EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/447

(2004/C 84 E/0522)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0769/04

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(5 March 2004)

Subject: Safety of public buildings in areas of high seismic risk

Considering that:

— in its Recommendation 2003/887/EC (1) of 11 December 2003 on the implementation and use of Eurocodes for construction works and structural construction products, the European Commission calls on Member States to use common codes in the construction and design of building works, based on material resistance calculations that provide a guarantee of stability in the event of seismic events or fire;

— on 31 October 2002, an earthquake of medium intensity resulted in the collapse of a primary school in the municipality of San Giuliano di Puglia (Molise, Italy), causing the deaths of 27 children;

— the municipality of Bojano, which is in an area of maximum seismic risk (1 S=12), is located on the same seismic fault (Matese) as San Giuliano and in 1 805 suffered losses and damage as a result of an earthquake that caused 7 000 deaths (the public buildings in Bojano were erected in the absence of any anti-seismic construction standards).

In order to avoid a repeat of the catastrophe that occurred in San Giuliano and in view of the danger posed by seismic activity in the area (and to the municipality of Bojano in particular), would the Commission not consider it appropriate to bring forward a legislative proposal on the ‘safety of public buildings’ that calls on Member States to establish programmes for the surveying and evaluation of the structural resistance of public buildings, and in particular schools, and makes it obligatory for all buildings in areas of high seismic risk to be earthquake-proof.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(24 March 2004)

Eurocodes are European standards which guarantee a high level of safety in the construction works to which they apply and thereby confer a presumption of conformity with essential requirement No 1 ‘mechanical resistance and stability’ of the Construction Products Directive, including in areas at risk from seismic movements.

However, the use of these standards is voluntary and alternative methods may also guarantee safety. It should also be pointed out that under the terms of the Construction Products Directive, it is the Member States which are responsible for the safety of construction works.

The purpose of the recommendation is to ask the Member States not only to accord Eurocodes the presumption of conformity with their own safety requirements, but also to promote their use. This makes it possible to achieve the prime objective of guaranteeing the free movement of engineering services and products in the EU. In addition, the adoption of the Eurocodes by all the Member States should, in the Commission's view, facilitate the development of joint research activities, which should make it possible to raise the general safety of construction works, particularly with regard to seismic risk.

The Commission has no current plans to put forward a legislative proposal obliging the Member States to implement the Eurocodes. It does, however, closely monitor their implementation and reserves the right, if necessary, to investigate other initiatives if the results expected are not achieved.

(1) OJ L 332, 19.12.2003, p. 62.