WRITTEN QUESTION E-0189/02 by Massimo Carraro (PSE) to the Commission. Labour medicine.
Date: 2002-02-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, free movement of workers, infringement of EU law, interpretation of the law, occupational health, occupational medicine, physician, recognition of vocational training qualifications

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/91

(2002/C 205 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0189/02

by Massimo Carraro (PSE) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: Labour medicine

On 12 December 2001 the Italian Senate adopted Act No 824, by which decree-law No 402 of
12 November 2001 on urgent measures relating to health personnel acquires the status of a law proper.

Article 1a of this act extends the right to take responsibility, as ‘competent doctor’, for health and safety
measures in the workplace to doctors specialising in either hygiene and preventive medicine or legal and
insurance medicine.

Does the Commission not consider this law to be in flagrant breach of the EU directive on health and
safety in the workplace, under which this competence is reserved for doctors specialising in labour
medicine?

Does the Commission not consider further that doctors specialising in hygiene and preventive medicine or
legal and insurance medicine should be allowed to practice at national level only, given that their training,
unlike that of specialists in labour medicine, is not recognised at European level?

In addition, given the deficiencies of the existing training arrangements for specialists in hygiene and legal
medicine as far as workplace health and safety is concerned, does the Commission not consider that the
implementation of the above-mentioned Article 1a could jeopardise employees’ health and safety?

What action does the Commission intend to take to deal with this breach of Community law?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(19 March 2002)

The Commission has just received a complaint alleging that Act No 824 adopted by the Italian Senate is in
breach of Community law.

The Commission will undertake a detailed analysis of the legislation in question and will then provide the
Honourable Member with a supplementary answer.

(2002/C 205 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0190/02

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: Implementation of Directive 91/676/EEC (the Nitrates Directive)

the European Parliament adopted a resolution (2002/2110/INI (1)) on the
On 17 January 2001,
implementation of Directive 91/676/EEC (2) (the Nitrates Directive). In that resolution, the Commission
was asked to explain why the Directive was not being implemented effectively. Suggestions were also made
for improvements to the implementation of that Directive.

1.
The European Parliament takes the view that, on scientifically justified grounds, Member States
should be able to derogate from the limit of 170 kg N/ha, on condition that the 50 mg nitrate/l is not
exceeded in groundwater under any circumstances. What action has the Commission taken on this issue
set out in Parliament’s resolution?

2.
In its resolution, the European Parliament urged the Commission to have a study carried out into the
proportion of the nitrate content of groundwater coming from non-agricultural sources. Has that study
been carried out? If so, what were its findings?