WRITTEN QUESTION P-2026/03 by José Pomés Ruiz (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Security as regards the transport of arms and explosives.
Date: 2003-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU police cooperation, explosive, fight against crime, firearms and munitions, public safety, transport of dangerous goods

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/203

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2003)

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member of the following:

(cid:1) the report on application of the scheme to compensate for the additional costs incurred in the
marketing of certain fishery products in the outermost regions is due to be adopted in the third
quarter of 2003;

(cid:1) adoption of the report goes hand in hand with the draft proposal for a Council Regulation introducing
a scheme to compensate for the additional costs incurred, which the Commission is in the course of
adopting, providing for application backdated to 1 January 2003 and unlimited in time;

(cid:1) as regards the duration of the scheme, the Commission has always proposed that there should be no
limit in time, subject to a report on implementation of the scheme being submitted every four years.
However, the Council has introduced a time limit on application of the scheme each time negotiations
have been held.

(2004/C 33 E/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2026/03

by José Pomés Ruiz (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Security as regards the transport of arms and explosives

(12 June 2003)

On 30 May this year 370 guns were stolen in France whilst being transported from Germany to Spain
without any kind of special safeguards. There is apparently no national or Community law laying down
any minimum security standards or police protection for the transport of this kind of equipment, which
can easily fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals.

On the other hand, in various countries, including France, there is legislation regulating and restricting the
transport of firearms carried by foreign police officers, limiting their right to carry weapons to within only
10 kilometres of the border when pursuing criminals caught in the act and on the rest of French territory
only in order to ensure the safety of VIPs, for which there is a complicated official procedure via the
accredited embassies.

In view of the absurd situation whereby there are rules governing the transport of weapons by officers of
the law, but not the transport of arms for commercial purposes, does the Commission consider that
security legislation should be drawn up to prevent the stealing of arms and explosives, such as has
happened in recent years in the European Union, especially in France, in order to guarantee the safety of
the general public and more successfully combat terrorism, crime and illegal arms trafficking?

Is it considering submitting a proposal on the subject?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2003)

The Commission would first recall that Directive 91/477/EEC of the Council, of 18 June 1991 (1), relative
in its
to the control of acquisition and detention of certain types of weapons for civilian use, sets,
article 11, precise formalities in case of transfers of these weapons, regarding information that must be
communicated to Member States authorities as well as any necessary authorisations.

In relation to security of the commercial transport of firearms and explosives, this is only in part regulated
by Community legislation.

C 33 E/204

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

As regards explosives, the Council Directive 94/55/EC of 21 November 1994 on the approximation of the
laws of Member States with regard to the transport of dangerous goods by road (2),
lays down the
conditions under which dangerous goods may be transported packaged and in bulk. Explosives belong to
the category I of goods that are subject to very strict regulations. This Directive implements into the
European legislation the texts of the United National Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) on the transport of
dangerous goods.

The United Nations (UN)-Economic Commission for Europe WP.15, which is the Working Party on the
Transport of Dangerous Goods, has recently started to deal with specific security issues. During its meeting
of 19-23 May 2003 the security of the transport of other dangerous goods was discussed. From the
discussion, it appears that elements such as protection of transportation will be taken into consideration.

As regards the security of the transport of firearms, the national legislation of the Member States applies,
in the absence of specific European legislation on condition, of course, that Member States respect the EC
Treaty rules.

(1) OJ L 256, 13.9.1991.
(2) OJ L 319, 12.12.1994.

(2004/C 33 E/207)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2034/03

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Closure of companies and mass redundancies

(18 June 2003)

Schiesser-Palco recently laid off 500 workers and closed down its factory in Athens. Will the Commission
say how much that company received in Community funding and at what periods of time? Did this
particular company comply with the obligations laid down in the guidelines for financial aid, which
stipulate that the recipients of aid must maintain their investment for at least five years? In addition, did
the company maintain the existing jobs, as laid down in the new Regulation (EC) No 2204/2002 (1) of
12 December 2002 on aid for employment? Finally, were consultations between management and workers
held in due time, as laid down in Article 2 of Council Directive 98/59/EC (2)?

(1) OJ L 337, 13.12.2002, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(12 August 2003)

The company Schiesser-Palco has not been financed by the European Social Fund in the framework of any
Operational Programme in the period 2000-2006.

There are minimum requirements and provisions set out by Community legislation in order to provide
appropriate protection to employees in the case of collective redundancies. As mentioned by the
Honourable Member, under Article 2 of the Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on collective
redundancies, Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that an employer, where he is
contemplating collective redundancies, shall begin consultations with the workers’ representatives in good
time with a view to reaching an agreement.

Member States have also to ensure that employers notify the competent public authority in the Member
State concerned in writing of any projected collective redundancies. This notification shall contain all
relevant information including information about the consultation procedure provided for in Article 2 of
the Directive.