WRITTEN QUESTION E-1753/01 by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Depleted uranium.
Date: 2001-06-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: nuclear policy, occupational safety, radioactive waste, uranium, waste recycling

C 40 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

1.

2.

Is this true?

If so, how is it justified?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

According to Article 61 of the Staff Regulations, a list of public holidays is drawn up annually by
agreement between the Institutions, after consulting the Interinstitutional Staff Regulations Committee and
in accordance with the Regulations and Rules applicable to officials and other servants of the European
Communities (Article 1 thereof, see below) the text of which is annexed to the Staff Regulations.

The total number of public holidays for staff of the Institutions is generally 17 days, although this may
occasionally be 18 or 19, as in 2001. These variations arise from the fact that the Institutions employing
EU civil servants generally adopt the official public holidays of their host countries, but when such public
holidays fall on a weekend, the days lost are not compensated for by an additional day of leave.

Article 1

1. The following shall be public holidays:

(cid:129) New Year(cid:146)s Day: 1 January,

(cid:129) Easter Monday,

(cid:129) Labour Day: 1 May,

(cid:129) The anniversary of the declaration made by President Robert Schuman in 1950: 9 May,

(cid:129) Ascension,

(cid:129) Whit Monday (Pentecost),

(cid:129) Assumption: 15 August,

(cid:129) All Saints(cid:146) Day: 1 November,

(cid:129) All Souls(cid:146) Day: 2 November,

(cid:129) Christmas Day: 25 December,

(cid:129) and the national holidays of the countries in which officials are employed.

2. The following may be public holidays:

(cid:129) Good Friday,

(cid:129) Easter Saturday,

(cid:129) Christmas Eve: 24 December,

(cid:129) Boxing Day: 26 December,

(cid:129) The afternoon of New Year(cid:146)s Eve: 31 December.

3. By special decision the institution may derogate from the rules laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2.

(2002/C 40 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1753/01

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 June 2001)

Subject: Depleted uranium

Depleted uranium is the by-product of a basic practice in the nuclear industry, uranium enrichment.
Consequently, it must be treated as a radioactive substance (or radioactive waste) pursuant to Directive 96/
29/Euratom (1), and in particular Article 5 thereof.

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/99

Can the Commission say what practices involving the use of depleted uranium were the subject of
reporting or authorisation on EU territory before the above-mentioned directive was adopted,
in
accordance with the previous Directive 80/836/Euratom?

(1) OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

The new Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the
protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising
radiation (1) does indeed provide that depleted uranium falls within the scope of (cid:145)practices(cid:146) (Article 2 (1))
and therefore comes under the rules for reporting (Article 3 (1)) or authorisation of practices (Article 4 (1))
or disposal, recycling or reuse of uranium or materials containing depleted uranium resulting from such
practices (Article 5 (1)).

In Council Directive 80/836/Euratom of 15 July 1980 (2), practices were only subject to authorisation in
cases decided upon by each Member State (cid:145)in the light of possible dangers and other
relevant
considerations(cid:146) (Article 3).

Though Member States are required to institute the reporting and authorisation procedures required under
Directive 96/29/Euratom (and previously Directive 80/836/Euratom), they are under no obligation to send
the Commission a list of activities which have been subjected to these procedures, except in cases falling
within the scope of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty. Commission Recommendation 1999/829/Euratom of
6 December 1999 on the application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty (3) provides that this is the case
for the operation of nuclear reactors, the reprocessing or storage of irradiated nuclear fuel and U-235
enrichment of uranium, but in these cases depleted uranium occurs only as a residue of enrichment or
fission of U-235. A specific authorisation for depleted uranium in the framework of Article 37 would
therefore be required only in cases where it was processed or stored as radioactive waste in another
installation. Recycling or reuse of depleted uranium outside the fuel cycle does not fall within the scope of
Article 37.

The Commission therefore has no information on Member States(cid:146) application of the basic standards for
depleted uranium either before or after the date of implementation of Directive 96/29/Euratom (13 May
2000).

(1) OJ L 159, 29.6.1996.
(2) OJ L 246, 17.9.1980.
(3) OJ L 324, 16.12.1999.

(2002/C 40 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1765/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Zimbabwe

What is the progress, or otherwise, of consultations between the EU and Zimbabwe under Article 8 of the
Cotonou Agreement?

In view of recent increased violence,
decide that further measures are necessary?

intimidation and repression, at what point will the Commission