The Commission will soon adopt a Regulation that will contain the lists of identified and notified
substances as well as the workplan for the submission of complete dossiers and their evaluation(forexample,dossiersforwoodpreservativeswillhavetobesubmittedby28March2004).TheStandingCommitteeonBiocidalproductsgaveafavourableopiniononthedraftRegulationon11June2003andtheParliamenthasbeendulyinformedofthedrafttextandtheoutcomeofthevote.
Substancesthathavebeennotifiedcanstayonthemarketuntiladecisionontheacceptabilityoftherisks
tohumanhealthandtheenvironmenthasbeentaken.Forsubstancesthathaveonlybeenidentified,nooperatorwillsubmitacompletedossierandthereforetheirsafetyforhumanhealthortheenvironmentcannotbeevaluated.TheRegulationwillthereforelaydownthatsuchsubstanceswillhavetobephasedoutwithinaperiodofgraceofthreeyearsfromadoptionoftheRegulation.
Thiswillapplytoallthe550substancesthathaveonlybeenidentifiedincludingpinetar.However,atany
timeacompanyortheauthoritiesofMemberStatescouldproduceacompletedossierthatwouldallowtheevaluationofthesubstance,whichcouldleadtoitsinclusionintooneoftheAnnexesofDirective98/8/ECanditscontinueduse,providedthatallsafetyrequirementsoftheDirectivearefulfilled.TheFinnishauthoritieshavealreadyraisedthespecificissueofpinetarintheframeworkoftheimplementationoftheDirectiveandfurtherinformationcanbefoundontheCommission’swebsite(
3)andthewebsiteofthe
Finnishauthorities(4).
(1) OJL123,24.4.1998.
(2) OJL228,8.9.2000.
(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/biocides/manualofdecisions030618.pdf(pages27/28ofthedocument).
(4) http://www.ymparisto.fi/ympsuo/kemik/terva.htm
(2004/C58E/182) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2435/03
byIldaFigueiredo(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(22July2003)
Subject:Restrictionsonthemovementofheavyvehicles
Morethan40000PortugueseprofessionaldriversregularlycrossvariousEuropeanUnioncountriesinthe
courseoftheirworkforhaulagecompaniestransportingheavygoods.
Thereareanumberofrestrictionsonthemovementofheavygoodsvehicles,asisthecaseinFrance,
wherevehiclesweighingmorethan3500kgarenotpermittedtotravelonSundays.
Withoutwishingtoquestiontheneedtoregulatethesector,particularlywithregardtorestrictionson
movement, minimum rest periods and maximum working hours for drivers, there are exceptionalsituationswhichshouldbetakenintoaccount.
Forexample,adrivermaybeonlyamatterofminutesawayfromtheborderbutisnotabletocrossit
beforethestartoftheban,inwhichcaseheisobligedtoremaintherefor24hourseventhoughheisalreadyonhiswayhome.
CantheCommissionsaywhatmeasuresitwilltaketoregulatesuchsituations,afterhearingthesocial
partners(businessorganisationsandtradeunionsrepresenting thesector)andtheMemberStatelegalauthoritiesinvolvedandtakingaccountofthevariousinterestsinplay?6.3.2004EN C58E/169 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(9September2003)
There are currently no Community rules regulating driving bans or restrictions within the Union.
TheCommissionhadmadeaproposalin1998(1)onmeasurestoinformUnioncitizensofdrivingbans,
toharmoniseexemptedvehiclesandloads,andtoalignthenationalrulesonthelengthofbans.FollowingstrongoppositionfromthoseMemberStatesimplementingdrivingrestrictions,theCommissionadoptedanamendedproposal(
2)tohighlightthatthescopeoftheproposalonlyconcernedTransEuropeanRoad
Networks,tolistexplicitlythosenationalholidaysonwhichdrivingrestrictionsapplyandtorecognise
withinarevisedtimeframethevastmajorityofcurrentdrivingrestrictions.FollowingParliament’sfirst
reading of the amended proposal on 2July 2002, the Commission has decided to adopt a revisedproposal(
3) on 1August 2003 which takes on board the majority of clarifying and amplifying
amendmentsproposedbytheParliament.
(1) OJC198,24.6.1998.
(2) OJC120,24.4.2001.
(3) COM(2003)473final.
(2004/C58E/183) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2456/03
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(23July2003)
Subject:Eurostat:slowprocessingofmaterialsuppliedtwoyearsagorelating,interalia,toirregularities
sinceacknowledged
1. Does the Commission recall that on 13August 2001 Paul van Buitenen, who was then a
Commissionofficial,submittedtotheCommissiona5000-pagefraudfileandthatCommissionerKinnockhasconfirmedthathereceivedacopyoftheaccompanying234-pagememorandumatthebeginningofSeptember2001?WhyhastheinvestigationintothisfilestillnotbeencompletedwithinthevariousEUdepartments?Whenwillafinalresultbeavailable?Whowillthenbepermittedtoknowaboutit?
2. Doesthefilereferredtoat1aboveincludeachapterconcerningthevariousirregularitieswhich
occurredatEurostatoveraperiodofyears,anddotheseincludenumerousmatterswhichgobeyondwhathassofarcometopublicattention?HadmanyCommissionofficialsalreadyknownaboutthesemattersforsometime,inthelightoftheinternalcorrespondenceonthesubject?
3. DoestheVanBuitenenfilementionanyothermattersonwhichitappearsinretrospectthatthe
Commissionmaynothavetakentherightaction?
4. WhydidCommissionerKinnockmakeOLAFresponsibleforthechapteronEurostatinthesecond
reportbyVanBuitenenof31August2001?WasthisontheassumptionthatDGAdminwouldthennolongerbeinvolvedinthecase?
5. WhataretheCommission’spresentintentionsasregardshowthisquestionshouldbedealtwithand
anyrecurrencepermanentlyprevented?
AnswergivenbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(7October2003)
1.,3.and4. On31August2001,MrVanBuitenensubmittedthefiletowhichtheHonourableMember
refersbothtotheDirector-GeneraloftheAntifraudOffice(OLAF)andtotheDirector-GeneraloftheCommission’sDirectorateGeneral(DG)AdministrationandPersonnel(ADMIN).AshasbeenreportedtoParliament,onthebasisofpreliminarydraftssubmittedbyMrVanBuitenenOLAFandDGADMINhadalreadyhelddiscussionsatserviceslevelandidentifiedthoseaspectsofthedossierwhichappearedtobewithinOLAF’sremit,assetoutinArticle1(3)ofCouncilRegulation1073/1999,andwerethereforeforOLAF to investigate. Other aspects of the dossier were to be investigated by DG ADMIN. TheseC58E/170 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion