WRITTEN QUESTION E-2897/00 by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Hardwood dust and the directive on carcinogens.
Date: 2000-09-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, European Commission, carcinogenic substance, exchange of information, occupational safety, research body, wood residue

C 113 E/208

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

In line with that decision the Commission is currently finalising a report on the revision of the guidelines
which should be laid before Parliament and the Council in November 2000. That report will analyse
changes in traffic flows and demand since 1996, and in the technologies that can be applied to that sector.
The report will therefore suggest adjustments to the 1996 Decision which could provide for an updating
of the networks(cid:146) mapping.

Against this background and that of the Union(cid:146)s next enlargement, the Commission has for several years
been closely cooperating with the Member States and Governments of
the applicant countries in
identifying the components of those candidates(cid:146) transport networks that should be incorporated into the
trans-European transport network on their accession. That venture, which is known as TINA, or in other
words (cid:145)Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment(cid:146) produced a (cid:145)final report(cid:146) on completion of an initial
batch of analyses in October 1999. That report is likely to be updated, or even intensified over the next
few years.

The north-south corridor linking Stettin, Berlin, Prague, Linz and Koper, and more particularly its section
between Budweis and Linz, forms part of a particularly large set of economic problems touching upon the
accessibility of the Adriatic sea ports to the countries of central and northern Europe.

Since this involves the building up of an intermodal, multi-mode transport network it should here be
stressed that there should be sufficiently dense interlinking within the network which, in particular, should
act as a spur in expanding the responses to that basic set of problems. Thus, the various corridors seem to
be, at one and the same time, not only complementary but also in competition with each other. More
particularly pan-European trans-European corridors Nos IV and V approved at ministerial level in Crete in
1994 and in Helsinki in 1997 also constitute responses, as do the north-south links already planned in the
guidelines, such as the (cid:145)Brenner(cid:146) route between Verona and Munich.

Moreover, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, the responsibility for building and managing transport
infrastructures, even those of Community relevance,
lies with the national or local authorities. When
boosting the funding of projects these might possibly call upon the Community for support, which can be
given via various instruments. More particularly the budget dedicated to trans-European networks might be
mobilised, or the structural funds for the Member States, or yet again the PHARE or ISPA programmes for
the central European applicant countries.

Thus, if the Austrian and Czech authorities wish to receive financial support from the Community in order
to modernise the rail of road link between Linz and Budweis, it is up to them to ask for help under those
Community programmes.

The Commission(cid:146)s forthcoming report on guideline revision should spark various debates within Parlia-
ment and the Council on the inclusion of that highway route in the trans-European network. On that
occasion the national authorities will have the opportunity to state their views. Under Decision No 92/96/
EC that inclusion could, in the main, be examined in terms of the common interest presented by that
section of road in order to ensure the cohesion, interlinking and interoperability of the trans-European
network, and also of the access to that network.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2001/C 113 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2897/00

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Hardwood dust and the directive on carcinogens

Under Council Directive 1999/38/EC (1) of 29 April 1999 amending for the second time Directive 90/394/
EEC (2) on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work and
extending it to mutagens, all types of hardwood dust have been classified as carcinogens (definite risk of
causing cancer).

18.4.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/209

The Austrian and European timber industry has consistently argued against such a classification, since it
has always been convinced that untreated wood dust poses no risk to the health of workers and considers
the concept of hardwood dust to be too broad and much too imprecise. All the studies on which the
decision was based concentrated on wood dust.

A study carried out over several years by the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg has now
confirmed that the cause does not lie with dust from untreated wood, specifically oak and beech dust, but
with the contamination of wood dust with certain chemicals.

Is the Commission aware that the scientific basis for Council Directive 1999/38/EC of 29 April 1999
amending for the second time Directive 90/394/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to
exposure to carcinogens at work has been contradicted by a study carried out by the German Timber
Trade Association?

What action will the Commission take in response to the results of the Timber Trade Association study?

(1) OJ L 138, 1.6.1999, p. 66.
(2) OJ L 196, 26.7.1990, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 October 2000)

Council Directive 1999/38/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to
carcinogens at work and extending it to mutagens includes (cid:145)work involving exposure to hardwood dusts(cid:146)
according to the proposal of the scientific committee for occupational exposure limits (SCOEL).

The Commission is aware of
research centre (Deutschen
Krebsforschungszentrum) in Heidelberg. The study was presented in June 2000 by a scientific expert of
the Holz-Berufsgenossenschaft to the SCOEL and extensively discussed.

the new study by the German cancer

Although there is an indication that wood dust might not be the only cause of nasal tumours in animals
used in experiments, the results are regarded as preliminary. Questions mainly concerning re-evaluation of
the inflammatory process were addressed by the SCOEL to the author of the study. If, on receipt of this
additional data, the Commission decides it is appropriate to reconsider the issue of carcinogenicity of
wood dusts, it will do so.

(2001/C 113 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2901/00

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(18 September 2000)

Subject: Elections in Kosovo

The UN representative in Kosovo, Mr Kouchner, has announced that municipal elections will be held in
Kosovo at the end of October 2000. In the light of European Union declarations concerning the creation
of a multicultural Kosovo, will the Council say how that objective can be achieved by means of the
recently announced elections when the overwhelming majority of Kosovo Serbs have been driven out and
the rest are living with the fear of being killed?

Reply

(20 November 2000)

The Council is following developments in Kosovo very closely. It has on a number of occasions stated its
full support for UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999 and for the efforts of UNMIK and
KFOR to implement all aspects of it.