WRITTEN QUESTION E-1603/02 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Funding for prototype riding helmet (L-TC158 WG 5) DG Enterprise.
Date: 2002-06-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Committee for Standardisation, European standard, safety standard, sports equipment, standardisation

C 301 E/192

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

The Community contribution is based on a percentage of cost claims submitted, provided that the costs
are necessary for the project, have actually been spent and have been recorded in the accounts or the tax
documents of the participant who has made the expenditures.

The implementation of activities supported by Community programmes can also be subject to an audit
carried out by the Commission and/or the European Court of Auditors.

5.

See points 1 and 2 above.

(2002/C 301 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1603/02

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 June 2002)

Subject: Funding for prototype riding helmet (L-TC158 WG 5) DG Enterprise

I would like to ask the Commission if it could give a factual response on the state of play of the above
funding project and outline the reasons it sees for the continued delay.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(11 July 2002)

The Commission issued mandate M 281 for revising standard EN 1384 concerning helmets for equestrian
sports (point 2 of the mandate). Initial Community funding for this work totalled EUR 15 317 (purchasing
order 03/281/99-35 of 22 December 1999 concluded between the European Committee for Standard-
isation (CEN) and the Commission).

An additional estimate for EUR 130 165 to fund lateral crush tests on riding helmets was submitted by the
CEN to the Commission on 28 June 2000.

In a letter of 13 September 2000, the Commission replied to the CEN that it had no objections in
principle to additional funding but requested information on the procedure for appointing the experts
responsible for carrying out the studies, since conflicts of interest were emerging with the members of the
CEN Technical Committee in charge of standardisation work. The Commission, in accordance with the
rules in force, wanted to see greater transparency and impartiality in this dossier before committing any
new appropriations, in particular via a call for applications.

In its letters of 19 February 2001 and 22 October 2001, the Commission urged the CEN to draw up a
new estimate on the basis of an invitation to tender to launch this research while ensuring that work
continued to progress on revising the standard.

Despite these reminders, the CEN has not submitted a new estimate to enable the Commission to fund this
research.

The CEN has informed the Commission that a lateral crush test would be developed by the Chairman of
Working Group 5 of Technical Committee 158 alongside the continuation of the standardisation work to
revise standard EN 1 384. This work is due to be completed on 30 April 2003.

In order to encourage the research in question, the Commission is, however, still willing to make a
financial contribution to the tests concerned on the basis of a request from the CEN.