Madam President, the key aim of the EU's detergent policy has been to safeguard the single market in these products and, above all, to ensure a high level of environmental and human protection. The proposal is a consolidation and modernisation of five existing directives, as the Commissioner has told us, to form one regulation concerning the biodegradability of surfactants, which are essential substances used in detergents as catalysts to break down the surface tension of the liquid in which they are dissolved, for example oil or grease floating on top of a washing-up bowl. The focus is on solving the problem of foam caused by surfactants in our water systems. A major error in the installation of dishwashers and washing machines over the years – certainly in my country and, I suspect, elsewhere – has contributed greatly to this problem of foam in water systems. These appliances are often wrongly connected by householders to surface-water drains leading directly to rivers rather than to so-called foul drains, which channel the run-off to water treatment plants, thereby causing unnecessary pollution in water courses. Harmonisation of detergents legislation across the Community in this regulation will ensure a level playing field and is in line with the Lisbon proposals. It will also take into account the principles of sustainable or environmentally friendly development set out in the Gothenburg strategy. The costs of a cleaner environment and water supply are difficult to quantify, however. This integrated two-pronged approach, which marries environmental and economic concerns, is a positive departure. I welcome this proposal both because it provides greater information for consumers – particularly those who suffer from allergies – and because it lays down a high level of product safety through increased transparency and producer responsibility enforced by a system of national sanctions for non-compliance. All concerned – manufacturers, national authorities, consumers – hold a stake in the process and stand to benefit from the regulation. In addition, as well as the rightful emphasis on biodegradability of surfactants, I welcome the change in the review clause in the compromise package to give priority to exploring possible needs for phosphates legislation within three years rather than five. There is a need for phosphate-free detergents. Studies in my country have established a statistically robust cause-effect link between eutrophication, or algal bloom, which has an enormous detrimental effect on water quality and aquatic ecosystems, and phosphorous concentration. A recent survey in Ireland showed that, while Irish freshwaters are still markedly less polluted than the European average, up to 30% of river length has been contaminated by phosphates. Our government regulations were introduced in 1999 to counter this trend, which has been cited repeatedly since the 1980s as the main problem in Irish freshwaters. However, this problem must be examined at European level in line with the directive on dangerous substances in water and under the EU water framework directive launched in October 2000. In conclusion, I would like to echo the support expressed by the Irish presidency for the compromise package agreed by the Italian presidency, the Commission and the rapporteur.

Political group: PPE-DE