WRITTEN QUESTION E-1802/99 by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission. Lindane.
Date: 1999-10-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, dangerous substance, directive (EU), environmental impact, environmental risk prevention, health risk, impact study, labelling, pesticide, plant health legislation

C 170 E/104

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

(see PE 279.943). In that Resolution the European Parliament confirmed, as first readings under the co-
decision procedure following the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, a whole series of texts voted
under the previous Parliament.

Following that European Parliament Resolution, the Council will strive henceforth to make progress on the
files concerned.

(2000/C 170 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1801/99

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(12 October 1999)

Subject: Lindane

The monograph produced by the Austrian authorities on the health and environmental effects of the
pesticide lindane has been forwarded to the competent authorities of the Member States so that their views
may be taken into account before the Commission brings forward a proposal on the use of this product.

Given the huge number of pesticides and other chemicals for which safety data is lacking,
is the
Commission happy with the present slow and cumbersome review process? How does it intend to speed
up this process without lowering safety standards?

(2000/C 170 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1802/99

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(12 October 1999)

Subject: Lindane

In connection with Council Directive 91/0414/EEC (1) the Austrian authorities have produced a mono-
graph covering the health and environmental effects of the pesticide lindane. In the monograph they
recommended the suspension of the use of lindane across the EU pending the submission of further data.
Furthermore, they called for lindane to be classified under (cid:145)category 3 of carcinogenic substances(cid:146) and for
the label to contain the phrase (cid:145)possible risk of irreversible effects(cid:146) under Directive 67/0548/EEC (2).

Given the recommendations in the report and the fact that Sweden and Denmark have already banned
it fully accept the
lindane, what action will the Commission be taking regarding this product? Will
recommendations put forward by the Austrians, particularly in the light of the precautionary principle?

(1) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1.
(2) OJ 196, 16.8.1967, p. 1.

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1801/99 and E-1802/99
given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 1999)

For the current state of the examination of the dossier concerning lindane, the Commission would refer to
its answer to Written Question E-154/99 of Mrs Pollack (1).

The Commission will follow the procedures established in Commission Regulation (EEC) 3600/92 of
11 December 1992 laying down the detailed rules for the implementation of the first stage of the
programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/0414/EEC concerning the placing

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/105

of plant protection products on the market (2) and will as soon as possible, and after all consultations are
finalized, forward a proposal to the standing committee on plant health. This may require a review of the
classification and labelling of lindane under Directive 67/0548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation
of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of
dangerous substances (3).

A lot of progress has been made since the adoption of Directive 91/0414/EEC of 15 July 1991 (4), in
particular the development of implementing legislation, technical background documents and confidence
building between Member States. The Commission however shares the view that the review process should
be speeded up.

Therefore a new strategy, within the possibilities for Commission action provided in Directive 91/0414/
EEC, is under discussion. It is expected that this would result by the end of 1999 in the adoption of further
implementing measures for the review of the remaining existing active substances. The Commission has no
intention to lower the safety standards of the Directive.

(1) OJ C 325, 12.11.1999, p. 76.
(2) OJ L 366, 15.12.1992.
(3) OJ L 196, 16.8.1967.
(4) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.

(2000/C 170 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1806/99

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Subject: Cross-border direct dispatch of national telephone directories

The International Telecommunication Union is a Europe-wide association of telecommunications under-
takings. It recommends to participants wishing to obtain a telephone directory for a specific Member State
that they apply to the administration of their own country. Many administrative departments accept this
recommendation from a non-governmental and non-Community institution and supply their respective
telephone directories only within their own national borders.

How does the Commission assess this procedure against the background of the liberalisation of the
telecommunications sector and of the incipient internal market in telecommunications?

Can it avert the suspicion that competition and/or anti-discrimination legislation is being breached here?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 1999)

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s question relates to the conditions on which the national regulatory authorities
in the Member States apply the relevant provisions of Directive 98/0010/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 26 February 1998 on the application of open network provision (ONP) to voice
telephony and on universal service for telecommunications in a competitive environment (1).

This Directive does, in fact, lay down in Article 15 (2) that (subject to compliance with the legislation on
the protection of personal data) (cid:145)Member States shall take all necessary measures to remove any regulatory
restrictions which prevent provision of the services and facilities listed in Annex I, part 3, in compliance
with the competition rules of Community law(cid:146). The list in Annex I, part 3 includes, under points e) and
f), access to operator services in other Member States and access to directory enquiry services in other
Member States.