WRITTEN QUESTION E-2563/99 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Discrimination in the workplace.
Date: 2000-01-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: anti-discriminatory measure, approximation of laws, directive (EU), equal treatment, national implementing measure, workplace

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/163

Germany: 7 %; Greece: 8 %; Spain: 7 %; France: 20,6 %; Ireland: exempt; Italy: 20 %; Luxembourg: 3 %,
15 %, exempt; Netherlands: 17,5 %; Austria: 0 %, 10 %; Portugal: 17 %; Finland: exempt; Sweden: exempt,
25 %; United Kingdom: exempt. In other cases, the normal rate of VAT is applicable.

Council Directive 1999/85/EC of 22 October 1999, amending Directive 77/388/EEC as regards the
possibility of applying on an experimental basis a reduced rate of VAT on labour-intensive services (2),
also enables Member States, upon request, to apply a reduced rate to domestic care services from 1 January
2000 to 31 December 2002. Greece, France, Italy and Portugal have submitted requests for these services.

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.
(2) OJ L 277, 28.10.1999.

(2000/C 225 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2556/99

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Transmission masts

In view of the scientific evidence of possible health effects from the use of mobile telephone handsets, is
the Commission concerned that there may be health effects from the stationing of mobile telephony
transmission masts near to groups of people, particularly on educational premises, and does it intend to
propose any minimum standards or safeguards in this respect?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2000)

Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general
public to electromagnetic fields (O HZ to 300 GHz) (1) sets up a system of basic restrictions and reference
levels to prevent the occurrence of established adverse effects on human health of fields such as those
generated by mobile phone base stations.

The Recommendation is addressed to the Member States which should take the necessary steps to ensure
the high level of human health protection under the exposure limitation system that has been recom-
mended. It is expected that it will also lead to the establishment of standards for equipment emitting
electronic radiation of the type covered by the Recommendation.

(1) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999.

(2000/C 225 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2563/99

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Discrimination in the workplace

Would the Commission please state for each Member State whether there are laws forbidding discrimina-
tion in the workplace on the basis of: a) race, b) religion, c) gender, d) sexual orientation? Can it also state
in each case the means of redress, and whether any case has been successful prosecuted in each of the four
categories over the last year?

C 225 E/164

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2000)

There is considerable diversity in Member States(cid:146) law in this area. The Commission attributes particular
importance to the issue and adopted on 25 November 1999 a draft directive establishing a general
framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (1), as part of its package of proposals under
Article 13 (ex-Article 6a) of the EC Treaty.

The Honourable Member can find a general description of the situation in the Commission(cid:146)s communica-
tion on certain Community measures to combat discrimination (2).

The Commission is currently finalising a report on Member States(cid:146) legal provisions to combat discrimina-
tion on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The report
is due to be published early in 2000.

the principle of equal

As far as legislation on gender equality is concerned, Council Directive 76/207/CEE of 9 February 1976 on
the implementation of
for men and women as regards access to
employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions (3) has been implemented by all
Member States and its Article 6 provides for means of redress to be introduced to national legal systems,
by judicial process after possible recourse to other competent authorities. Concerning cases prosecuted,
information is not yet available for 1999. For 1998, information can be found in the general report of the
legal experts(cid:146) group on equal treatment of men and women for 1997 and 1998, which is available on the
Europa website under the following address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg05/publicat/equ-opp/experts.pdf.

treatment

(1) COM(1999) 565 final.
(2) COM(1999) 564 final.
(3) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976.

(2000/C 225 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Recognition of the denturist-denturologist(cid:146)s diploma under Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC

Dental technicians who carry out every stage in the manufacture of dental prostheses (cid:129) from measuring to
fitting (cid:129) and have received further clinical training for the purpose, are given various names in the
different Member States. In Belgium they use the term (cid:145)dental prosthesist-denturist(cid:146), in the Netherlands
(cid:145)dental prosthetician(cid:146), in Denmark and the UK (cid:145)clinical dental technician(cid:146), and in France (cid:145)denturologist(cid:146). The
international professional federation sticks to (cid:145)denturist-denturologist(cid:146).

In view of the increasing mobility in the European Union it is important to be able to ascertain whether
vocational training courses in the various Member States leading to the profession of (cid:145)denturist-denturol-
ogist(cid:146) come under Directives 89/48/EEC (1) and 92/51/EEC (2), as they make provision for a system of
recognition of higher education diplomas concluding vocational training courses of at least three years(cid:146)
duration. It is also important to know the relationship between those practising the (cid:145)denturist-denturolo-
gist(cid:146) profession and dentists. Some Member States give dentists a monopoly on all treatments carried out
inside the mouth, thus including non-medical treatment such as technical and clinical treatment. In other
Member States (cid:145)denturist-denturologists(cid:146) are permitted to fit prostheses without dentists(cid:146) intervention. In
between there are laws entitling (cid:145)denturist-denturologists(cid:146) to fit dental prostheses after patients have
obtained a certificate from their doctor. The law is clearly not harmonised in this area.