(2004/C58E/203) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2623/03
byGabrieleStauner(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(2September2003)
Subject:Eurostattaskforces
AccordingtoreportsintheLuxembourgpress,atleasttwoofthemainsuspectsintheEurostataffairare
membersofafreemasons’lodge.
WhatinformationdoestheCommissionhavetosuggestthatleadingofficialsinthetaskforcessetupby
theCommissionmayalsohaveconnectionswithfreemasons’lodges?
WhatstepshastheCommissiontakentoprevent‘fraternisation’betweenitsinvestigatorsandthesuspects?
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(8October2003)
UnderArticle10oftheCharteroffundamentalrightsoftheEuropeanUnion,everyonehastherightto
freedomofthought,conscienceandreligion.Thisrightincludesfreedomtochangereligionorbeliefandfreedom,eitheraloneorincommunitywithothersandinpublicorinprivate,tomanifestreligionorbelief,inworship,teaching,practiceandobservance.
Exercise of this fundamental right by its officials in a manner which does not conflict with their
obligationsundertheStaffRegulationsisnotamatterfortheCommission.
(2004/C58E/204) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2657/03
byManuelPérezÁlvarez(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(10September2003)
Subject:Healthandsafetyinsubcontractedcompanies
Inrecentmonths,themediahavebeenreportingaccidentsatworkinvolvingseriousinjuriesandeven
deaths amongst workers belonging to companies subcontracted by the main contractor, temporaryworkersandevenworkerssuppliedtothemaincontractorbyatemporaryjobcompany.
The2002-2006Communityhealthatworkstrategycoversnewformsofproductiveworkorganisationon
thebasisofsuchthingsasout-sourcing,subcontracting,etc.
Giventhesituationreferredtoabove,hastheCommissionmadeanyprovisionforsomekindofspecific
actiontopreventorreduceaccidentsinworksituationsinvolvingthepresenceandcompetitionofvarious
companiesatasingleworkplace?
AnswergivenbyMsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(14October2003)
Whereseveralcompaniesareworkingonthesamepremises,effectivecoordinationisneededtoensure
protectionandpreventoccupationalrisks.Inthisregard,theCouncil’sFrameworkDirective89/391/EECof12June1989ontheintroductionofmeasurestoencourageimprovementsinthesafetyandhealthofworkersatwork(
1)requiresthedifferentemployerstocooperateinimplementingthesafety,healthand
occupationalhygiene provisionsand,takingintoaccountthenatureoftheactivities, coordinatetheiractionsinmattersoftheprotectionandpreventionofoccupationalrisks,andinformoneanotherandtheirrespectiveworkersand/orworkers’representativesoftheserisks(cf.Article6(4)).Referenceshould6.3.2004EN C58E/189 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
also be made in this context to Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25June 1991 supplementing the
measurestoencourageimprovementsinthesafetyandhealthatworkofworkerswithafixeddurationemploymentrelationship oratemporaryemploymentrelationship(
2),which aimstoensure thatsuch
workers benefit from the same degree of health and safety protection at work as those of the userundertakingand/orestablishment.
These directives have to be transposed into the national legislation of the Member States, and the
individual countries are responsibleforensuring adequate monitoringandsupervision ofthe nationalprovisionstransposingthem(cf.Article4ofDirective89/391/EEC).
ItisthereforetheresponsibilityoftheSpanishauthoritiesinchargeofsupervisingthenationalprovisions
transposing the Community health and safety directives to see that they are effectively and correctlyapplied.
Cuttingdownthenumberofoccupationalaccidentsingeneral,andthoseoccurringinthecircumstances
referredtobytheHonourableMember,inwhichseveralcompaniesandsubcontractorsarepresentonthesamepremises,inparticular,isoneoftheobjectivesoftheCommunityhealthandsafetystrategy2002-2006,tobepursuedjointlybyallpartiesconcerned.
Tothisend,theCouncilResolutionof3June2002onanewCommunitystrategyonhealthandsafetyat
work 2002-2006(
3) calls on the Member States to develop and implement coordinated, coherent
preventionpolicies,gearedtonationalconditions,withmeasurabletargetsforreducingaccidentsatworkandoccupationalillnesses,especiallyinthosesectorsofactivityinwhichratesareaboveaverage.
Finally,theCommissiondrawstheHonourableMember’sattentiontoCouncilDecision2003/578/ECof
22July2003onguidelinesfortheemploymentpoliciesoftheMemberStates(
4),andinparticularto
specificguideline3whichprovides,interalia,thatMemberStatesshallimplementappropriatemeasurestopromotebetterworkingconditions,includinghealthandsafety.Amajorobjectiveofthesepolicieswillbetoreducesubstantiallytherateofoccupationalaccidentsanddiseases.
(1) OJL183,29.6.1989.
(2) OJL206,29.7.1991.
(3) OJC161,5.7.2002.
(4) OJL297,5.8.2003.
(2004/C58E/205) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2659/03
byElisabethJeggle(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(10September2003)
Subject:Regularissuingofveterinarycertificates
EveryweekafarmerinaborderareainGermanysellspigstoabutcherinAustria(distancefromthe
Germanfarm:roughly25km).Inordertodothat,thefarmerrequiresahealthcertificateissuedbythecompetentveterinaryauthoritynomorethan24hourspriortotheexportoftheanimals.Theexamination
costsroughlyEUR50peranimal.
InconnectionwiththetransportofanimalswithintheEU,isthereacheaperandlessbureaucraticexport-
authorisationprocedurethantheregularissuingofhealthcertificates,withtherelatedcoststhisgeneratesforfarmers?
AnswergivenbyMrByrneonbehalfoftheCommission
(6October2003)
WithreferencetothequestionraisedbytheHonourableMember,theCommissionwishestopointout
that the animal health conditions for intra-Community trade in live pigs are laid down in CouncilC58E/190 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion