No L 165/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 23. 6. 81 COMMISSION DECISION of 20 May 1981 establishing a Committee on Commerce and Distribution (81/428/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Whereas the constant improvement of working and living conditions and harmonious economic develop- ment are objectives of the European Economic Community ; Whereas Article 2 of the Treaty defines the Commu- nity’s aim as ‘to promote throughout the Community a harmonious development of economic activities, a continuous and balanced expansion, an increase in stability, an accelerated raising of the standard of living and . closer relations between the States belonging to it’; Whereas the establishment of close and permanent links with trade interests may help further these aims ; whereas the best way of establishing these links is to set up a Committee on Commerce and Distribution attached to the Commission, on which these organiza- tions are represented ; Whereas persons with extensive knowledge of commerce and distribution should be represented on the Commiittee ; Whereas, since its inception in 1978 for an experi- mental period of three years, the Committee on Commerce and Distribution has produced beneficial results for the Commission’s departments, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION : Article 1 The Commission hereby establishes a Committee on Commerce and Distribution, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’. The Committee shall be composed of representatives of European and national trade organizations and other prominent persons with special knowledge of commerce and distribution who shall all be heads or managers of undertakings. Article 2 The Committee shall provide the Commission, at its request, with opinions on all matters relating to commerce and distribution in the Community and on the repercussions which the Commissions’s activities in other sectors have on commerce. Article 3 The Committee shall be composed of 42 members. 22 seats shall be allocated to persons with special knowledge of commerce and distribution representing the organizations of the various forms of trading at Community level, or at national level if such represen- tation does not exist in all Member States. Two seats per Member State shall be allocated to national professional organizations most representative of commerce in that Member State. One observer seat shall be allocated to UNICE and one to the Permanent Conference of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Article 4 The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Commission. The organizations referred to in the third paragraph of Article 3 shall submit to the Commission a list comprising twice as many names as there are seats to be filled. Each organization representing the various forms of trading referred to in the second paragraph of Article 3 shall propose to the Commission at least two candi- dates for the category of persons with special know- ledge of the distributive trades. 11 of the 22 persons appointed by the Commission shall be chosen from among these candidates. Article 5 The term of office of a member of the Committee shall be two years and shall be renewable. After expiry of the two-year period, Committee members shall remain in office until they have been replaced or until their appointments have been renewed.