WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Soot filters for buses.
Date: 2003-06-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: anti-pollution device, bus, combustion gases, environmental policy, environmental standard, reduction of gas emissions

C 51 E/188

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

religion’. The level of tolerance of religious practice varies between regions. While there have been reports
of difficulties for Christian groups seeking to establish new places of worship in particular provinces,
Catholic and Protestant followers are able to worship openly in other parts of the country.

The Union Charter of fundamental rights, which guides Commission external action in the field of human
rights, makes clear that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 10)
and that cultural, religious and linguistic diversity should be respected.

The Union has repeatedly affirmed that human rights and democratisation must form an integral part of
all political dialogues with third countries (and this is the case with Lao People Democratic Republic
(PDR)).

Religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities are therefore addressed through bilateral political
dialogues, and, when appropriate, through démarches and public declarations, as well as through Union
action in fora such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights or the Third Committee of the
United Nations General Assembly.

In the case of Laos, the Commission monitors the situation of religious minorities and other matters
relating to human rights closely and concerns are frequently raised in bilateral meetings between the
Commission and the Government of Lao PDR. Thus, the situation on human rights, including religious
freedom, will also be on the agenda for the Commission-Lao PDR Joint Committee Meeting, due to be held
in the autumn of 2003.

Lao PDR is the poorest of the Southeast Asian countries, ranking 143 out of 173 in the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index. Community assistance, focused on rural
development activities and support to basic education, is targeted on the most vulnerable sections of the
Laotian society, particularly in ethnic minority areas.

In view of the poverty levels in Laos, the Commission is encouraging the Lao Government to make
progress in the field of human rights, while continuing its assistance to the population. With the recent
opening of a Commission Delegation in Vientiane there will be further possibilities for the Commission to
engage in a more profound dialogue on human rights issues with the authorities.

(2004/C 51 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 June 2003)

Subject: Soot filters for buses

The Flemish transport company De Lijn intends to equip a further 700 of its buses with soot filters by
2005. It has taken this decision after an experiment with town buses in Louvain which yielded very
favourable results. The filters reduce the number of soot particles substantially. Annual emissions of carbon
monoxide from each vehicle are reduced by 98 %. Similar reductions are obtained in emissions of
unburned hydrocarbons. Although the filters are not particularly cheap, the experiment showed that they
only needed to undergo maintenance once a year. Not only in Flanders but also for example in Sweden
and Germany, several thousand buses are now in operation which are equipped with soot filters.

Is the Commission aware of the environmental benefits of such soot filters?

Will it take measures to encourage their use throughout the EU? If so, what measures? If not, why not?

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/189

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the performance of diesel particulate filters and the benefits their use
may have for certain heavy-duty vehicles. Many test programmes have shown the benefits of using a diesel
particulate filter on heavy-duty vehicles and buses for reducing not only the overall mass emission of
particulate but also the very much smaller nano-particulate which are suspected of having a causal effect
on human health.

The emission standards due to take effect for new heavy-duty vehicles in 2005 and a further stage of
standards in 2008 through Directive 1999/96/EC (1) (the so-called EUR 4 and EUR 5 standards) will require
manufacturers to consider using diesel particulate filters to meet the emission standards. The standards set
performance targets that can be met by an appropriately durable technology. The diesel particulate filter
may not be the best technical solution for long distance trucks but for buses and other vehicles operating
in urban areas, the diesel particulate filter has a lot of merit. The Commission is now considering the Euro
6 emission standards and this will
focus not only on further reductions in particulate mass (the
measurement unit of today) but also on the reduction of emission of nano-particulate. New measurement
procedures for nano-particulate are being finalised with this objective in mind.

Article 3 of Directive 1999/96/EC provides the mechanism for Member States to grant fiscal incentives to
vehicles that meet future emission standards in advance of the date of their mandatory application.
Therefore, Community measures already exist to encourage the use of diesel particulate filters in the
Member States.

One point of relevance concerns the move towards the universal use of ultra-low sulphur fuels throughout
the Union. The use of ultra-low sulphur fuels will result in an immediate reduction in particulate mass
emissions from all vehicles, new and old. The sulphur in fuel contributes to overall particulate mass
emission.

(1) Directive 1999/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate
pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission of gaseous pollutants from
positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in vehicles and amending
Council Directive 88/77/EEC, OJ L 44, 16.2.2000.

(2004/C 51 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2049/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 June 2003)

Subject: Use of clophen in Greece

It was recently revealed that there had been a leakage of clophen in the building of the Ministry of
Economic Affairs in Greece. At the same time the BIMA newspaper published a report stating that, apart
from Greek Electricity Board installations, there were 7 500 substations reducing the tension of electrical
current in the basements of buildings belong to public bodies, hospitals and undertakings, many of which
contain the dangerous substance clophen.

Have the Greek authorities informed the Commission in which installations this specific substance is

1.
used?

2. What public health risks does the use of this specific substance entail?

3.

Has it already taken action to address this problem in Greece?