WRITTEN QUESTION No. 407/98 by Mark WATTS to the Commission. Aircraft safety in the year 2000
9. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 310/59 This directive, whose requirements shall be brought into force before 13 May 2000, repeals previous directives. The Commission continues to monitor the situation, particularly to ensure that scrap metals contaminated with radioactive substances are not imported from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe or from the former Soviet Union. The Commission has no information on the specific case mentioned by the Honourable Member. (1) OJ L 159, 29. 6. 1996. (98/C 310/75) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0406/98 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (24 February 1998) Subject: Prescribed Quantity systems Which Member States have a Prescribed Quantity system which has been investigated, and why did the Commission feel that the existence of a PQ system in the British break market posed a threat to inter-Community trade? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (23 April 1998) The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible. (98/C 310/76) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0407/98 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission (24 February 1998) Subject: Aircraft safety in the year 2000 Pilots have threatened a worldwide boycott in the year 2000, fearing that the Millennium Bugí will disrupt computer systems that keep planes in the air and prevent collisions. Is the Commission satisfied that Member States, third countries, airlines and aviation authorities are acting with sufficient urgency to ensure that planes do not drop out of the sky or collide in the year 2000? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (17 April 1998) The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member about the potentially serious problems that could arise from the date change, and has addressed the issue in its communication on The Year 2000 Computer Problem (1). This is designed to try to ensure a high level of awareness on the subject and to establish effective liaison with all the supervisory authorities for energy, transport and telecommunications and in the financial markets and other economic sectors. As there is genuine concern that the date changeover problem could affect safety in civil aviation, the Commission issued a circular in December 1997 to all the Member States to clarify what actions each Member State is going to undertake or has already put in place. Similar letters were sent to the main airline and airport organisations (IATA, AEA, ERA, ACE, ACI)