WRITTEN QUESTION E-0434/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission. Housing safety standards.
Date: 2000-02-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Committee for Standardisation, approximation of laws, building, building materials, building safety, multi-storey dwelling, national implementing measure, operation of the Institutions, safety standard, technical specification

C 330 E/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.11.2000

In the above mentioned Order, the CFI fixed the total costs payable by the Commission at € 40 000 whereas
the FIA had requested an amount of € 400 000. The Commission cannot give any relevant information on
the man hours spent by its legal services in defending the case before the CFI which was settled at an early
stage. The Commission staff and budgetary regulations do not provide for a method for such calculations.
Moreover, the Court of justice held (Case C-409/96T/DEP) that the work undertaken by Commission
officials who act as agents for the Commission is part of their duties as officials and that no portion
thereof can be specifically attributed to the representation and defence in a particular case.

As regards the fourth question, the Commission would inform the Honourable Member that the statement
of objections was already adopted by the Commission on 29 June 1999. The Commission expects that any
final action in the present case will have the effect of stimulating competition in the relevant broadcasting
market.

the Commission confirms that

Finally,
its report on sport of December 1999 mentioned by the
Honourable Member is the most current Commission statement on its overall policy in sport related
issues and that all departments in the Commission are taking due regard of its contents in their respective
actions.

(2000/C 330 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0434/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Housing safety standards

(23 February 2000)

With reference to Written Question E-2480/99 and the Commission reply (1), and while questioning in
passing the fact that the Commission did not consider it necessary to introduce legislation laying down
safety standards for housing, despite the many recent incidents that have alerted us to this issue, can the
Commission explain why a directive adopted twelve years ago (Council Directive 89/106/EEC of
21 December 1988) (2) has not yet been transposed into the individual Member States(cid:146) domestic law?

Does the Commission agree that it is possible that a directive dating back so far no longer corresponds to
current safety standards for housing, and requires updating?

So, while we urgently request that a directive be drawn up on housing safety standards, could the
Commission also take action to speed up the process of drawing up technical specifications, which
supposedly is being carried out by the standards organisations, with a view to laying down harmonised
and, as far as possible, definitive standards?

Finally, could the Commission set out the criteria for the implementation of the reference directive, once it
has been updated or transposed into law?

(1) OJ C 280 E, 3.10.2000, p. 52.
(2) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 12.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2000)

The Commission shares the Honourable Members(cid:146) concerns regarding housing safety standards in the
Community.

For several years the Commission has made a considerable effort to bring about harmonisation of the
different types and methods of design and construction both in the building industry and in public works,
in so far as its mandate and means have allowed. These efforts resulted both in the adoption of Council
Directive 89/106/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the
Member States relating to construction products and in the preparation of Eurocodes. The Commission
would also like to point out that all Member States have transposed this Directive, the latest being Belgium
in 1998.

21.11.2000

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 330 E/159

this legislative instrument requires harmonised technical specifications detailing all

(cid:145)safety(cid:146)
However,
aspects (cid:129) i.e. essential requirements (cid:129) for all product families which are supposed to be construction-
related. These specifications must allow the products to be incorporated permanently in construction
works, ensuring that they respect the essential requirements of structural safety, environmental standards
and energy conservation.

These technical specifications are drawn up by two bodies: the European Committee for Standardisation
(CEN) and the European Organisation for Technical Approvals (EOTA)
in accordance with the new
approach to technical harmonisation and standards and with the principle of subsidiarity (1). In accordance
with the subsidiarity principle, building safety is the responsibility of Member States.

The Commission believes the Directive is still up-to-date as the expected technical specifications corre-
spond to scientific and technical progress and to advancements in the state of the art.

families approved by the Standing Committee on Construction;

The Commission has completed its programme for drawing up standardisation mandates for the fifty
product
the CEN must draw up
harmonised standards and the EOTA must provide harmonised technical approval. The Commission is
currently concentrating all its efforts on ensuring that the two bodies provide, as a matter of urgency,
harmonised specifications per mandate and per contract.

(1) Council Resolution of 7 May 1985, OJ C 136, 4.6.1985.

(2000/C 330 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0440/00

by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(11 February 2000)

Subject: Procedure for concluding contracts under the Fifth framework programme for research

Now that the legal basis for the Fifth framework programme for research has been established, there is
increasing criticism of the arrangements for contracts,
they are padded out with
unnecessary information and dealt with too slowly. These are circumstances which could be a disincentive
to participation in the programme.

in particular that

Is the Commission aware of such problems in concluding contracts under the framework programme for
research?

What speedy and effective action does the Commission intend to take to simplify the procedure for
concluding contracts?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2000)

The Commission is aware of a number of complaints relating to the complexity of the procedures that
were set up in 1999 for the Fifth Framework programme.

At the end of 1999 the Commissioner responsible for research established an interservice group to review
procedures in the light of the experience of the first year of the programme. The aim of the group is to
simplify a number of steps in the procedures, to the extent that this is possible under the existing rules
which apply to the programme. The Commission would hope to take the first decisions to simplify
internal procedures in March 2000. The review process will then continue in order to identify other
measures that might be taken.