17. 9. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 248/23 
2.3. Regulation 10 (2) (a) of Annex I to the Con­
vention clearly lays down ways of preventing oil 
pollution from ships which sail in five 'special areas' 
(the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the 
Red Sea and the Gulf area). It includes the provision 
that 'any discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixture 
from any oil tanker or any ship of 400 tonnes gross 
tonnage and above other than an oil tanker, shall be 
prohibited while in a special area ...'. 
2.4. The Convention also lays down special arran­
gements for prevention of and protection against 
marine pollution, which have already entailed con­
siderable expense for its signatories, to cover the 
training of crews and the construction of suitable 
storage facilities at oil terminals. 
3. As the system for the protection of the marine 
environment in the Caribbean region is similar to 
that established for the Mediterranean by the 1976 
Barcelona Convention, the Committee would re­
mind the Commission of the difficulties encountered 
in applying that Convention. In the case of pollution 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1984. 
1. The Committee assumes that negotations on the 
entry of Portugal and Spain will by and large have 
(') OJ NoC23, 30. 1. 1984. from ships, all the contracting parties must show 
diligence in regularly and rapidly informing the 
other Member States about accidents and spills of 
oil and other chemical products. 
4. In the case of pollution caused by dumping, the 
Committee notes that one of the difficulties encoun­
tered in the Mediterranean has been the application 
of the measures concerning the designation of the 
authority or authorities competent to issue licences 
and register the type and quantity of waste and other 
substances dumped. 
5. In the case of pollution from land-based 
sources, the Committee would stress the benefits of 
the continuous surveillance and control programmes 
for the discharge of pollutants, which are not always 
followed by the contracting parties to the Barcelona 
Convention and its 1980 Athens Protocol. 
6. In the Committee's view we should learn from 
experience and try to avoid the difficulties encoun­
tered in the application of the Barcelona Conven­
tion and its Protocol. 
been successfully terminated by 30 September 1984 
and that membership proper can run from 1 January 
1986. It is also of the view that both countries must 
join the Community simultaneously. The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Opinion on enlargement of the Community to include Portugal and Spain (') 
(84/C 248/13) 
On 24 November 1983 the Economic and Social Committee delivered an opinion on 
the general principle of the enlargement of the Community to include Portugal and 
Spain. 
The Committee stated its intention of drawing up an opinion on problems of particu­
lar concern to socio-economic circles at a later date. Hence this present opinion. 
The Section for External Relations, which was asked to do the preparatory work, 
adopted its opinion on 19 June 1984. The rapporteur was Mrs Strobel. 
At its 218th plenary session (meeting on 4 July 1984) the Committee adopted the fol­
lowing opinion by a large majority with one vote against and 23 abstentions. 
No C 248/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 9. 84 
Enlargement is politically necessary. It is also a his­
torical challenge even though it will undoubtedly 
accentuate a number of existing social and econ­
omic difficulties. 
The participation of Portugal and Spain in the shap­
ing of European policy enriches Europe's political, 
cultural and historical dimension. The Committee 
would emphasize here and now the importance of 
contacts between the relevant socio-economic 
groups. 
The enlargement of the Community to include Por­
tugal and Spain will enhance the Community's iden­
tity, thereby enabling it to exercise a wider range of 
responsibilities and play a more important role in 
the world at large. 
The enlargement of the Community to include Por­
tugal and Spain will help to further strengthen the 
southern axis of the EEC. 
The Community is right to take this step, but it must 
have the political will to act to strengthen and 
further the integration process. In particular it will 
be faced with: 
— the need for a fully operational, Community-
wide market where there is no protectionism, for 
a commercial policy based on free-trade princi­
ples, and for free movement of capital, 
— the need for a dynamic regional and social poli­
cy, 
— the need to combat unemployment with all avail­
able means, 
— the need to redouble efforts to secure the 
balanced development of the poorer and richer 
areas of the Community, 
— the need to consolidate relations with, in particu­
lar, the non-EEC Mediterranean countries, and 
the ACP countries with which the EEC has con­
cluded cooperation agreements, 
— the need to secure the balanced development of 
Mediterranean and northern agriculture and to 
ensure the continuation of an integrated com­
mon agricultural policy that can be financed and 
adheres to the principles laid down in Articles 39 
(1) (b), (c), (d) and (e) of the Treaty establishing 
the EEC, 
— the need for an industrial policy designed to 
further the competitiveness and growth potential 
of Community firms, particularly in the small business sector. An investment and innovatory 
climate must be created in which new jobs can be 
found. 
