WRITTEN QUESTION E-1913/00

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Presence of asbestos in the European School in Luxembourg

In March last year, a specialist firm which had been asked to carry out an on-the-spot inspection found traces of asbestos in some wall panels and piping in the European School's crèche and kindergarten in Luxembourg.

On 7 May 1999 the Early Childhood Centre's management committee asked the Commission, which manages the premises, to commission a second opinion, to seal off the asbestos found in the panels and to carry out as soon as possible following the temporary evacuation of the children and staff a thorough clean-up of the premises, including the replacement of the piping containing asbestos.

Since then, the only action taken has been surveys of atmospheric particle emissions, carried out by some experts from the JRC in Ispra, and silence has enveloped the whole issue. Likewise, the Secretary-General of the European Parliament has received no reply whatsoever to his request that a further expert opinion should at least be obtained. Meanwhile, over a year later, the staff and children are still being exposed to a serious health risk.

- Does the Commission not agree that, in compliance with the precautionary principle, it is imperative that practical steps be taken to put an end to this state of affairs?

- Does it not agree, specifically, that provision should be made for the evacuation of the crèche and kindergarten and the carrying out of the work during the summer which is almost upon us, since in this period there is a significant drop in attendance?

- What political signal does the Commission think it is giving by ignoring in breach of all the relevant Community legislation health and safety in the workplace?

- Is this the policy which the new Commission installed by Romano Prodi intends to pursue?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

The Commission naturally shares the concerns of the Honourable Member regarding the presence of asbestos in the buildings accommodating the inter-institutional day nursery in Luxembourg.

The following actions have been, and are being, taken:

- In April 1998 a thorough inventory of materials used for the building of the nursery revealed that, in two of the three buildings, materials containing asbestos were used in construction. Measures were consequently taken to conceal these materials in ways that prevent the freeing of asbestos into the air.

- Air quality has been inspected on a regular basis by AIB Vincotte (the specialist body selected after a call for tender) and, more recently, by the medical service of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (ISO 9002 certified) in close co-operation with two research institutes of the JRC. The use of optical and electronic microscope techniques has enabled these expert units to confirm that the air does not contain asbestos fibres. In addition, a request from the services of the European Parliament for a further expert opinion was replied to on 9 December 1999 and met without delay. The report of that expert was consistent with the results of the work produced by AIB and the JRC.

- Nevertheless, in implementation of the precautionary principle, the removal of asbestos from these buildings is being planned with the owner of the building and with the Luxembourg authorities. A first pilot test of the envisaged techniques will be organised in the coming weeks when the children are absent in the Summer break. The planning of further works will be organised according to the test results, and the relevant works should start as soon as possible. In parallel, the Commission is actively looking for alternative buildings to accommodate the nursery while the asbestos is removed.

- The issue has not been enveloped in silence: The subject of the presence of asbestos in the construction of the building accommodation of the Crèche has consistently been on the agenda of the Crèche Management Committee meetings since early 1999. Between 2 and 4 representatives of the Commission attend all such meetings and readily inform the participants from other Institutions at those events, accompanied on some occasions by specialists in a particular area such as the Medical Service.

When requested, expert reports are distributed and specific meetings are organised with, for instance, the Security and Hygiene unit. In addition representatives of the European Parliament are present at the regular meetings which the Commission organises with the Landlord, the Public Buildings administration of Luxembourg. On these and similar matters the Commission's contact with Parliament is maintained through the Director General of Personnel in the European Parliament.

- Health and safety in the workplace and where children are cared for have not been, and will not be, ignored by the Commission. On the contrary, as the factual account set out above demonstrates, diagnosis was undertaken without delay, remedial work was done, the situation has been closely and expertly monitored, reports testifying to the absence of airborne asbestos have been produced by three qualified bodies, information has been systematically provided to the Management Committee, and a procedure for removing the asbestos without hazard to the children is being followed.