WRITTEN QUESTION E-2297/02 by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission. Revision of the White Paper on Transport in 2004.
Date: 2002-07-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, common transport policy, less-favoured region, rail network, transport lines, transport network

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/221

(cid:1) an average working time for each seven-day period,

including overtime, not exceeding 48 hours

(Article 6);

(cid:1) paid annual leave of at least four weeks (Article 7);

(cid:1) a limit on the length of night work to an average of eight hours in any 24-hour period (Article 8).

Directive 93/104/EC provides a number of derogations from its basic rules, having regard to particular
features of certain activities. Article 17, paragraph 2.1 (c) (i) lays down that Member States may derogate
from Articles 3, 4, 5, 8 and 16 in the case of activities involving the need for continuity of service or
production, particularly services relating to the reception, treatment and/or care provided by hospitals or
similar establishments, residential institutions and prisons.

Concerning the working time of doctors, the European Court of Justice held that time spent on call in
primary health care teams must be regarded in its entirety as working time, and where appropriate as
overtime, within the meaning of Directive 93/104/EC if they are required to be at the health centre. If they
must merely be contactable at all times when on call, only time linked to the actual provision of primary
health care services must be regarded as working time (Case C-303/98 (cid:1) SIMAP (3)).

It is the responsibility of the Member States to ensure compliance with these provisions and to sanction
any breaches thereof.

(1) OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.
(2) Doctors in training are covered by Directive 2000/34/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 2000
which amends Council Directive 93/104/EC (OJ L 195, 1.8.2000) and has to be transposed by Member States not
later than 1 August 2004.

(3) Case C-303/98, ECR 2000, p. I-07963.

(2002/C 309 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2297/02

by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Revision of the White Paper on Transport in 2004

(25 July 2002)

What are the chances that in the Commission’s revision of its White Paper on European transport policy
scheduled for 2004 the network map will include the province of Teruel, on the route of the Spanish high-
speed rail link between Madrid, Cuenca and Valencia?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2002)

The Commission has announced that in 2004 it intends to propose a revision of Decision 1692/96/EC (1)
on Community guidelines for the trans-European transport network. As indicated in the White Paper, this
revision will aim to focus Community action on a reduced number of priorities along major routes,
integrate the networks of the candidate countries and integrate maritime corridors. Since competence for
the trans-European networks is shared with the Member States, the Commission will work in close
collaboration with the national administrations in drawing up the revision proposal.

The Commission would also draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the proposal for an interim
revision of the guidelines (2), currently being examined by the Council. This proposal includes the addition
to the maps in Annex I to the aforementioned Decision of the planned high-speed Huesca-Zaragoza-Teruel
rail link, whose construction will help open up the Province of Teruel. Parliament has already delivered a
positive opinion on the proposal.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(2) OJ C 362 E, 18.12.2001.