2. Enlargement will push up expenditure. Without 
an increase in the Community's own resources en­
largement is therefore not feasible. The Committee 
accordingly welcomes the initial decisions taken by 
the Heads of State and Government on 25 and 26 
June 1984. 
Community finances naturally need to be reformed 
for other reasons as well. The Committee would 
refer in this connection to its opinion of 26 October 
1983 on 'The future financing of the Com­
munity' ('). 
3. As far as the Council's decision-making process 
is concerned, the Committee would underline that 
enlargement makes it even more necessary to adhere 
to the appropriate rules laid down in the Treaty. 
4. Regarding the gradual implementation of free­
dom of movement for workers, the Committee is in 
favour of a short transitional period not ending be­
fore the expiry of the transitional period agreed with 
Greece. 
It goes without saying that Portuguese and Span­
iards living in the EEC prior to accession have the 
same rights as other Community migrants. 
5. The commercial agreement signed in 1970 has 
put Spain in a privileged trading position in several 
lines of manufactures. The Committee calls on 
Spain to rectify these quota and fiscal imbalances 
which distort competition once it joins the Commu­
nity. Similarly, the State monopolies must conform 
with Treaty provisions. 
6. In the industrial sector the Committee proposes 
the gradual abolition of customs duties and other 
barriers to trade over a transitional period of seven 
years. 
7. The Committee expects Spain to introduce VAT 
from 1 January 1986 and Portugal three years later. 
8. The Committee assumes that on accession: 
— Spain will restructure its steel industry in line 
with ECSC policy and ECSC provisions on aid, 
production quotas and export quotas, 
— Spain will reduce its production capacity in the 
shipbuilding industry, just as the Member States 
are doing at present, 
(>) OJ NoC 358,31. 12. 1983. 
17. 9. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 248/25 
— the textile agreement reached with Portugal will 
remain in force (controls over textile trade for 
three years — four years if one includes a reci­
procal safeguard clause). 
9. The Committee proposes a transitional period 
of seven years for the purposes of integrating Span­
ish agriculture in the CAP. At the same time account 
will have to be taken of the need to: 
— exempt sensitive products for three years (milk, 
meat), 
— progressively take over the financing of Spanish 
agriculture (eight years for olive oil and wine). 
10. A special solution nevertheless seems to be 
called for in the field of agricultural products where 
Spain feels heavily discriminated against because 
other non-EEC countries enjoy substantial prefer­
ences which would not even be enjoyed by Spain 
after accession. After accession and during the 
transitional period Spain would in fact continue to 
be treated as a non-member State with its exports to 
the Community still subject to levies. 
11. The Committee accepts that Portugal's agricul­
ture, where there are production shortfalls, should 
be progressively financed by the Community over a 
period of 10 years, with exemptions made in the case 
of milk for four years. 
12. Current discussions must not lead to delays in 
negotiations. The solution adopted, however, must 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1984. on all accounts open the way for the integration of 
the fishing industries of the Community, Portugal 
and Spain within a transitional period not exceeding 
the transitional period set for agriculture. 
13. The Committee would emphasize that by the 
time negotiations are concluded, decisions must 
have been taken or be in the process of preparation 
on the following questions: 
(a) Further aid to Spain and Portugal for the res­
tructuring of their economies (immediate in­
volvement in the EAGGF Guidance Section 
and in the Social and Regional Funds). 
(b) In particular, Portugal will have to receive 
Community aid so as to benefit financially 
from accession, in accordance with the idea of 
solidarity between the developed and less de­
veloped regions of the Community. 
14. The Committee considers that the transitional 
periods laid down in the Treaties of Accession for 
the various sectors mentioned (points 4, 6, 9, 11 and 
12) must be maximums; it should be possible for the 
Community authorities to reduce them in the light of 
the economic situation. 
Finally, the Committee insists that Portugal and 
Spain must accept the 'acquis communautaire', but 
considers that they should be involved in any impor­
tant changes to Community law between signature 
of the Treaty of Accession and accession itself. 
The Chairman 
of the 
Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC