WRITTEN QUESTION E-2396/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Unbearable working hours at Catis di Latina.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, competence of the Member States, infringement of EU law, labour law, national implementing measure, rate of work, working time

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/155

The Commission will therefore open joint bilateral discussions with the Korean industry and Government
with a view to finding solutions to the problems. The first meeting for this purpose will be held in Paris on
14 December 1999,
in the margins of the meeting of Working Party No 6 of the Organisation for
Cooperation and Development (OECD).

As the vessels in question are not actually imported the usual trade protection, anti-subsidy and anti-
dumping instruments do not apply in this sector. Nevertheless, the Commission is seriously investigating
the possibility of bringing an anti-subsidy action against Korea under multilateral World Trade Organisa-
tion (WTO) rules. At the same time, the European industry is assembling the evidence it will need to be
able to lodge a complaint with the Commission very quickly under the rules on trade barriers.

The monitoring report to be presented to the next meeting of the (Industry) Council will allow the
Community to decide whether any further measures are needed to resolve the problem.

A number of Community industrial sectors have experienced increased competition from Korea and other
Asian countries, following the financial crisis and the resulting currency devaluations. The Commission has
received complaints also alleging dumping or subsidisation in some of these cases. In line with the relevant
Community legislation, where such complaints have contained sufficient prima facie evidence they have
been investigated, and (cid:129) if appropriate (cid:129) measures have been imposed.

(2000/C 219 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2396/99

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Unbearable working hours at Catis di Latina

The recent restructuring of Catis in Latina has also introduced new working hours, on the basis of a study
commissioned by the firm itself. However, the work is by nature extremely repetitive and alienating,
particularly in one of the divisions (manual assembly line for siphons) and therefore very exhausting for
the company(cid:146)s workers, particularly in that division. The working hours laid down by the above-mentioned
study seem utterly unsuitable and unreasonable, particularly in view of the large reduction in staff, which
has forced the workers still employed at the company to cope with unbearable workloads.

In the light of the above:

1. Are there any studies or documents on working hours or on the observance of reasonable working

hours in assembly lines as a safeguard for workers(cid:146) health?

2. Are there any directives on the subject, have any such directives been completely transposed by Italy,

and if so, what is the corresponding Italian legislation?

3. Does the Commission not consider it advisable to ask the Italian authorities and the company
for information on the facts described, and possibly to intervene to ensure the

management
observance of the regulations in force?

4. Can the Commission give its general views on this matter?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(11 January 2000)

1.
The Commission is sending a copy of the final report on the (cid:145)Transformation of Labour and Future
of Labour Law in Europe(cid:146) directly to the Honourable Member and the Secretariat general of the Parliament.
Together with a detailed list of references to relevant studies and literature.

C 219 E/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of
2.
working time (1) lays down minimum safety and health requirements for the organisation of working time
in the Member States. The Italian authorities have yet to notify the relevant implementation measures to
the Commission and the Commission has consequently brought the matter to the Court of justice on the
basis of Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty (pending case C-386/98).

3. Without prejudice to point 2 and according to the information available, the resolution of the matter
would seem to fall, in the first place, within the competence of the national authorities.

4.
The information available to the Commission does not permit a detailed evaluation of the situation.
However, from a general point of view the Commission would like to emphasise that in the context of the
(cid:145)adaptability(cid:146) pillar of the employment guidelines, social partners are invited to negotiate at all appropriate
levels agreements to modernise the organisation of work. Such agreements may, for example, deal with
issues of working time.

(1) OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.

(2000/C 219 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Cleaning up the legacy of asbestos pollution in the European Union

The use of asbestos fibres has been banned since 1997 because of the risk to public health. This legacy of
pollution therefore needs to be disposed of as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. A detailed inventory of
asbestos and clear directives on disposal are of the utmost importance in this respect.

1.
Does the Council have an accurate and detailed inventory of the (cid:145)historical(cid:146) use of asbestos in the
15 EU Member States on the basis of sales figures of the asbestos producers? If not, will the Council set
about creating such an inventory so that disposal can be carried out rapidly and efficiently in the near
future?

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

How much asbestos was produced and used in the European Union in 1997?

In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, in how many factories was asbestos used?

In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, in how many office buildings was asbestos used?

In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, in how many homes was asbestos used?

In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, in how many school buildings was asbestos used?

In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, which buildings need to be cleaned up as a matter of priority?

8. What directives has the Council drafted to achieve a rapid and efficient disposal of the legacy of
asbestos pollution?

Reply

(14 February 2000)

The Council does not have the information needed to reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s questions.