Article  2 
In conjunction  with  all the  other  measures  to be 
taken  by the Community  to meet  the increased  fuel 
costs  in the glasshouse  industry,  the premium  for the 
17.11.  75 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 263/63 
dismantlement  of  glasshouses  is above  all  a 
supplementary  social  measure  for  glasshouse 
producers  wishing  to  give  up  part  of  their 
production  or leave  the industry  entirely.  Eligibility 
for the  premium  should  not  be restricted  on the 
basis  of the  date  of construction.  Houses  covered 
with  rigid  plastic  should  also  be eligible. 
Article  3 
The deadline  for the submission  of applications  for 
premiums  (1 January  1976)  is too early. 
As it is impossible  to foresee  substantial  dismantling 
being  carried  out  in Member  States  in the 1975/76 
marketing  year,  the  objective  of the  Regulation 
would  be better  served  if the  closing  date  for 
applications  were  changed  to 30 June  1976.  The  time 
limit  for  the  carrying  out  of dismantling,  namely 
1 January  1977,  need  not be changed. 
Article  4 
Premiums  to  provide  compensation  for  the 
discontinuation  of glasshouse  production  must  have two components  — one  to cover  dismantling  costs 
and one  to offset  the loss  of capital.  Premiums  must 
in every  case  provide  sufficient  incentive,  so that  the 
objective  is actually  achieved. 
Article  6 (3) 
In consequence  of the  comments  on Article  3, the 
Committee  asks  that  the  period  laid  down  for 
carrying  out  the  measures  be extended  to 30 June 
1976. 
Article  11 
This  Community  Regulation  on  horticultural 
production  under  glass  must  not  be an obstacle  to 
national  measures  concerning  the complete  cessation 
of glasshouse  production  which  also  provide  for 
dismantling  grants. 
Done  at Brussels,  26 June  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE 
ANNEX 
to the Opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  the discussion: 
Point  4 
Delete  the final  indent: 
— 'better  application  of the  principle  of Community  preference  for  glasshouse  crops 
(vegetables,  fruit,  flowers),  inter  alia,  within  the  framework  of the  Mediterranean  policy 
and relations  with  the ACP  countries'. 
Result  of the vote 
For: 10; against:  25; abstentions:  15.