WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2028/98 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Parents' concern about consumption of dangerous toxic substances and alcohol at Uccle European School
C 13/138 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 1. 1999 As part of the contacts referred to above the Commission will ask for information on the application of Directive 85/337/EEC to the case in question. (1) OJ L 158, 23. 6. 1990. (2) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985. (1999/C 13/194) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2028/98 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (7 July 1998) Subject: Parentsí concern about consumption of dangerous toxic substances and alcohol at Uccle European School At a general meeting of parents at the European School at Uccle on 12 February 1998, parents voiced their deep concern about the increasing consumption of prohibited toxic substances, alcohol and tobacco by pupils on school premises. They also expressed surprise at the distinctly lax discipline and their opposition to the schoolís decision to stop providing pupils with information about the risks of drug-taking. They also declared their resolve to work with the school in an endeavour to inform and protect the pupils. Will the Commission make recommendations to the Board of Governors of the European Schools and take measures to ensure that: 1. 2. pupils at the European School at Uccle receive accurate and consistent information about the risks associated with the use of narcotic substances, and the consumption of dangerous toxic substances and alcohol on the Uccle school premises is controlled and ended immediately? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (5 August 1998) The European School Brussels I (Uccle) has implemented an effective policy of informing pupils of the dangers of taking soft drugs. For the last two years, a group of teachers at the school, in cooperation with parents and under the direction of an international expert, has been running a programme dealing with drug abuse. A number of courses on scientific and ethical topics have also been organised in this connection. Each language section has its own drugs programme coordinator, working under the guidance of the group. Two action days were devoted to this problem last year. On the question of measures to combat the consumption of drugs and alcohol, the school monitors both the pupils and the premises regularly and effectively, despite the problems posed by a school population of 3 500 pupils. The school has imposed severe penalties on those who have failed to respect the rules, and its policy on this subject is well known to pupils and their parents. The Commission, which is represented on the Administrative Board of the Brussels I European School (Uccle), together with the representative of the Board of Governors of the European Schools, the school administration, and representatives of teachers, parents and the pupils themselves, has paid constant attention to the way the problem raised by the Honourable Member is handled. At the last meeting of the Administrative Board, on 25 May 1998, this subject was again debated at length by all the parties involved. Appropriations are entered annually in the budget of each school, by decision of the Board of Governors, for the financing of information campaigns on harmful substances and the dangers they entail