WRITTEN QUESTION E-2506/03 by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission. Governance: tripartite environmental contracts.
Date: 2003-07-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, European Commission, European Parliament, division of powers, interinstitutional relations (EU)

C 65 E/164

Official Journal of the European Union

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13.3.2004

(cid:1) application of a national corporate governance code;

(cid:1) transactions between issuers and directors or others in positions of influence within such an

issuer (‘related party transactions’);

(cid:1) major transactions undertaken by listed companies outside their ordinary course of business

(‘Class tests’).

The Commission will communicate any possible findings as soon as possible.

(1) COM(2003) 138 final.

(2004/C 65 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2502/03

by Martin Callanan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: The Draft EU REACH Regulation

Following the interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on 10 July, can the Commission explain
whether a comment made by Commissioner Wallström:

Of course we should not test every chemical, only those that need testing and those that could cause
risks to human health and the environment …

reflects the Commission’s new policy on the Draft EU REACH Regulation?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(16 September 2003)

the Member of

the Commission in charge of Environment does indeed reflect

The reply of
the
Commission’s policy on Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH), as set out in
the White Paper on the Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy of February 2001 (1) and subsequently
developed in the draft that formed the basis of the recent Internet consultation. There is no need to test
chemicals for which adequate information is already available or for which adequate information can be
obtained by other means. Furthermore, when the exposure to a chemical
is very limited, such as for
certain types of intermediates, the potential risk does not generally merit the performance of tests.

(1) COM(2001) 88 final.

(2004/C 65 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2506/03

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Governance: tripartite environmental contracts

Knowing that:

(cid:1) on 11 December 2002 the Commission issued a communication entitled ‘A framework for target-
based tripartite contracts and agreements between the Community, the States and regional and local
authorities, dealing with the subject of tripartite contracts;’ (1)

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(cid:1) this communication does not wholly achieve its intended aim;

(cid:1) despite the Commission’s verbal undertakings, the subsequent plans of the Commissioner and DG

responsible appear to point in the opposite direction;

(cid:1) the Commission selected two initiatives with a view to drawing up environmental pilot contracts by

the end of 2002;

(cid:1) this venture, which is to be applauded, will require substantial support in terms of funding and human

resources.

The Commission:

(cid:1) how will the Commission involve the EP where tripartite contracts are concerned?

(cid:1) given that the White Paper assigns a key role to central government in laying down and implementing

tripartite contracts, how will it involve the Member States?

(cid:1) how will it pursue its activities at the practical level? Specifically, which directorates-general and units

will be involved for that purpose?

(cid:1) how will it allocate responsibilities and human resources among the directorates-general and units so

as to enable all the parties concerned to obtain assistance?

(cid:1) when will it act on the verbal undertakings that it gave to Parliament’s Environment Committee at the

meeting of 2 October 2002?

(cid:1) how will it cover the projects from the financial point of view?

(1) COM(2002) 709 final.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(19 August 2003)

Since the Commission launched the idea of target-based tripartite contracts and agreements in its White
Paper on European governance (1) and set it out in detail in the communication of December 2002 to
which the Honourable Member refers, it has been for the Member States and their regions and towns to
put forward initiatives to implement it. As for the Community bodies and institutions, the Committee of
the Regions has already clearly expressed its support for the idea, Parliament is preparing a resolution on
the December 2002 communication and the Council is said to be preparing to deal with the subject in the
second half of 2003.

With regard to Parliament in particular, the forthcoming resolution will be examined by the Commission
when the time comes, and Parliament can tell
intends to be involved in
implementing the idea. The same goes for the Member States, which will be able, either within the Council
or individually, to express their interest and readiness to take part in the plan.

the Commission how it

As far as the Commission is concerned, according to the White Paper on European governance it is the
Directorates-General responsible for policies with a strong territorial impact which are most concerned by
projects for tripartite agreements or contracts. The allocation of responsibilities and human resources
among Directorates-General and any financial cover of these projects must follow the guidelines referred to
in the White Paper and the communication of December 2002.

With regard to the environment, the Commission intends to adopt a position on the various projects
already submitted by certain bodies by the end of 2003.

(1) OJ C 287, 12.10.2001.