WRITTEN QUESTION E-1507/00 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. EN 469.
Date: 2000-05-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: application of EU law, competence of the Member States, defective product, fire protection, market approval, protective equipment

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/157

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2000)

The Commission used the services of an external contractor to assist in the organisation and management
of the conference at which the Honourable Member spoke. In normal circumstances the contractor pays
daily allowances to speakers by bank transfer, but as the Honourable Member had been invited at short
notice and had not spoken previously at a conference organised by this contractor, the bank account
details would not have been available in time to ensure payment before the beginning of the conference.

In such exceptional circumstances the contractor uses an agreed procedure which involves the use of
Western Union to make funds immediately available at any one of its offices.

(2001/C 53 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1507/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(12 May 2000)

Subject: EN 469

What steps are available to ensure that fire safety equipment that fails to meet EN 469 is withdrawn from
the market? How do concerned individuals make complaints in the event of failure to comply?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Personal protective equipment (PPE), including fire safety equipment, is covered by Directive 89/686/EEC
as amended and must therefore meet the basic health and safety requirements stipulated by this Directive.

Due to the gravity of the risk involved, fire safety equipment is also subject to a type examination by an
approved body, and the manufacturing process is monitored.

The standard EN 469 (cid:145)Protective clothing for fire-fighters (cid:129) Requirements and test methods for protective
clothing for fire-fighting(cid:146) is a harmonised standard under the PPE Directive and confers a presumption of
conformity on protective clothing manufactured in accordance with the Directive. Use of this standard is
not compulsory, and non-application in no way implies that the product is not in conformity with the
requirements of the Directive. At present, there is no dispute concerning this standard.

The national governments are responsible for applying the Directive on personal protective equipment in
the Member States, and it is up to them to take the necessary measures where products which are not in
conformity with European rules are put on the market. However, the Commission has received no
information from the administrations responsible concerning problems of this kind on their national
markets.

(2001/C 53 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1509/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(12 May 2000)

Subject: DVD players and free competition

Is the Commission aware that DVD players are deliberately designed to prevent free competition in the
pricing of DVD discs by being segregated into six global regions? That means that European Union citizens
cannot benefit from purchasing cheap DVD discs available in many parts of the world? Does not the
Commission feel that this anti-competitive behaviour should be prohibited?