WRITTEN QUESTION No. 5/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Protection of children from television programmes with sharp changes of light
C 223/80 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 7. 98 Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (2 March 1998) 1. Ministerial Decision No 73537/1438 (1) transposing Council Directive 91/157/EEC of 18 March 1991 on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances (2) into Greek law contains information on the way in which dangerous substances in batteries and accumulators are to be eliminated. There may also be other information on this subject in the programmes provided for in Article 6 of the Directive. Article 6 of the Directive lays down a series of objectives to be achieved. In order to attain them, Article 6 2. provides for Member States to draw up programmes to be communicated to the Commission by 17 Septem- ber 1992 at the latest. As Greece had not forwarded its programmes by the deadline given in the Directive, the Commission decided to launch the procedure set out in Article 169 of the EC Treaty. The time which has elapsed between the date on which the obligation to notify the Commission of the 3. programmes would have been effective and the date on which the Commission decided to initiate proceedings against Greece in the Court of Justice is perfectly justified in the light of the procedures pursued under Article 169 of the EC Treaty and the Commissionís internal procedures. The first letter requesting information on this subject was addressed to the Greek authorities in December 1992. Following bilateral contacts and an exchange of correspondence, the Commission dispatched a letter of formal notice to the Greek Government on this subject in November 1995. As the replies to this letter were unsatisfactory, the Commission issued a reasoned opinion in May 1997. Finally, following an unsatisfactory reply to the reasoned opinion, the Commission decided to bring the matter before the Court of Justice. (1) Official Journal of the Greek Republic No 781, Volume II, of 12. 9. 1995. (2) OJ L 78, 26. 3. 1991. (98/C 223/99) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0005/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (29 January 1998) Subject: Protection of children from television programmes with sharp changes of light 700 children recently suffered epileptic fits in Japan while watching cartoons on TV with vivid colours and flashing pictures, causing concern among the public at large. Since the problem concerns most children who watch similar programmes, will the Commission subject such television programmes to restrictions? Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (23 February 1998) Article 22(1) of Council Directive 89/552/EEC on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities, as amended by European Parliament and Council Directive 97/36/EC of 30 June 1997 (1), provides: Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that television broadcasts by broadcasters under their jurisdiction do not include any programmes which might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of minors. í. If the programme to which the Honourable Member refers had been broadcast in one of the Member States of the European Economic Area, that may well have constituted a breach of Community law. The Commission has no information suggesting that such programmes have been broadcast in the European Union so far. (1) OJ L 202, 30. 7. 1997