No C 269/32 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 13. 11. 78 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  adopting  a European  Economic  Community 
concerted  action  in the field  of analysis  of organic  micro-pollutants  in water 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 54 of 3 March  1978,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 13 February  1978,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 159th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 31 May  and  1 June  1978. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 1. Introduction 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  198 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of the 
European  Communities  on 14 February  1978  for  an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by the chairman  of 
the Committee  on 6 March  1978,  instructing  the Section 
for Protection  of the Environment,  Public  Health  and 
Consumer  Affairs  to draw  up an opinion  and  a report  on 
the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Protection  of the  Environment,  Public  Health  and 
Consumer  Affairs  at its meeting  on 2 and  3 May  1978, 1.1. The  problem  of meeting  the needs  of growing 
urbanized  populations  and  industries  in respect  of water 
supply  is a very  important  one.  In regard  to the quality  of 
water  for  drinking  and  the  preparation  of food,  the 
problem  is even  more  urgent.  Up to 60%  of drinking 
water  may  be recycled  in some  areas,  and there  is an ever 
increasing  risk of contamination  by synthetic  chemicals  in 
domestic  sewage,  industrial  waste  and  effluent,  and 
agricultural  run-off  into  both  surface  and ground  water. 
Many  thousands  of such  chemicals  are known,  and  they 
may appear  as micro-pollutants  in drinking  water,  either 
in their  original  form  or biologically  altered  before 
abstraction.  While  many  of these  micro-pollutants  are 
harmless  to both  man  and  animal  life,  many  are known  to 
be very  harmful  and some,  such  as some  of the polycyclic 
aromatic  hydrocarbons,  may  be carcinogenic. 
Having  regard  to the oral  report  made  by Sir John  Peel, 
rapporteur, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 159th  plenary 
session,  held  on 31 May  and  1 June  1978  (meeting  of 31 
May  1978), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 1.2. In  November  1972,  an agreement  on COST 
Project  64 b was  signed  by the original  six members  of the 
Community  and  six  non-member  countries  including 
Denmark,  Ireland  and the United  Kingdom.  This  research 
project  continued  until  the end  of 1975.  This  project 
entitled  'Analysis  of organic  micro-pollutants  in water' 
was concerned  primarily  with  methodology,  but led to the 
formulation  of a comprehensive  list of pollutants.  The 
results  were  presented  in the  final  report  of the 
Management  Committee  (Doc.  EUCO/MDU/74/76).  In 
this report  it was  envisaged  that  a further  programme  of 
research  would  be highly  desirable  in order  to complete 
the details  of technologies  as yet incompletely  worked  out. 
13. 11. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 269/33 
1.3. The  present  proposal  has taken  into  account  the 
recommendations  of the  Advisory  Committee  on 
programme  management  for  environmental  research 
which  agreed  unanimously  that  the programme  meets  the 
research  needs  of the Community,  and that  the scientific 
and technical  content  is sound. 
1.4. The  present  proposal  for a concerted  action  on 
'Analysis  of organic  micro-pollutants  in water'  is to last 
for four  years,  with  the allocation  of eight  million  EUA 
from  national  resources,  and  600  000  from  the 
Community  budget.  The  main  aims  will  be: 
— the  development  and  assessment  of equipment  and 
methods  for detecting  low  concentration  of organic 
micro-pollutants  in water, 
— the  collection  of mass  spectral  data  on  the 
characteristics  of these  pollutants, 
— the  establishment  of an inventory  of such  pollutants. 2.3. The  Committee  notes  that  the  scope  of the 
programme  may  be  extended  to the  analysis  of 
micro-pollutants  in other  media  (soil  and  air).  The 
Committee  is concerned  that  there  should  be no dilution 
of the programme  unless  there  is definite  overlap  in the 
technologies  applied  to those  in the other  media,  and in 
water.  In fact  these  are separate  areas  of research  and 
should  not be included  in this project  except  where  they 
have  a direct  bearing  on the pollution  of water,  e.g. wash 
down  of atmospheric  pollutants  in precipitation,  run-off 
from  agricultural  areas,  etc. 
2.4. While  the development  and  assessment  of the 
methods  for the detection  and quantitative  estimation  of 
the many  micro-pollutants  already  identified  is a first 
essential  step,  the  fundamental  problem  remains  of 
determining  those  substances  which  even  in small 
quantities  may  be harmful  to health,  and the Committee 
thinks  that  work  on these  should  receive  priority. 
