30.9.74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C116/49 
Opinion  on the 'Proposal  for a Council  Directive  on the control  of carnation  leaf-rollers' 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 52 of 7 May  1974,  page  16. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 14 May  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  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 
121st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and 27 June  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE: 
Having  regard  to the  request  dated  14 May  1974 
from  the Council  of the European  Communities  for 
an opinion  on the 'Proposal  for a Council  Directive 
on the control  of carnation  leaf-rollers'; 
Having  regard  to  Article  100  of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the Decision  of its Bureau  on 17 
' May  1974  entrusting  the Section  for Agriculture  with 
the preparation  of an opinion  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  presented  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr Caprio; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by the 
Section  for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 6 June  1974; 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its plenary 
session  of 26 and  27 June  1974,  sitting  of 26 June 
1974, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously,  less four  abstentions:  * 
1. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee  agrees 
with  the  Commission  on the  need  to provide  for 
systematic  measures  to control  the  Mediterranean 
and South  African  leaf-rollers. 2. Carnation  growing  must  be subject  to effective 
phytosanitary  safeguards  if production  is to be 
maintained  and  expanded.  This  is a necessary 
precondition  for normal  trade  between  the Member 
States,  which  must  be protected  against  the spread  of 
pests. 
3. This  being  so and  in view  of the possibility  that 
Epichorestodes  acerbella  in particular  will  increase  in 
numbers  and  spread,  the Committee  considers  that 
the Commission  draft  Directive  should  have  an annex 
setting  out  the  minimum  physical  and  chemical 
measures,  together  with  the  relevant  timetables, 
which  should  be taken  at the carnation-growing  stage 
in order  to control  leaf-rollers  and prevent  them  from 
spreading. 
4. The  Committee  also  considers  that  the 
derogations  made  in Articles  3 (2) and  5 (1) (b) of the 
draft  Directive  should  state  the  precise 
percentage-contamination  of cut  carnations  which 
may be put into  circulation.  The  main  purpose  of this 
is to ensure  that  trade  between  Member  States  is 
carried  out in a normal  manner. 
5. In  this  connection,  the Committee  stresses  that 
provisions  of this  sort  should  be brought  into  the 
wider  context  of mutual  recognition  of the validity  of 
phytosanitary  certificates  which  are  issued  by the 
competent  authorities  of individual  Member  States. 
No C 116/50 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities 30. 9. 74 
6. Lastly,  the  Committee  considers  that,  with  a 
view  to  obtaining  complete  protection  against 
carnation  leaf-rollers,  the  draft  Directive  should prescribe  specific  measures  for  cut  flowers  imported 
from  non-member  countries. 
Done  at Brussels,  26 June  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
ANNEX 
to the Opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  amendment,  which  was  introduced  in accordance  with  the  provisions  of the 
Rules  of Procedure,  was  rejected  in the course  of the proceedings. 
Section  4, amend  to read: 
The Section  also  considers  that  the derogation  made  in Article  3 (2) of the draft  Directive 
should  state  the precise  percentage-contamination  of cut carnations  which  may  be put  into 
circulation.  The  main  purpose  of this  is to ensure  that  trade  between  Member  States  is 
carried  out in a normal  manner. 
The period  proposed  by the Commission  in Article  3 (1) should  be reduced  to 1 December  to 
31 March.  This  reduction  is necessary  because,  if it were  permitted  to put  contaminated 
carnations  into  circulation  also  in October,  November  and  April,  the higher  temperatures 
in these  months  could  lead  to the pest  multiplying  faster  and  thus  spreading  more.' 
New Section  5 
'There  is no justification  for allowing  Member  States  to authorize  derogations  from  the 
period  stipulated  in Article  3 for the putting  into  circulation  of contaminated  carnations. 
This  would  entail  the risk  of carnation  leaf-rollers  spreading  across  national  frontiers  during 
the warm  summer  months.' 
Result  of the vote: 
Amendment  rejected  by a large  majority. 
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