WRITTEN QUESTION P-0457/03 by Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Assessment of Directive 96/71/EC.
Date: 2003-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, EU Member State, EU law - national law, labour law, labour mobility, national implementing measure, report, self-employed person, services company

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/219

In 2002 the minimum grant was EUR 1 000 per project. During that year the Commission received 2 090
applications in the category of citizens meetings. Only 118 applications (5,7 %) concerned projects for
which the calculated grant was lower than EUR 2 000. For the Candidate Countries the respective figures
were 251 applications received and only 20 (7,7 %) projects with a calculated grant under EUR 2 000. In
view of these statistics (cid:1) and taking into account the fact that for meetings of citizens the grant is divided
between the host town and the invited town(s) and paid separately to them (cid:1) the Commission considered
it useful to increase the minimum grant per project to EUR 2 000. This change affects only a small part of
the projects but improves clearly the cost effectiveness ratio of the Community action.

The idea is that meetings of citizens involve directly habitants of twinned towns and municipalities.
Therefore,
involvement of at least 10 participants from each municipality is required (cid:1) for events
involving more than five municipalities this figure is of at least five participants from each municipality.
The high number of eligible applications shows that these requirements are not difficult to meet.

The Commission will continue to have a close dialogue with the interested parties in the town-twinning
area in order to assess and improve the functioning of the system, but does not consider that the
minimum grant or the minimum number of participants would be an actual problem.

(2003/C 161 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0444/03

by Bill Newton Dunn (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Employer liability insurance

In most EU Member States the national government covers employer liability insurance through national
insurance schemes. In the UK it is in the hands of the private insurance companies.

Does the Commission have plans to ensure that a level playing field for employer liability insurance exists
across the EU?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2003)

The Commission does not have sufficient details of the matter to be able to investigate the problem raised
and is not therefore in a position to answer the question at the moment. It would ask the Honourable
Member to provide more details.

(2003/C 161 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0457/03

by Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Assessment of Directive 96/71/EC

The Commission is currently carrying out a assessment of Directive 96/71/EC (1).

1. What problems are included in the assessment?

Is it also looking into the question of whether the provisions in the present text are practicable? If

2.
not, why not?

(1) OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 1.

C 161 E/220

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2003)

Under Article 8 of Directive 96/71/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996
concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services, the Commission shall
review the operation of the Directive with a view to proposing the necessary amendments to the Council
where appropriate.

In preparation for this review, the Commission launched a study concerning the implementation of the
Directive in the Member States. The Commission’s report on the implementation of the Directive, issued in
January 2003, is based on the synthesis report covering all the country studies and will soon be available
to the public in English, French and German.

The report summarises the main content of the legislation implementing the Directive in the Member
States. Its objective is to provide an overview of the legal situation in the Member States without assessing
the compatibility of the national transposing measures with the Directive and the EC Treaty. The review of
the operation of the Directive will be finalised by a Commission Communication on the implementation of
the Directive to be launched in 2003.

The Commission would like to point out that a group of experts from the Member States convenes on a
regular basis to discuss issues and possible or practical problems related to the Directive concerning
posting of workers. Furthermore, a questionnaire was prepared by the Commission concerning problems
related to the implementation of the Directive. The discussions within the group of experts and the replies
by the Member States to the questionnaire confirm to a great extent the results of the study.

In conclusion, it seems that Member States have not faced any specific legal problems in the transposition
of the Directive.

(2003/C 161 E/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0459/03

by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Safety of domestic stoves and fireplaces

I am currently receiving an increasing number of questions from concerned citizens, relating to the safety
of domestic stoves and fireplaces. In order to provide a sound assessment, some clarification is needed.

How many fires occurring in the Member States are caused by heating systems, connecting pieces

1.
(e.g. stovepipes) or chimneys (exhausts):

(a)

in total?

(b) by those burning solid fuels (wood and coal),

(c) by those burning oil,

(d) by those burning gas?

How many people suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning from stoves and fireplaces (exhaust

2.
emissions):

(a) with fatal consequences?

(b) with damage to their health?

3. What measures (e.g.
fireplaces after installation?

inspections) are being taken to prevent the dangers posed by stoves and