WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2830/97 by Nuala AHERN to the Commission. Steps being taken in France against Dr Jean- François Viel
3. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 102/131 Accordingly, the notion of discarding is decisive for the status of used textiles. The notion of discarding comprises both disposal and recovery operations as well as operations leading to disposal or recovery. Consequently, used textiles destined for textile recycling have to be described as discarded. Therefore these textiles are waste under Article 1a) of Directive 75/442/EEC. Storage of these materials constitutes storage of waste. However, a recycling industry deposit for the storage of waste can not be described as a waste dump. (1) OJ C 76, 11. 3. 1997. (2) OJ L 194, 25. 7. 1975. (98/C 102/196) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/97 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: PVC What is the view of the Commission as to the safety of the use of PVC as a building material? Answer given by Mr Bangemann au nom de la Commission (25 September 1997) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely used as a building material, for applications such as window frames, pipes, floor and wall coverings and cables. Building applications account for over half of the Community PVC market (55 % in 1995). PVC products used in construction, as for those products manufactured with any other material, must meet the applicable technical regulations on safety. The fact that the material used is PVC and not any other material does not make a difference in this respect. The Honourable Member may be interested to know that the Commission is committed to consider the evidence regarding the environmental aspects relating to the presence of PVC in waste streams and, on the basis of this evidence, will review its policy regarding PVC in waste streams and will come forward with proposals to address problems which may arise in this regard, where this is justified on environmental or health grounds. (98/C 102/197) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2830/97 by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: Steps being taken in France against Dr Jean-François Viel Is the Commission aware of steps being taken in France against Dr Jean-François Viel, alleging that his scientific studies on leukemia clusters at Cap La Hague are affecting property prices in the area? If this evidence on such a critical matter for cross-border public health and the environment is so strong as to be published in the British Medical Journal, surely the reprocessing plant itself should be immediately investigated by the Commission, rather than having the scientific reporting of facts undermined in this way?