WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Cleaning up the legacy of asbestos pollution in the European Union.
C 219 E/156 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of 2. working time (1) lays down minimum safety and health requirements for the organisation of working time in the Member States. The Italian authorities have yet to notify the relevant implementation measures to the Commission and the Commission has consequently brought the matter to the Court of justice on the basis of Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty (pending case C-386/98). 3. Without prejudice to point 2 and according to the information available, the resolution of the matter would seem to fall, in the first place, within the competence of the national authorities. 4. The information available to the Commission does not permit a detailed evaluation of the situation. However, from a general point of view the Commission would like to emphasise that in the context of the áadaptabilityí pillar of the employment guidelines, social partners are invited to negotiate at all appropriate levels agreements to modernise the organisation of work. Such agreements may, for example, deal with issues of working time. (1) OJ L 307, 13. 12. 1993. (2000/C 219 E/198) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council (13 December 1999) Subject: Cleaning up the legacy of asbestos pollution in the European Union The use of asbestos fibres has been banned since 1997 because of the risk to public health. This legacy of pollution therefore needs to be disposed of as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. A detailed inventory of asbestos and clear directives on disposal are of the utmost importance in this respect. 1. Does the Council have an accurate and detailed inventory of the áhistoricalí use of asbestos in the 15 EU Member States on the basis of sales figures of the asbestos producers? If not, will the Council set about creating such an inventory so that disposal can be carried out rapidly and efficiently in the near future? 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. How much asbestos was produced and used in the European Union in 1997? In the Councilís opinion, in how many factories was asbestos used? In the Councilís opinion, in how many office buildings was asbestos used? In the Councilís opinion, in how many homes was asbestos used? In the Councilís opinion, in how many school buildings was asbestos used? In the Councilís opinion, which buildings need to be cleaned up as a matter of priority? 8. What directives has the Council drafted to achieve a rapid and efficient disposal of the legacy of asbestos pollution? Reply (14 February 2000) The Council does not have the information needed to reply to the Honourable Memberís questions