WRITTEN QUESTION E-2859/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Public order and safety.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/121 conformity of Italian regional legislation with Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (1), amending Directive 85/337/EEC, is under assessment. It may be added that car parks are not specifically mentioned in the Annexes of Directive 85/337/EEC and, therefore, it is difficult to challenge the lack of specific transposition in relation to this class of projects. In contrast, Directive 97/11/EC, which is not applicable to the specific case because it applies to projects for which requests for development consent were submitted after 14 March 1999, specifically includes car parks among the projects of Annex II of the Directive (10 b). Conflicts between different bodies of the Italian administration are not relevant at Community level. It is only relevant that Community law be correctly applied. As for the application of Directive 85/337/EEC to this specific case, in the opinion of the Commission car parks could, even if not specifically mentioned, be covered by Annex II of Directive 85/337/EEC at number 10 b (as urban-development projects among the infrastructure projects). According to the Directive, projects of Annex II are to be made subject to an environmental impact assessment (EIA) where Member States consider that their characteristics so require. However, Member States are obliged to make a pre- assessment in order to establish whether projects of Annex II need to be made subject to an EIA procedure. Therefore, the Commission considers that failing to carry out a pre-assessment on a car park project which is likely to have significant effects on the environment represents an infringement of the Directive, while failing to make a car park the subject of an EIA procedure is not a breach of the Directive when the lack of significant impact of the project has been verified in a previous a pre-assessment. (1) OJ L 73, 14. 3. 1997. (2000/C 303 E/122) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2859/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Public order and safety Safety on the streets is recognised as an important benefit for the population and is a public service paid for by public taxation. An adequate number of police and police stations must therefore be distributed all over the country. Unfortunately, in Rome, in particular in district XX, the situation is different ü there are whole areas in a state of decline, characterised by social unrest, frequented by drug addicts, alcoholics and immigrants, where there are not enough policemen, or else areas where there is no police station, although the district has requested one. The events being organised to celebrate the Millennium will only aggravate the situation. In view of all this, can the Commission say: 1. whether there are any research findings, data or examples of good practice concerning the logistic and organisational methods of the forces of law and order; 2. whether there are similar problems in the others countries of the Union and how they are being solved; 3. what its general opinion of the whole issue is? Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission (6 March 2000) The Commission shares the importance attached by the Honourable Member to ensuring safety and security on the streets. C 303 E/122 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 According to the Treaty on European Union, and as confirmed by the special meeting of the European Council held on 15 and 16 October 1999 in Tampere, one of the objectives of the Union shall be to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice. This shall be done by, inter alia, developing common action among Member States in the fields of police co-operation. Any action developed in this context shall not, nevertheless, affect the exercise of the responsibilities incumbent upon Member States with regard to the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security within their national territories. The issue of public order and safety has been regularly discussed in the context of the co-operation in the fields of justice and home affairs. In this context, the Council has considered the threat to public order from international gatherings in a joint action of 26 May 1997 with regard to co-operation on law and order and security (1). Within the framework of the OISIN programme (2) the Commission has been supporting a series of initiatives concerning police co-operation and the role of police forces in dealing with public order. For information on the projects supported in this context the Commission draws the Honourable Memberís attention to the two reports on the implementation of the OISIN programme (3). (1) OJ L 147, 5. 6. 1997. (2) (3) SEC(98) 1048 and SEC(1999) 1995. Joint Action ü OJ L 7, 10. 1. 1997. (2000/C 303 E/123) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0002/00 by Nicole Thomas-Mauro (UEN) to the Commission (19 January 2000) Subject: Portable telephones Some scientific research points to risks for users of portable telephones; an experiment conducted on rats at Lund University, for instance, has produced worrying findings. France has launched the Comobio programme to clarify the possible effects of portable telephones. There is a European recommendation laying down exposure limits. On what research is it based? In addition, is the Commission contemplating carrying out more in-depth research into risk assessment and long-term effects? Does the Commission have proof that thermal effects, the effects of magnetic fields and induced current flow have few human health implications? Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (29 February 2000) The European recommendation (1) limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields of 0 Hertz (Hz) to 300 Gigahertz (GHz) is based on scientific advice and the best scientific information available, not forgetting that only proven effects on health could be taken into account. Advice on these protective measures has been given by the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and endorsed by the Commissionís Scientific Steering Committee. The Commission currently provides financial support for numerous research projects. Under the Third and Fourth Framework Programmes, the Commission supported the COST actions (COST 244 in 1992, followed by COST 244a in 1998) on the biomedical effects of electromagnetic radiation. The Biomed 2 programme financed two studies on the links between electromagnetic radiation and cancer. The ámeasurements and testingí programme also financed a project to measure the electromagnetic radiation emitted by portable telephones. In total the Commission has allocated some €2 million for these studies