WRITTEN QUESTION E-2000/03 by Jan Dhaene (PSE)and Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Radioactive discharges from Sellafield.
Date: 2003-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, environmental impact, health risk, marine environment, nuclear safety, occupational safety, radioactive effluent, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, waste management

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/71

It is an
Member States as well as for the Presidency and the Secretary General/High Representative.
ongoing task which, by its nature, is not in the public domain. The same is true for measures that have
been or may be taken in response to any terrorist threat.

However, the European response to terrorism goes wider than assessing the threat. The underlying factors
which contribute to terrorism have also to be considered. Here the Commission can play a more
substantive role. The Commission believes that the Union should use all the instruments at its disposal:
development, trade, justice and home affairs policy and other aspects of the Barcelona process, as well as
measures in the security field in order to combat the phenomenon of terrorism. It is not a task that will be
completed overnight. But a concerted (cid:1) and comprehensive (cid:1) European approach is essential for us to
have any chance of success.

(2004/C 70 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2000/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE)
and Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(16 June 2003)

Subject: Radioactive discharges from Sellafield

The ‘Fisheries Section Committee’ of the International Transport Federation (ITF) has called on North Sea
states to demand that the UK stop radioactive discharges from Sellafield. Several national transport unions
have adopted this request. The problem is not limited to the UK; Cogéma in La Hague causes widespread
radioactive pollution of the local environment.

One of the isotopes that concerns the ITF the most is Technetium-99 (Tc99). This isotope is discharged
into the Irish Sea, although it is technically possible for it to be filtered out and collected before the waste
water is discharged in to the sea.

1.
Is the Council aware of the threat to the maritime environment connected with the discharge of
radioactive waste from plants such as Sellafield and, in particular, to fish and shellfish and the consumers
thereof.

Is the Council aware of the impact on fishermen and other crew on board vessels which frequently

2.
fish these areas close to the pollution source (Sellafield and La Hague)?

3. What is the Council’s view of the ITF proposal that the Technetium-99 should be filtered out of the
waste water from Sellafield and La Hague?

Reply

(8 December 2003)

The Council is in a general way concerned about nuclear safety and radiation protection.

As the Honourable Member will know, Sellafield is supposed to operate in accordance with Community
law, in particular:

(cid:1) Articles 33, 35 and 37 of the Euratom Treaty;

(cid:1) Commission Recommendation 1999/829/Euratom of 6 December 1999 on the application of

Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty;

(cid:1) Council Directive 96/29/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health
of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiations, which provides
the basic obligations to be complied with;

C 70 E/72

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

(cid:1) Euratom Regulation 3227/76 concerning the application of the provisions on Euratom safeguards,
which requires inter alia that regular reports are sent to the Commission on the activities of a nuclear
site.

It is for the Commission to ensure proper application of this legislation, including inspections on the site.
The Community, as a contracting party to the Ospar Convention, has endorsed the Ospar Strategy with
regard to radioactive substances, the objective of which is the prevention of pollution of the maritime area
from ionizing radiation. Furthermore, the Community’s Sixth Environmental Action Programme provides
for the development of a thematic strategy for the protection and the preservation of the marine
environment.

Regarding in particular nuclear waste, a Commission proposal for a Directive on the management of spent
nuclear fuel and radioactive waste is being discussed in the Council bodies.

(2004/C 70 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2017/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission

(17 June 2003)

Subject: Technical equipment for trucks

In recent months, several appalling accidents involving truck drivers have happened on the international
E17 Antwerp-Ghent-Lille motorway.
the trucks were equipped with cruise control.
Inattentive drivers collided at full speed with slow or stationary traffic which had been held up by
roadworks.

In every case,

This problem is not peculiar to the road concerned. All over Europe, accidents are happening in which
cruise control is a factor, involving both trucks and private cars. These accidents cost lives. In recent weeks
in Belgium alone, six people have been killed and 13 seriously injured in accidents involving cruise
control.

Transport unions have also realised that cruise control does their drivers more harm than good.

On the other hand, the compulsory installation of systems to improve the field of vision (blind spot
cameras and/or mirrors) on existing trucks has certainly made trucks less of a hazard to cyclists.
Continuous side under-run protection (side skirts between the wheels of a truck) prevents cyclists from
falling under the wheels of the truck if an accident happens.

The Commission:

1.

Is it considering making it compulsory for trucks to have continuous side under-run protection? If so,
how soon? May Member States introduce this requirement without European legislation on the
subject?

2. Does it have sufficient data about the impact of cruise control in trucks on road safety?

3.

Is it considering banning cruise control for trucks? If so, how soon is such a ban likely to take effect?
May Member States impose such a ban without any amendment being made to the relevant European
legislation?