WRITTEN QUESTION E-2074/01 by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Public safety and environmental protection in Europe.
Date: 2001-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accident prevention, environmental protection, greenhouse gas, harmonisation of standards, pneumatic tyre, road safety, transport accident

C 40 E/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

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14.2.2002

(2002/C 40 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2070/01

by Joachim Wuermeling (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 July 2001)

Subject: Cooperation to promote sustainable urban development (cid:129) call

for proposals in OJ C 122,

25.4.2001

The documentation for the above programme is available only in English and French. This is a flagrant
breach of the principle of equal status for the various languages. The result is that interested municipalities
and towns from other language areas are de facto excluded from taking part in the call for proposals.
Small municipalities in particular cannot be expected to possess advanced linguistic skills.

When will the Commission translate the above documentation into German?

Will the Commission re-open the call for proposals once the necessary translations are available?

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

(5 September 2001)

The call for the submission of proposals under a Community framework for co-operation to promote
sustainable urban development, published in the Official Journal (1),
is addressed to networks of local
authorities originating from at least four Member States and possibly also of cities and towns of Central
and Eastern European Countries, Cyprus and Malta as well as of other countries which have association
agreement with the Community. The participation of small towns is not excluded since they may belong
to one of these networks.

The availability of the application documents in two official languages only (cid:129) French and English (cid:129) has to
be understood against this background as well as by the time limits set for considering funding proposal
still in 2001.

(1) OJ C 122, 25.4.2001, p 11.

(2002/C 40 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2074/01

by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Public safety and environmental protection in Europe

(13 July 2001)

There can be no question that the EU accords a great deal of importance to public safety, environmental
protection and saving energy.

A survey carried out by ETRTO (European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation) has shown that 70 % of
the tyres fitted to motor vehicles in Europe are under-inflated, resulting in higher fuel consumption (and
thereby an increase of between 5 and 25 % in CO2 emissions) and a sharp reduction in the useful life of
the tyres (which is between 20 and 50 % shorter than under normal conditions). According to the UTWG
(Used Tyre Working Group), an organisation which monitors the use and disposal of tyres in the United
Kingdom, drivers get through approximately 35 million tyres each year in Europe, causing enormous
disposal problems.

According to the CARE Community database on road accidents (Decision 93/704/EC (1) of 30 November
1993), tyre and tyre pressure problems are a factor in 1,4 % of fatal accidents in the EU Member States.

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In the USA, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has found that in 1999 alone,
647 fatal road accidents (2 % of all fatal road accidents) were linked to low tyre pressures. The US
legislative authorities have accordingly passed a federal law (HR 5164, known as the (cid:145)Tread Act(cid:146)), section
13 of which requires all motor vehicles registered after 1 November 2003 to be fitted with tyre pressure
monitoring devices.

Given the above, how does the Commission intend to ensure that, following in the footsteps of the
pioneering US legislation, the greatest possible importance is accorded to public safety in this area,
particularly in view of the environmental implications involved?

(1) OJ L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 63.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2001)

The Commission is well aware that under-inflated tyres represent a significant cause of serious accidents
and can lead to an increase in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

It has now been well established that at least 1,4 % of fatal accidents in the EU are linked to tyre pressures,
which represents a potential of approximately 600 lives which could be saved through tyre-pressure
monitoring.

For some years now, the Commission has been closely following the development of tyre technology and
is convinced that a solution can be found through a global approach. Furthermore, it has raised these
the Group of Rapporteurs on Brakes and Running Gear and the
issues in the expert groups of
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and also at the more official level of the World Forum
on the Standardisation of Vehicle Construction under the auspices of the United Nations. The results of the
work carried out by the experts are expected in autumn 2001.

The harmonisation of safety legislation currently in force throughout
the world could lead to a
requirement for wheel-tyre systems fitted with pressure sensors which immediately signal an under-
inflated tyre or a significant imbalance in pressure between tyres on the same axle.

The Commission is therefore examining the possibilities and the need for action in this field, particularly in
the light of the work of the World Forum on the Standardisation of Vehicle Construction.

(2002/C 40 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2075/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Amendment of Article 296(1)(b) of the EC Treaty

In its answer to Question E-1323/01 (1) the Commission states that it has no intention of submitting to the
Council a proposal to remove all military products from the list of products to which the provisions of
Article 296(1)(b) apply. In that connection,
it refers to its communication of December 1997 on the
defence industry (2). The Commissioner responsible, Chris Patten, states that the Commission wishes to
encourage the introduction of specific instruments for the arms sector, with a view to creating the
conditions required for the establishment of an internal European market in such goods, thereby rendering
any moves to invoke Article 296 redundant.

This approach offers no guarantee that purchases of military material will not go hand in hand with
economic compensation, the point on which Question E-1323/01 focused. Compensation payments in
connection with military procurement have always been shrouded in an atmosphere of protectionism and
unsavoury business practices, since the decision-making process disregards market principles.
In that
connection, the decision by the Belgian Federation to do away with national compensation payments sent