WRITTEN QUESTION E-2859/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Public order and safety.
Date: 2000-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU police cooperation, police

24.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 303 E/121

conformity of Italian regional legislation with Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (1), amending
Directive 85/337/EEC, is under assessment. It may be added that car parks are not specifically mentioned
in the Annexes of Directive 85/337/EEC and, therefore,
it is difficult to challenge the lack of specific
transposition in relation to this class of projects. In contrast, Directive 97/11/EC, which is not applicable to
the specific case because it applies to projects for which requests for development consent were submitted
after 14 March 1999, specifically includes car parks among the projects of Annex II of the Directive (10 b).

Conflicts between different bodies of the Italian administration are not relevant at Community level. It is
only relevant that Community law be correctly applied.

As for the application of Directive 85/337/EEC to this specific case, in the opinion of the Commission car
parks could, even if not specifically mentioned, be covered by Annex II of Directive 85/337/EEC at number
10 b (as urban-development projects among the infrastructure projects). According to the Directive,
projects of Annex II are to be made subject to an environmental impact assessment (EIA) where Member
States consider that their characteristics so require. However, Member States are obliged to make a pre-
assessment in order to establish whether projects of Annex II need to be made subject to an EIA
procedure. Therefore, the Commission considers that failing to carry out a pre-assessment on a car park
project which is likely to have significant effects on the environment represents an infringement of the
Directive, while failing to make a car park the subject of an EIA procedure is not a breach of the Directive
when the lack of significant impact of the project has been verified in a previous a pre-assessment.

(1) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2000/C 303 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2859/99

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Public order and safety

Safety on the streets is recognised as an important benefit for the population and is a public service paid
for by public taxation.

An adequate number of police and police stations must therefore be distributed all over the country.

Unfortunately, in Rome, in particular in district XX, the situation is different (cid:129) there are whole areas in a
state of decline, characterised by social unrest, frequented by drug addicts, alcoholics and immigrants,
where there are not enough policemen, or else areas where there is no police station, although the district
has requested one. The events being organised to celebrate the Millennium will only aggravate the
situation.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1. whether there are any research findings, data or examples of good practice concerning the logistic and

organisational methods of the forces of law and order;

2. whether there are similar problems in the others countries of the Union and how they are being

solved;

3. what its general opinion of the whole issue is?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 2000)

The Commission shares the importance attached by the Honourable Member to ensuring safety and
security on the streets.

C 303 E/122

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

According to the Treaty on European Union, and as confirmed by the special meeting of the European
Council held on 15 and 16 October 1999 in Tampere, one of the objectives of the Union shall be to
provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice.

This shall be done by, inter alia, developing common action among Member States in the fields of police
co-operation. Any action developed in this context shall not, nevertheless, affect the exercise of the
responsibilities incumbent upon Member States with regard to the maintenance of law and order and the
safeguarding of internal security within their national territories.

The issue of public order and safety has been regularly discussed in the context of the co-operation in the
fields of justice and home affairs. In this context, the Council has considered the threat to public order
from international gatherings in a joint action of 26 May 1997 with regard to co-operation on law and
order and security (1).

Within the framework of the OISIN programme (2) the Commission has been supporting a series of
initiatives concerning police co-operation and the role of police forces in dealing with public order. For
information on the projects supported in this context the Commission draws the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
attention to the two reports on the implementation of the OISIN programme (3).

(1) OJ L 147, 5.6.1997.
(2)
(3) SEC(98) 1048 and SEC(1999) 1995.

Joint Action (cid:129) OJ L 7, 10.1.1997.

(2000/C 303 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0002/00

by Nicole Thomas-Mauro (UEN) to the Commission

(19 January 2000)

Subject: Portable telephones

Some scientific research points to risks for users of portable telephones; an experiment conducted on rats
at Lund University, for instance, has produced worrying findings. France has launched the Comobio
programme to clarify the possible effects of portable telephones.

There is a European recommendation laying down exposure limits. On what research is it based?

In addition, is the Commission contemplating carrying out more in-depth research into risk assessment
and long-term effects? Does the Commission have proof that thermal effects, the effects of magnetic fields
and induced current flow have few human health implications?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(29 February 2000)

The European recommendation (1) limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields of 0 Hertz (Hz) to
300 Gigahertz (GHz)
is based on scientific advice and the best scientific information available, not
forgetting that only proven effects on health could be taken into account. Advice on these protective
measures has been given by the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
and endorsed by the Commission(cid:146)s Scientific Steering Committee.

The Commission currently provides financial support for numerous research projects. Under the Third and
Fourth Framework Programmes, the Commission supported the COST actions (COST 244 in 1992,
followed by COST 244a in 1998) on the biomedical effects of electromagnetic radiation. The Biomed 2
programme financed two studies on the links between electromagnetic radiation and cancer. The
(cid:145)measurements and testing(cid:146) programme also financed a project to measure the electromagnetic radiation
emitted by portable telephones. In total the Commission has allocated some €2 million for these studies.