WRITTEN QUESTION E-0811/03 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE)and Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission. Review of Directive 2000/14/EC on noise emission by outdoor equipment.
Date: 2003-03-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European standard, administration of the Institutions, environmental standard, machinery, noise pollution, noise protection, report

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/47

(cid:1) it intends to call formally on Vietnam to abide by the UN Human Rights Commission’s concluding
observations of 27 July 2002 and to make further implementation of the Cooperation Agreement
concluded with Vietnam formally conditional upon compliance with the requests put forward by the
UN Commission?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 April 2003)

The Commission understands that Dr Nguyen Dan Que is no longer under house arrest but has been
re-arrested on 17 March 2003 and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Mr Que’s arrest.

The Commission’s policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and support progress on human rights and
democratisation, and to rise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situation
becomes evident. The Commission works closely with the Member States in monitoring human rights
developments in the country and participates in all Union démarches to the Government of Vietnam on
human rights issues.

Whereas the Commission shares the concerns expressed by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights
Committee in July 2002 concerning the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights in Vietnam,
it also notes the efforts which are being made by Vietnam to reform its
domestic legal order, to comply with its international, in particular, human rights, commitments. In this
context the Commission welcomes the decision of the Government of Vietnam to elaborate an action plan
for legal reform, based on the Legal Means Assessment, which has been established with the support of the
international donor community.

The Commission and the Member states have repeatedly urged the Government of Vietnam to strengthen
its respect for political and religious freedoms, as well as to further strengthen economic and social
freedoms. The EU has expressed this request in its declaration at the Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi
in December 2002. Moreover, the Commission and the Member States have declared that they will
welcome any possibility to support the Vietnamese Government in measures to strengthen the governance
the signing and
to improve human rights,
and public administrative reforms,
implementation of additional
international conventions in human rights and in other areas where
assistance could be helpful.

to prepare for

The reference to the respect for Human Rights and democratic principles of Article 1 of the Community-
Vietnam Co-operation Agreement constitutes the enabling framework for the Human Rights dialogue of
the Commission with the Government of Vietnam. The Commission, together with the Member States, will
continue to follow closely the human rights situation in Vietnam and take appropriate action.

(2004/C 65 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0811/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE)
and Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Review of Directive 2000/14/EC on noise emission by outdoor equipment

Directive 2000/14/EC (1) harmonises the laws of the Member States relating to noise emission standards
and further data for equipment for use outdoors and was adopted on 8 May 2000. The scope of this
directive includes noisy equipment,
like building machines, compressors, cooling equipment, hydraulic
hammers or lawn mowers (see Annex I).

C 65 E/48

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Article 20(3) of this directive asks the Commission to submit to the European Parliament and to the
Council, not later than 3 July 2002, a report on technical progress to reduce limit values for lawn mowers
and lawn trimmers. This report should be accompanied,
if appropriate, by a proposal to amend this
directive in order to replace the indicative figures in Article 12. The Commission has until now not
delivered a report (February 2003).

Will the Commission explain the reasons for the delay in putting forward a report and a proposal for a
revision, in accordance with Article 20(3) of Directive 2000/14/EC? By when does the Commission expect
to come out with these two documents?

Will it give an overview of the activities currently carried out by the Commission to make sure that the
report on the implementation of the Directive, in accordance with Article 20(1) of the Directive, will be
ready by 3 January 2005?

(1) OJ L 162, 3.7.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2003)

Directive 2000/14/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2000 on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use
outdoors (1) harmonises the law of the Member States relating to noise emission standards for equipment
for use outdoors. For lawnmowers it sets limit values to be applied from 2003 as well as a set of indicative
values which could be applied from 2006.

Article 20(3) of this Directive requires the Commission to submit to the Parliament and to the Council a
report on technical progress to reduce limit values for lawn mowers and lawn trimmers/lawn edge
trimmers and, if appropriate, a proposal to amend the Directive. A technical report was commissioned
from a research establishment on the technical progress of noise reduction in lawnmowers. In 2002 the
Commission received the report and subsequently a position paper from a working group charged with
reviewing the report. Further work was initiated to assess the economic implications of the findings. When
completed, the Commission will prepare the report to the Parliament and the Council. It is included in the
Commission’s work programme for 2003 and expected to be submitted accordingly to the Parliament and
the Council.

With a view to the review of the Directive as set out in its Article 20, the Commission has started the
is
review of the experience from its implementation with the Committee set up under its Article 18,
collecting noise data as required under its Article 16, and is setting up a working group of stakeholders and
Member State experts to assist the Commission in assessing the technical issues linked to the review.

(1) OJ L 162, 3.7.2000.

(2004/C 65 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0846/03

by María Herranz García (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 March 2003)

Subject: Quality promotion

The Commission’s proposal over the reform of the CAP provides for Regulation (EC) 2826/2000 (1) on
internal promotion of agricultural products to be abolished in 2005, although the projects funded under
this regulation have hardly got underway. The Commission wishes to replace the regulation, which is
geared to generic campaigns, with a new measure within the Rural Development chapter, aimed at
promoting quality labels, arguing the need to avoid double funding.