WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4007/97 by Daniel VARELA SUANZES- CARPEGNA to the Commission. Promotion campaign for EU slate production
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA
Subjects: aid to industry, building materials, competitiveness, earths and stones, mining extraction, modernisation aid, quality standard, vocational training, waste recycling

C 196/54

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 6. 98

Does the Commission intend to adopt new support measures for Community enterprises in the sector, with a
view to absorbing these costs?

Can  the  Commission  provide  information  on  the  measures  adopted  or  proposed  for  adoption  for  the
rehabilitation  of  slagheaps  and  the  improvement  of  waste  recycling  in  the  context  of  slate  production  in  the
Community?

(98/C 196/74)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4007/97

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Promotion campaign for EU slate production

The production of slate in the EU is, in general, far from adequately promoted. The reputation of the product, as
sanctified  by  tradition,  derives  from  its  excellent  qualities  as  a  roofing  material.  However,  it  is  scarcely
recognized as a building material in those countries where it has not traditionally been used. As a result, many
architects and builders are unaware of the technical characteristics of slate and do not know how to put it in place,
how long it will last or what purposes it serves; it thus has the general image of an expensive product suitable
only for historic buildings or luxury constructions. The slate produced in the EU lacks a profile to differentiate it
from the products of third countries, and there is insufficient awareness in society at large of the importance of
the industry.

In view of the above, does the Commission not consider that the EU must establish guidelines for the promotion
of slate production in the EU?

Has the Commission adopted, or does it intend to adopt, any measures to promote and publicize the EU(cid:146)s slate
production?

(98/C 196/75)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4010/97

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Quality standards for slate produced in the Community

At present there are no specific quality control rules at Community level for slate, whether produced in the EU or
imported from third countries.

Can the Commission state what measures it has adopted or intends to adopt with a view to introducing specific
and harmonized monitoring of the quality of slate produced in the EU or imported from third countries?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-4006/97, E-4007/97 and E-4010/97
given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1998)

In  its  report  to  the  Council  on  the  implementation  of  the  Council  conclusions  of  18  November  1993  on  the
non-energy extractive industry (1) the Commission established that, as such, Community law only occupies a
subsidiary  position  in  the  set  of  problems  concerning  environmental  costs  as  compared  with  national  or
sub-national regulations. Although it does not rule out any regional appeal of that sector and the availability to it
of structural funds, the Commission does not have any financial instruments to hand in order to compensate for
those costs.

The Commission does not have any means available for directly promoting slate products and feels that this is
primarily a job for the trade associations. It would, however, point out that vocational training activities shared
with other parts of the building trade, or indeed research, could help to achieve that aim.