WRITTEN QUESTION E-2820/99 by Helle Thorning-Schmidt (PSE) to the Commission. Asbestos ban.
C 330 E/56 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 New maritime borders can show that they are able to develop the close partnerships envisaged under Interreg IIIA as well as produce specific concrete outputs. They have: ü long-standing and developed links across the maritime border, including ferry and commercial links; ü support and commitment to cross-border cooperation from multisectoral local partnerships. Would the Commission consider introducing the necessary flexibility into the Interreg Guidelines so that these additional maritime border regions can benefit from this funding programme? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (10 February 2000) Under the draft communication from the Commission to the Member States laying down guidelines for a Community Initiative (Interreg) for the 2000-06 programming period, approved by the Commission on 13 October 1999 (1), cooperation between maritime regions will be developed under the three strands provided for in the Initiative: cross-border cooperation (strand A), transnational cooperation (strand B) and interregional cooperation (strand C). The primary aim of strand A is to promote cross-border cooperation between neighbouring local and regional development authorities, i. e. between areas with land borders. As in the past, some maritime regions will be eligible also, as an exception, for this form of cooperation. The indicative list of priorities and measures eligible under strand A indicates clearly that the majority could be applied in border regions separated by a sea or a maritime route only with considerable difficulty. By contrast, all maritime regions will be eligible under the other two strands. In the case of transnational cooperation, each maritime region will be able to take part in one or two programmes covering a cooperation region such as the North Sea or the Atlantic Area. The list of priorities and measures planned for this strand is exhaustive but includes major possibilities for developing and strengthening cooperation between maritime regions, such as promoting intermodality of more environmentally compatible means of transport, in particular maritime transport, inland waterway transport and rail transport. In order to meet the requests from the regions concerned, the Commission is planning to introduce greater flexibility in the measures eligible for cooperation between maritime regions into the final guidelines. The Interreg programme will thus cover the various types of cooperation, and in particular offer those regions the possibility of a specific priority within the future Interreg III B programmes. (1) COM(1999) 479 final. (2000/C 330 E/061) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2820/99 by Helle Thorning-Schmidt (PSE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Asbestos ban What action has the Commission taken and what action does it intend to take to introduce a ban on the use of asbestos in the EU? 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/57 Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (24 February 2000) The Commission adopted Directive 1999/77/EC on 26 July 1999 adapting to technical progress for the sixth time Annex I to Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (asbestos) (1) introducing a ban on the marketing and use of all forms of asbestos from 1 January 2005, at the latest. There are only very limited exceptions and these will be reviewed by the Commission before 1 January 2003. In the light of the ban, the Commission is reviewing Directive 83/477/EEC, as amended by Council Directive 91/382/EEC of 25 June 1991 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work (second individual Directive within the meaning of Article 8 of Directive 80/1107/ EEC) (2). (1) OJ L 207, 6. 8. 1999. (2) OJ L 206, 29. 7. 1991. (2000/C 330 E/062) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2821/99 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Administrative investigations by the European Anti-Fraud Office at the European Central Bank and the European Investment Bank Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) requires all institu- tions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union to adopt decisions setting out the procedures for internal investigations by OLAF for which the regulation does not already provide. At its meeting of 8 October 1999 the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers regretted that neither the European Central Bank nor the European Investment Bank had adopted such decisions. The Council called on the Commission to consider, on the basis of Article 211 of the EC Treaty, what legal steps were needed to ensure the full application of the regulation. In the meantime the European Central Bank has published a decision on fraud prevention (1999/726/ EC) (2), and on 16 November 1999 the European Investment Bank forwarded a decision on cooperation with OLAF. Does the Commission believe that these decisions satisfy the requirements of Article 4(1) of the regulation? If not, what steps does it intend to take to ensure that the two Banks comply with the regulation? (1) OJ L 136, 31. 5. 1999, p. 1. (2) OJ L 291, 13. 11. 1999, p. 36