WRITTEN QUESTION E-0837/00 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Mining of iron-nickel at Platani in Aghia Sofia, Euboea.
21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/217 Evidence in the report allegedly suggests that there are television sets on the European market which tend to be more susceptible to ignition and burn fiercely in the event of fire, thus severely shortening peopleís potential escape time. This has implications for households across Europe, particularly for hospitals and care premises where fire codes aim to control the flammability of the contents, and therefore hazards, because of the difficulties of evacuating patients in the event of a fire. Will the Commission urgently review the safety standards of television sets sold in Europe so as to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in society are protected from fire to the same degree as, or to a higher standard than those in the United States? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (18 April 2000) The Commission attaches a high priority to matters regarding fire safety. The Commission has contacted the relevant Swedish authorities in order to obtain more information on the report from the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute mentioned by the Honourable Member. The safety of Television sets is regulated by the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC concerning electrical equipment designed for use with certain voltage limits (1). Aspects relating to fire safety are more specifically addressed in Harmonised Standard EN 60065:1998, Audio, video and similar electronic apparatus ü Safety requirementsí adopted by the European standardisation organisation Cenelec. The Commission has so far received no information from national authorities regarding shortcomings of the above mentioned standard in relation to fire safety. However, in response to the question from the Honourable Member, the Commission will now raise the question with national authorities in charge of the enforcement of the Low Voltage Directive at their next meeting scheduled for 26 ü 27 April 2000. The need for further action, including the potential for a review of relevant safety standards for television sets, will then be considered on the basis of information received from Member States. (1) OJ L 77, 26. 3. 1973. (2000/C 330 E/253) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0837/00 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: Mining of iron-nickel at Platani in Aghia Sofia, Euboea (21 March 2000) In May 1997 the company Larko Ltd. began operations in the region of Aghia Sofia, Euboea, including shipments of surface deposits of iron-nickel from Platani. Given that: ü the Directorate-General for the Environment of the Ministry for the Environment, Regional Planning impact and Public Works approved, by ministerial decision 111249/5. 8. 98, an environmental assessment by Larko undertaken by a summary procedure, i. e. without any publication of information or notification of local bodies, in violation of Directive 85/337/EEC (1), ü the director of forestry of Euboea, by decision 3243/2. 11. 98, ceded to the company in question 85,7 hectares of public forestry land at Platani which consists primarily of fir trees, C 330 E/218 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 ü the forestry inspectorate of Chalkida has granted logging rights to the company in violation of forestry prohibition No 4049/4. 11. 87 of the same forestry inspectorate which prohibited grazing in the fir wood of Aghia Sofia so as to allow its natural regeneration up to 2007; ü local inhabitants and regional bodies have lodged a complaint and an appeal with the Council of State in this connection; ü the operations of Larko Ltd in the region in 1998-99 damaged the road network Aghia Sofia-Psachna, due to the shipment of ore and the movement of heavy vehicles, and the damage has not been repaired; ü problems have arisen for the local ecosystem and in particular the fir wood, an area protected by the Greek Constitution, and the coast of Limniona onto which a red mud is being discharged because no facilities exist to contain the waste, and stockbreeding and tourism in the area are affected. Will the Commission look into this matter and examine whether the appropriate environmental impact assessments have been published in accordance with the law and whether all the other measures provided by Community law have been properly implemented? What measures does the Commission intend to take if it detects violations of Community environmental legislation such as those noted above? Does it intend to call on the relevant Greek authorities to take the necessary measures in order to protect the inhabitants of the region and to restore the natural environment? (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (13 April 2000) The Commission did not have any information on the activities of the Larko company in Evvia (Euboea). The type of activity described by the Honourable Member is listed in Annex II to Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/11/EC (1). As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will investigate the case to check that Community law was not infringed when the environmental impact assessment presented by Larko was approved by the Greek authorities. If the Commission finds that Greece did infringe Community law, it will then decide whether infringement proceedings should be initiated under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty. (1) Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 73, 14. 3. 1997. (2000/C 330 E/254) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0839/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission (21 March 2000) Subject: Problems in implementing the Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training as part of the Community Support Framework for Greece In May 1998 the Greek Ministry of Education announced a competition for the modernisation of educational material for teaching chemistry for all three lycØe classes under the project entitled Reformula- tion and Modernisation of the Study Programmes of Natural Sciences of the Ministry of Education which forms part of the Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training, Subprogramme A1, Measure 1. 1 of the Community Support Framework. Three educational packages were approved by the Organisation for Educational Book Publications, and instructions were given for printing to go ahead under Ministerial decision C2 6201. However, the process of assessment has far exceeded the time limit provided, so that the Pedagogical Institute has entrusted some members of the Institute and others with the task of compiling provisional chemistry books for the 1999-2000 school year at considerable financial cost; it was however decided by Act No 32/1999 of 24 November 1999 to reprint these books with improvements for the 2000-2001 school year. At the same time the books which have been officially approved remain unused