WRITTEN QUESTION E-1432/02 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Debate surrounding Commissioner Loyola de Palacio's statements on nuclear energy.
Date: 2002-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European Commissioner, energy policy, image, nuclear energy, public statement

C 301 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

1. to 3.
The Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the answers frequently
given by the Commission on this subject since the Council’s adoption of Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July
1991 on driving licences (1) and,
in particular, to the answers to written questions E-1462/01 from
Mrs Kauppi (2) and E-1295/00 from Mr Davies (3).

Annex III of that Directive established the ‘minimum standards of physical and mental fitness
4. and 5.
for driving a power-driven vehicle’. These standards are based on expert opinions. The standard in question
clearly indicates that it is not possible to issue or renew public service vehicle or heavy goods vehicle
licences for drivers diagnosed with retinopathy in addition to diabetes. This restrictive approach is justified
by the risks of blackout due to diabetes compounded by the potential total or partial vision loss due to
retinopathy. The risk is not reduced by fitting mirrors to eliminate blind spots and restricting driving times
and such measures do not justify relaxing the standard.

6.
The Commission does not at present intend to introduce any initiatives on the subject given the very
real risks to other road users. It does, however, commission regular studies regarding physical fitness and,
in the Committee on the driving licence, regularly consults experts so that it is constantly updated on
pertinent scientific and technical progress.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001.
(3) OJ C 72 E, 6.3.2001.

(2002/C 301 E/155)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1432/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Debate surrounding Commissioner Loyola de Palacio’s statements on nuclear energy

Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has recently made statements in favour of resuming the construction of
nuclear power stations in the EU, on the grounds that this type of energy is necessary if the Kyoto
Agreement on greenhouse gas emissions is to be complied with, disregarding both the dangers involved in
the use of nuclear energy and the as yet unresolved and extremely grave environmental and economic
problems surrounding the stockage of nuclear waste. Commissioner Margot Wallström has since adopted
the opposite position to her colleague, advocating a future based on clean energy and renewable energies.
What is the Commission’s position in this matter?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2002)

The Commission’s position on nuclear energy is clearly stated in the Green Paper entitled ‘Towards a
European strategy for the security of energy supply’ (1).

Any statement by a Member of the Commission must therefore be interpreted only in the light of this
document.

The Honorary Member
answers given by the Commission to
Questions H-0287/02 from Mrs Sornosa Martínez (2) and P-1354/02 from Mr Carnero González (3) on
the same subject.

requested to refer

to the

is

(1) COM(2000) 769 final.
(2) Written answer of 14.5.2002.
(3) OJ C 277 E, 14.11.2002, p. 192.