WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Budget heading B3-4102 and the fight against child labour.
Date: 2002-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, application of EU law, child labour, child protection, poverty, report, social analysis, social integration

C 52 E/188

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/207)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2595/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Motorcycle helmets and fines in Greece

Recently, the Greek authorities have been imposing fines and impounding motorcycles ridden by drivers
not wearing helmets. However, Greek motorcyclists protest that the cost of a safe, good quality helmet is
between EUR 300 and EUR 600 in Greece mainly because of the high level of duty and taxes imposed by
the Greek authorities.

What is the Commission’s view of the level of Greek duties and taxes on helmets? What is the precise
amount of tax levied in the other 14 Member States of the Union?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2002)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2003/C 52 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Budget heading B3-4102 and the fight against child labour

(18 September 2002)

Resolution B4-0692/1998, included in Parliament’s report A4-0004/1999, called on the competent bodies
to deepen our knowledge of child labour in the EU, in the context of an assessment of the application of
Council Directive 94/33/EC (1).

In addition, in the 2002 budget Parliament entered two remarks under item B3-4102 (‘Analysis of and
studies on the social situation, demographics and the family’), concerning the need to ‘finance the drawing-
up of a … report on the state of child labour in the EU’ and ‘the launching of a European information
campaign against child labour’.

Given the above:

(cid:1) What measures have been taken in pursuit of the objectives included under budget item B3-4102
concerning the drawing-up of an annual report and the launching of a European information
campaign against child labour?

(cid:1) What measures have been taken in the last decade to combat child labour in the EU, and what is the

Commission’s assessment of those measures?

(cid:1) What is the Commission’s view on the establishment of a Community programme for the integration
of children who have been subjected to child labour, as proposed in resolution B4-0692/1998,
annexed to EP report A4-0004/1999?

(1) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994, p. 12.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 2002)

The Social Situation Report of the Commission (cid:1) co-edited by Directorate General Employment and
Eurostat- contains analyses on child poverty which is closely linked to child labour as poverty and social
exclusion breed child labour. Thus, fighting poverty and long-term unemployment, taking care of jobless
households or households in which there is domestic violence,
improving education, means also
combating child labour.

6.3.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/189

Moreover, a couple of single studies have been launched dealing with family issues and the situation of
families in Europe. Finally, since 1989, the Commission is funding the European Observatory on the Social
Situation, Demography and Family. This is a multi-disciplinary network of independent experts established
upon the request of the Commission. The Observatory deals with family issues in a broader sense:
it monitors developments in Europe which have an impact on the social situation particularly of families
(demographic, socio-economic and political changes). This includes the analysis of political activities
related to family issues.

Council Directive 94/33/EC on protection of young people at work was adopted on 22 June 1994. It has
been transposed in all Member States. The Commission has issued a report on the transposition of the
Directive in the fifteen Member States. The Commission is sending a copy of this report direct to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

The Commission has also requested reports from the Member States regarding the practical transposition
of the Directive. Most of these reports have arrived in the Commission already. As soon as all of these
reports have been received, they will be sent to the Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social
Committee together with a report from the Commission as required by article 17 of the Directive.

The Commission is fully committed to stamping out the abuse and exploitation of children in developing
countries as well as in the developed world. It is also strongly in favour of measures qualified to give
integrative support
in any form.
The Commission, therefore, tackles the child labour problem through its wider employment and training
policies and its poverty and social inclusion programmes.

to children who are or have been concerned by child labour

Regarding Parliament’s proposal contained in resolution B4-0692/1998 that programmes be set up as a
matter of urgency to support the integration of children who have already been working, the Commission
considers that this issue is better tackled at national level and that the social inclusion process can provide
an appropriate European reference in this context.

(2003/C 52 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2605/02

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Working time provisions for heavy goods vehicle drivers

This question refers to European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/15/EC (1) on the organisation of
the working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities, which was adopted on 11 March
2002.

The issue of including self-employed HGV drivers in the scope of the directive gave rise to intense
discussion within the Council and disagreement between the Council and Parliament. The Conciliation
Committee resolved the problem by temporarily exempting self-employed drivers from the directive until
2009. However,
just a few months after the entry into force of the directive, carriers and haulage
contractors in Europe are already calling for all HGV drivers (cid:1) whether self-employed or not (cid:1) to be
treated in the same way in relation to working time arrangements. From the point of view of traffic safety,
provisions that may lead self-employed drivers to drive for even longer periods are very questionable, and
applying rules on the reduction of working time in a one-sided way would result in distortion of
competition in favour of very small companies.

The Commission:

(cid:1) Would it note this state of affairs, particularly in the light of the report which it is required to present

at the latest two years prior to 23 March 2009?

(cid:1) Could it set out its present views on this matter, above all with regard to the road traffic situation and

conditions of competition?

(1) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002, p. 35.