WRITTEN QUESTION E-2657/03 by Manuel Pérez Álvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Health and safety in subcontracted companies.
Date: 2003-09-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accident prevention, equal treatment, national implementing measure, occupational accident, occupational health, occupational safety, organisation of work, outsourcing, subcontracting, temporary employment

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/189

(2004/C 58 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2623/03

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Eurostat taskforces

According to reports in the Luxembourg press, at least two of the main suspects in the Eurostat affair are
members of a freemasons’ lodge.

What information does the Commission have to suggest that leading officials in the taskforces set up by
the Commission may also have connections with freemasons’ lodges?

What steps has the Commission taken to prevent ‘fraternisation’ between its investigators and the suspects?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2003)

Under Article 10 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change religion or belief and
freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or in private, to manifest religion or
belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

Exercise of this fundamental right by its officials in a manner which does not conflict with their
obligations under the Staff Regulations is not a matter for the Commission.

(2004/C 58 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2657/03

by Manuel Pérez Álvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Health and safety in subcontracted companies

(10 September 2003)

In recent months, the media have been reporting accidents at work involving serious injuries and even
deaths amongst workers belonging to companies subcontracted by the main contractor,
temporary
workers and even workers supplied to the main contractor by a temporary job company.

The 2002-2006 Community health at work strategy covers new forms of productive work organisation on
the basis of such things as out-sourcing, subcontracting, etc.

Given the situation referred to above, has the Commission made any provision for some kind of specific
action to prevent or reduce accidents in work situations involving the presence and competition of various
companies at a single workplace?

Answer given by Ms Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Where several companies are working on the same premises, effective coordination is needed to ensure
protection and prevent occupational risks. In this regard, the Council’s Framework Directive 89/391/EEC
of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of
workers at work (1) requires the different employers to cooperate in implementing the safety, health and
occupational hygiene provisions and, taking into account the nature of the activities, coordinate their
actions in matters of the protection and prevention of occupational risks, and inform one another and
their respective workers and/or workers’ representatives of these risks (cf. Article 6(4)). Reference should

C 58 E/190

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

also be made in this context to Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of workers with a fixed duration
employment relationship or a temporary employment relationship (2), which aims to ensure that such
workers benefit from the same degree of health and safety protection at work as those of the user
undertaking and/or establishment.

These directives have to be transposed into the national
legislation of the Member States, and the
individual countries are responsible for ensuring adequate monitoring and supervision of the national
provisions transposing them (cf. Article 4 of Directive 89/391/EEC).

It is therefore the responsibility of the Spanish authorities in charge of supervising the national provisions
transposing the Community health and safety directives to see that they are effectively and correctly
applied.

Cutting down the number of occupational accidents in general, and those occurring in the circumstances
referred to by the Honourable Member, in which several companies and subcontractors are present on the
same premises, in particular, is one of the objectives of the Community health and safety strategy 2002-
2006, to be pursued jointly by all parties concerned.

To this end, the Council Resolution of 3 June 2002 on a new Community strategy on health and safety at
work 2002-2006 (3) calls on the Member States to develop and implement coordinated, coherent
prevention policies, geared to national conditions, with measurable targets for reducing accidents at work
and occupational illnesses, especially in those sectors of activity in which rates are above average.

Finally, the Commission draws the Honourable Member’s attention to Council Decision 2003/578/EC of
22 July 2003 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (4), and in particular to
specific guideline 3 which provides, inter alia, that Member States shall implement appropriate measures to
promote better working conditions, including health and safety. A major objective of these policies will be
to reduce substantially the rate of occupational accidents and diseases.

(1) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.
(2) OJ L 206, 29.7.1991.
(3) OJ C 161, 5.7.2002.
(4) OJ L 297, 5.8.2003.

(2004/C 58 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2659/03

by Elisabeth Jeggle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Regular issuing of veterinary certificates

Every week a farmer in a border area in Germany sells pigs to a butcher in Austria (distance from the
German farm: roughly 25 km). In order to do that, the farmer requires a health certificate issued by the
competent veterinary authority no more than 24 hours prior to the export of the animals. The examination
costs roughly EUR 50 per animal.

In connection with the transport of animals within the EU, is there a cheaper and less bureaucratic export-
authorisation procedure than the regular issuing of health certificates, with the related costs this generates
for farmers?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(6 October 2003)

With reference to the question raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission wishes to point out
that the animal health conditions for intra-Community trade in live pigs are laid down in Council