WRITTEN QUESTION P-2343/02 by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission. Rural development measures in Cataluña 2000-2006.
Date: 2002-07-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, Community budget, EAGGF Guarantee Section, operational programme, rural development

C 28 E/224

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

(2003/C 28 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2336/02

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(26 July 2002)

Subject: Petroleum coke as a fuel in large combustion plants

Does the Commission approve or disapprove of the use of petroleum coke as a fuel in large combustion
plants within the European Union, given that it contains high levels of vanadium and nickel and has been
shown to pose certain health problems for workers handling the material? Can the Commission give its
reasons for or against the use of this fuel?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

Directives 88/609/EEC (1) and 2001/80/EC (2) on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the
air from large combustion plants allow the fuelling of these plants with petroleum coke. These directives
lay down stringent limit values for the emission of pollutants into the air, including dust, with a view to
reducing air pollution. These limit values should also decrease the emissions of substances associated with
dust, e.g. heavy metals like nickel and vanadium.

The applicable EU health and safety at work legislation is in this case Council Directive 89/391/EEC (3) on
the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work,
Council Directive 98/24/EC (4) on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related
to chemical agents at work and Council Directive 90/394/EEC (5) on the protection of workers from the
risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work. These directives clearly establish the employer’s
obligations and lay down the preventive measures to be taken to avoid the occurrence of health hazards.

It is important to note that the national authorities in each Member State are responsible for the correct
transposition of these directives and enforcing the national legislation transposing the directives. However,
the Commission has the right
including the opening of an infringement
to take appropriate steps,
procedure under Article 226 EC, in cases of malfunctioning of the relevant control mechanisms.

(1) Council Directive 88/609/EEC of 24 November 1988 on the limitation of certain pollutants into the air from large

combustion plants; OJ L 336, 7.12.1988.

(2) Council Directive 2001/80/EEC of 23 October 2001 on the limitation of certain pollutants into the air from large

combustion plants; OJ L 309, 27.11.2001.

(3) Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the

safety and health of workers at work; OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.

(4) Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks
related to chemical agents at work (fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive
89/391/EEC); OJ L 131, 5.5.1998.

(5) Council Directive 90/394/EEC of 28 June 1990 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to
carcinogens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC);
OJ L 196, 26.7.1990; as amended by Council Directive 97/42/EC of 27 June 1997 and Council Directive
1999/38/EC of 29 April 1999 OJ L 179, 8.7.1997 and OJ L 138, 1.6.1999.

(2003/C 28 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2343/02

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Rural development measures in Cataluña 2000-2006

(23 July 2002)

Would the Commission please give me details of the commitment and payment appropriations for Rural
Development measures (budgetary heading B1-4)
for the Catalan Autonomous Community (Spain)
between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2002?

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/225

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2002)

The Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) uses non-
differentiated appropriations; commitment appropriations are therefore identical to payment appropri-
ations. During the period referred to by the Honourable Member, three rural development programmes
were in operation in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia: a regional rural development programme
operating exclusively there and two so-called horizontal programmes covering several Autonomous
Communities: one to improve the structures of agricultural production and the other for accompanying
measures.

Spain has not broken down the amounts for the horizontal programme of accompanying measures by
region so the Commission can provide only an overall figure of EUR 910,47 million for 2000-2002.

In the other two cases, the planned contributions from the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF to these
programmes in 2000, 2001 and 2002 are as follows:

(cid:1) horizontal programme to improve the structures of agricultural production: EUR 165,15 million of

which EUR 59,94 million will go to Catalonia;

(cid:1) regional rural development programme: EUR 82,03 million.

As regards expenditure declared by 30 June 2002, the following payments have been made by the Catalan
paying agency (DARP) for these three programmes (budgetary heading B1-40):

(cid:1) 2000 (16 October 1999 (cid:1) 15 October 2000): EUR 28 771 million;

(cid:1) 2001 (16 October 2000 (cid:1) 15 October 2001): EUR 56 998 million;

(cid:1) 2002 (16 October 2001 (cid:1) 30 June 2002): EUR 20 002 million;

(cid:1) Total to 30 June 2002: EUR 105 771 million.

(2003/C 28 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2347/02

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 July 2002)

Subject: Vinyl 2010 (cid:1) Voluntary Commitment by the European PVC industry

The PVC industry has made a number of voluntary commitments to improve the safety for humans and
the environment of the production and use of PVC. These commitments have been set out formally in
Vinyl 2010, which develops the earlier Voluntary Commitment. A second progress report (2002) on
progress within the framework of the Commitment has just been published.

According to the PVC steering group, the European Commission has still not answered the question how,
in practice, the PVC industry can build upon the initiatives already taken. Can the Commission indicate
what it thinks of the Voluntary Commitment by the PVC industry and say how this commitment can be
incorporated into PVC policy?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(13 September 2002)

The Commission has studied the voluntary commitment of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry (Vinyl
2010) with great interest and believes that it is a worthwhile initiative. Improvements regarding some
elements of the voluntary commitment could nevertheless still be envisaged, and the Commission has met
with representatives of Vinyl 2010 to respond informally to the commitment.