WRITTEN QUESTION P-3694/00 by Mario Mastella (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Protection of workers at the work place.
Date: 2000-11-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, Italy, competence of the Member States, occupational health, occupational medicine, professional qualifications

C 151 E/202

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

nology or for those which are particularly innovative, or through the national procedure. In the former
case, the competent authority is the Commission, and in the latter, it is the authorities in the Member
States.

Though traditional Chinese medicinal products such as Shu Gan Wan or Shu Kan Wan are presented as
medicinal products with therapeutic benefits, they have no marketing authorisation under the (cid:145)centralised(cid:146)
procedure. According to the data available, certain traditional Chinese medicinal products are contami-
nated by heavy metals such as mercury.

Since the Commission is not competent with regard to medicinal products which do not come under the
centralised procedure, the national authorities are responsible for ensuring that only those medicinal
products which have been properly authorised are marketed.

(2001/C 151 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3694/00

by Mario Mastella (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 November 2000)

Subject: Protection of workers at the work place

Directive 2000/54/EC (1)of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 places
special emphasis on the protection of workers from health and safety risks related to exposure to
biological agents at work.

In this connection, specialists in hygiene and preventive medicine are specifically trained to deal with
health surveillance of workers who are or may be exposed to such agents in their work, especially as
regards adopting all possible preventive measures such as vaccinations.

Once again the question arises, then, of whether specialists in hygiene and preventive medicine can be
employed as medical officers responsible for health and safety at the workplace, thereby taking advantage
of the adoption of the EU directive by all Member States.

Will the Commission therefore say whether it intends to take specific measures to enable specialists in
health and preventive medicine to act as medical officers with responsibility for health and safety at the
work place?

(1) OJ L 262, 17.10.2000, p. 21.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 2000)

The qualifications required to deal with health surveillance of workers are not referred to in Directive
2000/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of workers from risks
related to exposure to biological agents at work, which was mentioned specifically by the Honourable
Member, or in any other directive on the safety and health protection of workers, as per Article 16(1) of
the framework Directive 89/391/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the
safety and health of workers at work (1).

In defining the (cid:145)medical officer(cid:146) as the person responsible for the above surveillance, the secondary Italian
legislation determined the qualification required and, as a result, it is within the competence of the Italian
legislature to broaden the range of qualifications, as requested by the Honourable Member.

(1) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.