WRITTEN QUESTION E-2326/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Import of steel of dubious quality for use in reinforced concrete.
Date: 1999-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU market, Greece, building materials, concrete, customs fraud, customs inspection, import, product safety, quality label, quality standard, steel

C 225 E/102

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

Community scientists and research workers are directly affected by those agreements, which enable them
to enter into scientific and technical cooperation with their opposite numbers in the non-member
countries concerned and to exchange ideas, experience and skills. That cooperation and those exchanges
may, moreover, spur an increase in the human resources devoted to research within the Community.

The Commission(cid:146)s officials and other servants act as sources of information on the potential offered by the
agreement for the scientific communities, and also follow up the cooperation entered into and turn this to
account by their involvement, in particular, in the activities of each joint steering committee set up in
order to implement each of these agreements. They then report to the joint bodies which are responsible
for following-up all of their relationships with the Community for each of the countries concerned.

The S&T Cooperation Agreements only concern civilian research and embrace research in biotechnology.
In the case of Russia, biotechnology is not referred to specifically but, in actual fact, is included implicitly
in that biomedical research and health, which are increasingly dependent upon this, are themselves referred
to specifically.

(2000/C 225 E/103)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2326/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Import of steel of dubious quality for use in reinforced concrete

The earthquakes which have occurred in Greece and Turkey have caused increased concern regarding the
quality of steel used in reinforced concrete. It is an (cid:145)open secret(cid:146) that imported steel on the Greek market is
in many cases of lower quality than that indicated. It is alleged that the checks carried out are either
inadequate or, if they do reveal that the steel is of inferior quality, it is still allowed to enter the European
market with a higher quality designation (for example steel ribs), facilitating its use as a product of higher
quality than that actually ascertained, in the absence of preventive checks (market regulation).

1. What steps will the Commission take, in cooperation with the Member States, to step up monitoring
procedures?

2. When will uniform quality standards be introduced for steel in reinforced concrete, together with
uniform monitoring procedures based on these standards?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2000)

When considering imports of steel products from non-member countries where manufacturing standards
may be different from those used in the Community, we need to distinguish clearly between the way such
products are processed through customs and any judgment of actual product quality.

in one or other category of

As far as customs procedures are concerned, product quality is only considered in order to place the
product
the customs nomenclature corresponding to the harmonised
international tariff system (e.g. alloy steel, non-alloy steel). Any dishonest use of customs declarations,
e.g. to gain certain advantages in the application of customs duties, is punishable by law, following an
inquiry by the national customs authorities.

Generally speaking, the legal basis for attesting the conformity of construction products is Commission
Decision 97/597/EC of 14 July 1997 on the procedure for attesting the conformity of construction
products pursuant to Article 20(2) of Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards reinforcing and prestressing

8.8.2000

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/103

steel for concrete (1). For its part, the Commission will continue to support the work of the European
Committee for Iron and Steel Standardisation (ECISS) within the context of the European Committee for
Standardisation (CEN) to establish harmonised standards.

However, when it comes to product quality, and in particular the possibility of products being misused, it
falls to the parties involved, both buyers and sellers, to ensure that all the proper provisions are included in
the contract. Since the use of steel products is subject, within the Community, to technical monitoring
systems and controls which exclude the use of materials which fail to comply with standards in sensitive
sectors, the falsification of quality certificates would fall within the area of private law.

(1) OJ L 240, 2.9.1997.

(2000/C 225 E/104)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2328/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Health problems arising from the operation of an olive kernel oil plant in Iraklion (Crete)

In Iraklion in Crete, a particularly pollutant olive kernel processing plant is producing an extremely
unpleasant odour, affecting the local residents and the city hospital, the colleges of technology and many
schools and day nurseries. Despite complaints by the local and prefectural authorities and the unfavourable
findings of the Technical Infrastructures and Environment Committee, the Ministry for the Environment,
Town Planning and Public Works is continuing to renew the plant(cid:146)s operating licence.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Have environmental impact studies, together with the necessary technical studies, concerning the plant

as a whole been carried out?

2. Have all appropriate calculations been made and has an evaluation been carried out of measures

recommended in the past?

3. Will the Commission take measures to have the plant definitively closed down in accordance with a
request to the Ministry for the Environment, Town Planning and Public Works from the Crete regional
Secretary-General and other bodies?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2000)

The Commission does not know if an environmental impact assessment has been carried out for the plant
in question.

The national authorities are responsible for checking whether the requirements of Council Directive
85/337/EEC on the impact of certain public and private projects on the environment, amended by Council
Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (1), have been met.

The Commission does not have any information on the pollution caused by this plant or the approval of
an environmental impact assessment. The Commission would ask the Honourable Member to send it a
dossier describing the plant(cid:146)s polluting activities, so that it can contact the Greek authorities and investigate
the matter.

(1) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.