WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3114/98 by Bernd LANGE to the Commission. Roof renovation products
Date: 1998-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, LANGE
Subjects: EC conformity marking, building, building regulations, free movement of goods, harmonisation of standards, polishing and scouring preparations

C 142/86

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.5.1999

(1999/C 142/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3114/98

by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(16 October 1998)

Subject: Roof renovation products

Is the Commission aware that certain products for the renovation of flat roofs that are permitted and used
in other Member states, such as the United Kingdom, are banned in Germany by virtue of the outdated
DIN (German industrial standard) 16726? This is detrimental to the internal market.

What steps does the Commission intend to take?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(27 November 1998)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s concern about obstacles to the free circulation of
building products on the Community territory.

The primary aim of Directive 89/106/EEC (1) on construction products is, precisely, to eliminate technical
obstacles to intra-Community trade in such products. This Directive stipulates that such products may
only be put on the market if they are ‘fit for the intended use’, a notion defined in relation to certain
essential requirements regarding the works contained in the Directive. It also stipulates that ‘fitness for
intended use’ is to be assessed with special reference to harmonised technical specifications adopted on
mandates given by the Commission.

The roof renovation products referred to by the Honourable Member are the subject of a standardisation
mandate annexed to Commission Decision 98/436/EC of 22 June 1998 (2) (on the procedure for attesting
the conformity of construction products pursuant to Article 20(2) of Council Directive 89/106/EEC as
regards roof coverings, rooflights, roof windows and ancillary products). Specifically, the mandate is for a
harmonised standard on roof coverings, rooflights, roof windows and ancillary products to be drawn up by
the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).

Under the Directive, only compliance with this standard will entitle products to circulate freely with the
EC mark without any further test. In the interim, national standards (DIN 16726, for example) will apply,
but Member States must accept other national standards which are equivalent in health, safety, energy
saving and environmental terms on the basis of Article 30 of the EC Treaty. Furthermore the Commission
is currently contemplating an amendment to Directive 89/106 so as to accelerate the standardisation
programme and to open up an alternative route for issue of the EC mark, on the basis of decisions already
taken regarding proof of compliance and of the mandates drawn up in concertation with the Standing
Committee on Construction.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.
(2) OJ L 194, 10.7.1998.

(1999/C 142/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3115/98

by Mary Banotti (PPE) to the Commission

(16 October 1998)

Subject: Regulations governing charter flights

Can the Commission inform me if there are any regulations or proposed regulations governing service
provision of charter flights in Europe?

In particular are there any regulations concerning delays and compensation?