WRITTEN QUESTION E-1166/02 by Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) to the Commission. Furniture directive.
Date: 2002-04-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law - national law, European Committee for Standardisation, European standard, fire, furniture industry, resistance of materials, safety standard, standardisation

C 229 E/190

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

if they are found to comply with Council Decision 90/638/EEC of
examination of the programmes,
27 November 1990 laying down Community criteria for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal
diseases (2), these programmes are approved by the Commission and the rate of Community financial
contribution is fixed.

Commission Decision 2000/774/EC of 30 November 2000 approved the programmes for the eradication
and monitoring of animal diseases and for the prevention of zoonoses presented for the year 2001 by the
Member States (3). Article 48 of the Decision provides that the financial contribution of the Community for
the programmes shall be granted subject to requirements related to national legislation and sets a calendar
for reports to the Commission. These reports include the technical and financial preliminary report,
intermediate reports after the end of each reporting period, and a final report by 1 June 2002 at the latest,
on the technical execution of the programme accompanied by justifying evidence of the costs incurred and
the results attained during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2001.

The Spanish authorities sent the preliminary and technical evaluation of the approved programmes and
also the intermediate reports on time. The Final Report, including information for the whole year of 2001,
must be sent by 1 June 2002. The final assessment of the Spanish programmes will be done in the light of
the final report. This assessment will
include a thorough examination of the concerns raised by the
Honourable Member.

Reimbursement of funds is also subject to the evaluation by the Commission of reports from the Food and
Veterinary Office, which is responsible for carrying out on-the-spot inspections, financial
inspections
carried out by the Commission and also the outcome of the visits of the Task Force on eradication
programmes.

Community measures, in case of non-fulfilment of relevant aspects of the eradication programmes, are
foreseen in the above-mentioned legislation (Article 24 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC and Article 52 of
Commission Decision 2000/774/EC) and are related to the Community’s financial contribution.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.
(2) OJ L 347, 12.12.1990.
(3) OJ L 308, 8.12.2000.

(2002/C 229 E/219)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1166/02

by Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 April 2002)

Subject: Furniture directive

In the mid-1990s, an ambitious research study was carried out into fire-safety for furniture. Several
European research establishments and standardisation agencies were involved in the process which resulted
in a proposal for a ‘furniture directive’ (EUR 16477 EN). However, since the proposals on fire-safety
standards for furniture met with opposition in some Member States, the matter was shelved. There is,
nevertheless, a need for common standards in this area.

Does the Commission intend to reconsider the question of furniture fire safety on the basis of the existing
research?

Answer given by Mr Byrne On behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2002)

In the absence of specific Community provisions, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) has
drawn up four standards on the fire resistance of upholstered furniture. This work, conducted with the
financial assistance of the Commission, concerns flammability test methods. For further details on the
general situation, the Honourable Member is referred to the answers given by the Commission to Written
Questions P-0055/01 from Mrs Corbey (1) and E-1212/00 from Mr Whitehead (2).

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/191

The question of a new standardisation mandate which would not be limited to testing methods including
provisions on safety was raised with the national representatives on the Emergencies Committee of the
Directive on General Product Safety (GPSD) and with ANEC, the body representing consumers within the
standardisation bodies. The reactions were generally favourable, provided that account is taken of existing
national legislation on this subject (the existing level of safety must not be reduced) and the toxicological
effects of flame retardants.

This is all the more important as the new Directive on General Product Safety specifies that conformity of
a product with the general safety obligation may be assessed by taking into account, among other things,
‘voluntary national standards transposing relevant European standards’(Article 3.3 (a)), i.e. the standards
drawn up by the CEN.

The Commission reserves the right to return to this question on the basis of a study which it has
commissioned, the final report of which is expected at the beginning of 2003. This study should establish
a method for determining, among other things, the dangers and risks of consumer products which may,
on the one hand, be covered by Directive 2001/95/EC of
the Council, of
3 December 2001, on General Product Safety (3) and on the other, be the subject of a standardisation
mandate. This study will
including
upholstered furniture.

involve testing the method on a number of products,

the Parliament and of

in fact

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001.
(2) OJ C 46 E, 13.2.2001.
(3) OJ L 11, 15.1.2002.

(2002/C 229 E/220)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1178/02

by Anneli Hulthén (PSE) to the Commission

(25 April 2002)

Subject: Sea transport of margarine fats in chemical tanks

The central rule in EC provisions on food hygiene is that containers or tanks used for bulk transport of
food may only be used for foodstuffs. There are, however, exemptions from these rules for sea transport of
food oil and margarine fats to avoid forcing ships to return empty to Malaysia, for example. Some one
hundred substances, including hydrocarbons, acetone and other hazardous solvents, have been examined
and approved by the EC’s scientific committee as ‘acceptable’ alternative cargoes for transport in such
tanks. At the same time, it is not clear who is responsible for monitoring compliance with the provisions.

Tests on margarine fats sold to retailers, however, have revealed that they contain residues of these
substances despite cleaning of the vessel’s tanks and the customary refining of the raw materials used in
margarine fats.

Can the Commission say for how long the current exemption is to apply? When does it intend to stop
thinking in purely economic terms and also apply the precautionary principle to these cargoes?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2002)

foodstuffs (1) requires bulk liquid,
Council Directive 93/43/EEC of 14 June 1993 on the hygiene of
granulated and powdered foods to be transported in receptacles and/or containers/tankers reserved for
foodstuffs only. However, Commission Directive 96/3/Euratom, ECSC, EC of 26 January 1996 provides for
a derogation from certain provisions of this Directive.