WRITTEN QUESTION E-3061/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Antonio Mussa (UEN) to the Commission. Chemical and bacteriological substances and air conditioning systems.
Date: 2001-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU institution, air conditioning, biology, chemical product, public building, public safety, terrorism

C 147 E/84

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

The author of this question is aware of the need to translate the official names of cities and regions into
the language used in the text concerned. However, he does not believe that this practice can justify the
systematic translation of Illes Balears as ‘Baleares’ or ‘Islas Baleares’.

1. Will the Commission undertake to respect and use the existing official name, as laid down in law, of
this autonomous region, i.e. Illes Balears?

Can the Commission state its position as regards its failure to comply with this law while the official

2.
names of other regions and cities in the Union are, by contrast, respected?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

The Commission would thank the Honourable Member for drawing its attention to the name of the
Balearic Islands.

It proposes to ask the Spanish Government to indicate the official designation which it should use in the
future.

(2002/C 147 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3061/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Antonio Mussa (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Chemical and bacteriological substances and air conditioning systems

(7 November 2001)

The disturbing spread of the terrorist threat of contamination by means of chemical or bacteriological
substances must necessarily alert us to the problem of the possible use of the centralised air-conditioning
systems existing in offices, department stores, banks and, above all, institutions.

Can the Commission make provision, along with the necessary control measures, for alternative systems in
all the offices of the Institutions? Can it also invite the Member States to take steps to ensure that suitable
controls are organised by management
their buildings open to the public in which air-
conditioning systems exist?

in all of

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 January 2002)

In the context of a possible terrorist threat of contamination by means of chemical or biological substances
using the centralised air conditioning systems in offices, the only two options for alternative systems in
offices of the Institutions, would be to: redesign the buildings back to natural ventilation; or to decentralise
the buildings’ air conditioning to have independent units for small office groups.

The majority of the Commission’s middle sized and large buildings are equipped with centralised air
conditioning systems. The changes over the last decades in building technology and materials used have
resulted in rendering natural ventilation inefficient, even insufficient for larger office buildings. While it
would in principle be possible to design office buildings without mechanical ventilation, the property
market in Belgium and Luxembourg rarely offers buildings of that kind.

To retrofit a mechanically climatised building in order to have it naturally ventilated via windows and
funnels would pose considerable technical problems, and the result would still be unsatisfactory for the
occupants, especially in the summer and winter periods.
If a building is not initially designed and
optimised for natural ventilation it proves very difficult to adapt it afterwards, at a reasonable cost and
with acceptable results.

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/85

A total decentralisation of the air conditioning would constitute enormous investments, increased running
costs and a significantly lower coefficient of efficiency.

As the two above mentioned alternative provisions are practically impossible for existing buildings, the
Commission has made sure to provide good protection of the existing installations:

> to protect the fresh air intake (usually situated in the roof area) by preventing the access to it for

unauthorised persons;

> to prevent access to the climatisation control centres for unauthorised persons;

> to avoid as far as possible the recycling of the exhaust air into the fresh air supply of the offices;

> to provide for an organisational procedure that allows to switch off rapidly the complete ventilation

system in an alert situation.

The Honourable Members are advised to address their question on measures taken by other Institutions to
those Institutions.

The possibility of air circulation systems being used for the purpose of exposing people to harmful
biological and chemical agents in buildings or transport means and structures cannot be excluded and has
indeed been considered in discussions that the Commission has held with Member States’ authorities
aiming at sharing information and experience in facing up to attacks in which such agents are involved.
There is acute awareness of the hazards and realisation of the shortcomings and of the difficulties that
would arise from the introduction of technical modifications as alternatives or replacements to existing
systems, as well as large consensus on the need to increase alertness at public buildings and strengthen and
multiply controls on and emergency procedures for existing systems so as to minimise the risks from
attacks.

Member States have already taken steps to ensure that safety and security checks and vigilance are
increased and procedures established and adhered to for dealing with suspicious objects, circumstances or
occurrences at buildings and structures in which the public has access. The Commission, as part of its
action on the state of alertness and prevention capacity for emergencies linked to bioterrorism, will keep
relevant arrangements under review.

Moreover, it is to be noted that members of the public who have access to workplaces of entreprises or
buildings of public services can benefit from the protection afforded to workers pursuant to Council
directive 89/654/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum health and safety requirements for
the workplaces (1). This directive makes specific provision for the safety and quality of air supplied to
workplaces.

(1) OJ L 393, 30.12.1989.

(2002/C 147 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3063/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2001)

Subject: Air crash on 8 October 2001 and lack of ground radar systems at the old Linate airport in Milan

which should have closed but is still in operation

Can the Commission confirm that the cause of the collision during thick fog between an SAS MD87
1.
airliner taking off for Copenhagen and a small private Cessna on the runway of the old Linate airport
(Aeroporto Internazionale Enrico Forlanini), in which all those on board the two aircraft and four airport
workers were killed, was that the ground radar system had been out of service for some time?

2. Were airlines operating out of Linate generally aware of this situation? If not, why not?