WRITTEN QUESTION E-3830/00 by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission. Noise and emission levels of bus and coach engines.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: bus, engine, environmental risk prevention, fire, industrial hazard

C 163 E/218

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-3828/00, E-3850/00 and E-3893/00
given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(19 January 2001)

The Commission(cid:146)s position on the question of revising Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994
on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and
Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (1) was
set out as follows in its implementation report (2):
(cid:145)The review process will continue taking into
consideration the debates in the Council and in the European Parliament on the dossiers closely linked
with the Directive (proposal for a Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting
employees in the European Community (3), Draft Directive on employee involvement within the European
Company). On the basis of the results of this review as well as on the basis of the evolution of the other
dossiers the Commission will at the given moment decide on the possible revision of the Directive.(cid:146)

In this context, it should be noted that at the Nice European Council on 7/8 December 2000, a major
breakthrough was achieved on the employee involvement aspects of the European Company dossier.
Consequently, the European Council called on the Council to complete, before the end of the year 2000,
the texts enabling the Statute for the European Company to be established. At an extraordinary meeting of
the Council on 20 December 2000, a political agreement was reached on the two instruments which make
up the European Company package: a Regulation with company law provisions (4) and an annexed
Directive concerning employee involvement. After the re-consultation of the Parliament, both the Regula-
tion and the Directive on workers(cid:146) involvement will then be formally adopted by the Council.

In addition, the Nice European Council noted the substantial progress made in the negotiations on the
proposal for a Council Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees
and called on the Council to continue examining that directive.

Taking into account these recent developments, the Commission believes it wiser to concentrate on what is
currently on the table at this stage, before launching the revision of the European Works Councils
Directive. Meanwhile, the evaluation on the application of this Directive is continuing.

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.
(2) COM(2000) 188 final.
(3) OJ C 2, 5.1.1999.
(4) OJ C 263, 16.10.1989.

(2001/C 163 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3830/00

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Noise and emission levels of bus and coach engines

In an attempt to cut noise levels bus and coach engine compartments have been designed with less free
space. As noise levels have fallen, temperatures within engine compartments have risen. Changes in fuel
injection technology to meet emission standards have resulted in substantially higher pressures within fuel
lines, which has increased the risk of fatigue cracks in those pipes. The risk of fire has also increased as the
ground clearance of buses and coaches has been reduced. The lower floors have produced cramped and
hotter engine compartments. Alongside higher-pressure fuel pipes and high temperatures in engine
compartments, electricity systems also present
fire risks. Modern coaches and buses are extensively
equipped with electronics which make great demands on the electrical system. All this emerges from an
article in Hufvudstadsbladet of 23 August 2000.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s reaction to these claims and what can be done to correct the problems they
describe?

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/219

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member concerning the fire risks
emanating from the engine compartment of buses. It is one of the reasons why a proposal of a directive (1)
relating to special provisions for the construction of public service vehicles was adopted and submitted to
the Parliament and the Council on June 1997.

The draft Directive (known as (cid:145)Buses and Coaches(cid:146)), now at its second reading stage, stipulates in its Annex
1, a series of requirements relating to protection against fire risks, particularly in the engine compartment.
These requirements apply to the layout of the engine compartment, heat resisting materials, fuel and oil
ducts, drainage orifices, possible sources of heat like energy dissipating retarder and heating fluids.

It is expected that the adoption process of this directive will be completed in the coming months in order
to allow early transposition into the laws of the Member States. This Directive will increase the level of
safety of this type of public service vehicles while ensuring the benefits of the functioning of the internal
market.

(1) COM(97) 276.

(2001/C 163 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3875/00

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European strategy to combat legionnaires(cid:146) disease

(8 December 2000)

New information in Europe on the scale and risks of legionnaires(cid:146) disease point to the urgent need for a
transparent and strict European strategy on legionella. In addition to known outbreaks of legionella in the
Netherlands (Bovenkarspel), Belgium (Kapellen) and France (Strasbourg) it became known last autumn that
a number of European hotels (including hotels in Spain and Greece) show an increased risk of infection
with legionella. In the past five years about 12 000 tourists have been infected with this bacterium in
Europe. Of these an estimated 10 % (1 200 patients) died from the illness (source: NRC Handelsblad,
26 September 2000). The longstanding European experts working group EGWLI (European Working
Group for Legionella Infections) monitors legionella epidemics in the European Community. For the past
ten years this working group has exchanged the names of hotels, apartments and camp sites where there is
a risk of legionella. Because of the risk of commercial losses the southern European countries have insisted
that the EGWLI does not disclose the names of the accommodation affected.

It must be concluded that information which is extremely pertinent to public health is being kept
concealed at European level. Consumers are being provided with no information or inadequate informa-
tion on the risks they run at holiday destinations.

How can the Commission guarantee public health when relevant information (names of accommoda-

1.
tion where there is an increased legionella risk) is kept concealed?

2. What is the Commission(cid:146)s opinion on the need for a policy statement at European level to improve
the transparency of information relevant to achieving the desired high level of public health protection?

How and when does the Commission intend, in cooperation with experts from the Member States, to

3.
prevent and control legionnaires(cid:146) disease?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 2001)

The Honourable Member is referred to the joint answer to Written Questions P-3211/00 by Mr De Roo,
E-3233/00 by Mrs Plooij-Van Gorsel and P-3239/00 by Mrs Corbey.