WRITTEN QUESTION No. 462/98 by Mark WATTS to the Council. Aircraft safety in the year 2000
Date: 1998-02-27
Institutions: European Parliament, WATTS
Subjects: air safety, air traffic, computer system

C 304/110

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

2.
This  initiative  was  previously  supported  by  DG  III,  and  has  been  subsidized  since  1995.  Does  the
Directorate-General which is now responsible also intend to continue to support and subsidize this private-sector
initiative?

3. Would the Commission regard it as a good idea for the initiative to be extended to all the other Member
States?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 1998)

The Commission is aware of the existence of the private organisation in question and of the subsidies it has

1.
received.

The  Commission  published  an  invitation  for  the  submission  of  projects  for  the  protection  of  consumer

2.
interests in 1998.

The (cid:145)Europa¤ische Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Lebensmittelkontrolle und des Verbraucherschutzes(cid:146) is one of the
associations that presented such a project. The selection process has not yet been concluded and bidders will be
duly informed when the selection has been finalised.

3.
The Commission approves of initiatives designed to ensure effective controls in the interest of food safety
and consumer protection in Europe and welcomes the extension of this initiative to the other Member States.

(98/C 304/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0462/98

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Council

(27 February 1998)

Subject: Aircraft safety in the year 2000

Pilots have threatened a world-wide boycott in the year 2000, fearing that the (cid:145)Millennium Bug(cid:146) will disrupt the
computer systems that keep planes in the air and prevent collisions.

Given  the  extensive,  costly  and  time-consuming  computer  modifications  and  replacements  required,  can  the
Council please outline measures proposed to coordinate and encourage efforts to respond to these fears and make
sure our skies are safe?

Answer

(28 May 1998)

As far as air safety is concerned, the Council has not received any proposal from the Commission regarding the
so-called (cid:145)Millennium Bug(cid:146). However, according to information available, the Commission is at the moment
carrying out a survey in order to understand the level of awareness, preparation and reaction of air transport
stakeholders with regard to this subject matter.

It  should  be  recalled  that  the  industry  itself  does  not  consider  this  to  be  an  insurmountable  problem.  The
operators  of  the  GPS  (Global  Positioning  System)  satellites  and  their  ground  control  stations  are  improving
software that controls the system on the ground to correct its alleged inability to deal with the change to a new
millennium.  These  improvements  and  corrections  would  be  completed  by  the  end  of  1998.  The  private
manufacturers have also taken the necessary remedial action and GPS receivers bought in the past two to three
years will be (cid:145)millennium compliant(cid:146).

The  Honourable  Member  can  rest  assured  that  the  Council  attaches  the  utmost  importance  to  the  matters
regarding air safety. In this regard, it is examining the possibility of establishing a European Aviation Safety
Authority (EASA).