Although  the  health  aspect  is not  included  in this 
programme,  the Committee  hopes  that  note  will be taken 
of this important  aspect  which  is receiving  wide  attention 
in many  countries  inside  and outside  the Community  and 
in some  international  organizations. 
2. General  comments 
2.1. The  Committee  warmly  congratulates  the 
Commission  on the progress  already  made  in this  area, 
and welcomes  the  setting  up of a concerted  action 
programme  for further  research.  The Cost  Project  646 has 
already  led to valuable  development  in cooperation  and 
collaboration  in research  between  the  participating 
laboratories  in Member  States,  and  the present  project 
should  advance  this still further.  It is clearly  necessary  as 
suitable  methods  for the detection,  identification  and 
quantitative  estimation  of many  compounds  have  still to 
be developed.  The  Committee  believes  that  it would  not 
be possible  for individual  countries  to carry  out such  a 
comprehensive  programme  within  the time  schedule  on 
their  own,  and that  coordination  by a project  leader  and a 
concerted  action  committee  of experts  should  lead,  not 
only to a pooling  of resources,  but to an exchange  of 
information  and  wide  dissemination  of the knowledge 
that will be acquired  during  the course  of the programme. 
2.2. The  Committee  hopes  that  the recommendation 
of the Advisory  Committee  on programme  management 
that 'the  speedy  dissemination  of knowledge  and careful 
evaluation  of the results  with  regard  to their  practical 
application'  will be fully  implemented  at the conclusion  of 
the programme. 2.5. The  Committee  notes  that in order  to carry  out the 
research  programme  described  in detail  in Annex  2 of the 
Commission's  proposals  will  require  the allocation  of 
approximately  eight  million  EUA  from  the Member  States 
themselves  and 600 000  EUA  from  Community  Funds.  In 
this important  area  of the monitoring  and protection  of 
waters  supplies  from  pollution  by harmful  substances  the 
Section  thinks  that  the  allocation  of funds  is totally 
inadequate  and that  the Commission  should  be far more 
ambitious  in its approach  and  propose  a much  larger 
allocation  of funds  to Community  Research. 
2.6. In  addition  the  Committee  would  raise  two 
further  points: 
— the  Committee  believes  that  problems  are likely  to 
arise  in connection  with  the autonomy  of universities 
or other  institutions  involved  or with  confidentiality 
in relation  to the results  obtained  from  research, 
— the  Committee  is concerned  lest the necessary  funds  at 
national  level  may  not be available  to complete  the 
programme  and hopes  that  in that  event  means  will be 
found  to meet  such  financial  deficiences. 
No C 269/34 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 13. 11. 78 
2.7. In  relation  to Annex  2A, the Committee  wonders 
how the allocation  of the various  research  programmes  is 
to be distributed  between  the various  countries,  especially 
as no reference  is made  to the role  of the non-Member 
States  involved  in the programme. 2.8. In  relation  to Annex  2B3,  the Committee  thinks 
that there  is some  ambiguity  about  the exact  composition 
of the Concerted  Action  Committee  and the status  of its 
members.  Are  representatives  from  non-Member  States 
contributing  to the programme  included  in membership 
of the  Committee?  The  Committee  thinks  that  these 
points  should  be clarified  in the Commission's  proposal. 
Done  at Brussels,  31 May  1978. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  adopting  a European  Economic  Community 
concerted  action  in the field  of physico-chemical  behaviour  of atmospheric  pollutants 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 55 of 4 March  1978,  page  3. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 16 February  1978,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 159th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 31 May  and  19 June  1978. 
The full text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  198 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  which  the Council  of the 
European  Communities  made  on 16 February  1978  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the Committee  chairman's  decision  of 
6 March  1978  to entrust  the Section  for Protection  of the 
Environment,  Public  Health  and  Consumer  Affairs  with 
the preparation  of an opinion  and report  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Protection  of the  Environment,  Public  Health  and 
Consumer  Affairs  at its meeting  on 2 and  3 May  1978, Having  regard  to the report  made  by Miss  Roberts, 
rapporteur, 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 159th  plenary 
session,  held  on 31 May  and  1 June  1978  (meeting  of 
31 May  1978), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
1. The  Committee  applauds  the Commission  proposal, 
which  seeks  to improve  knowledge  on the  physico-
chemical  behaviour  of atmospheric  pollutants.  A more 
thorough  knowledge  of such  behaviour  is a prerequisite