No L 339/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 15.12. 80 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 17 November 1980 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods by inland waterways (80/1119/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN \ COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro- pean Economic Community, and in particular Arti- cle 213 thereof, Having regard to the draft Directive submitted by the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas, in order to carry out the tasks entrusted to it under the Treaty, the Commission must have at its disposal consistent, synchronized and regular sta- tistical data on the scale and development of the carriage of goods by inland waterway in the Mem- ber States; whereas these data must be comparable both as between States and also with the data for other modes of transport and must refer to national, international and transit traffic; Whereas, since variations during the year in the de- mand for transport and in the conditions of naviga- bility have an influence on goods traffic, certain sta- tistics should be submitted at intervals of less than one year; ' (Y) OJ No C 85, 8. 4. 1980, p. 75. (?) Opinion delivered on 30 September1980 (not yet pub- lished in the Official Journal). Whereas, in order to secure adequate information on the market for the carriage of goods by inland waterway, such statistical data should distinguish between the main transport links; Whereas the statistics already available in the differ- ent Member States on goods carriage should be fur- ther harmonized at Community level; Whereas, in order to facilitate the implementation of the proposed provisions, certain time limits should be laid down for providing the necessary statistical information; Whereas the Commission should submit a report in order to enable the Council to examine the extent to which the objectives of this Directive can be attained by using the statistical data submitted; whereas it should therefore envisage the possibility of proposing improvements to the methods used in compiling these statistics; whereas the Council, act- ing on a proposal from the Commission, should de- cide on the introduction of statistics on the carriage of goods by sea-going vessels on inland waterways, and statistics on international traffic between re- gions on such waterways; ' Whereas statistical data are necessary for ascertain- ing the scale and development of the carriage of goods; whereas the Community should therefore, for an initial period, make a financial contribution to Member States in respect of the work involved,