No C 248/16 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 29.10.75 
Opinion  on the draft  Council  Resolution  concerning  a revised  list of second-category 
pollutants  to be studied  as part  of the Programme  of Action  on the Environment 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  was  published  in the  Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No C 157 of 14 December  1974,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 3 December  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  draft  resolution  to the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  under  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Econdmic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  drew  up its Opinion  at its 129th  plenary  session, 
held in Brussels  on 23 and 24 April  1975. 
The Opinion  is published  below: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the referral  on 3 December  1974  by 
the Council  of the  European  Communities,  of the 
draft  Council  Resolution  concerning  a revised  list of 
second-category  pollutants  to be studied  as part  of 
the Programme  of Action  on the Environment; 
Having  regard  to Article  198  of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to its Opinion  of 26 June  1973  on the 
draft  Council  Resolution  on the programme  of action 
of the European  Communities  on the environment; 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Chairman 
on 10 December  1974,  instructing  the Section  for 
Protection  of the  Environment,  Public  Health  and 
Consumer  Affairs  to draw  up an Opinion  and  report 
on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Protection  of the Environment,  Public  Health  and 
Consumer  Affairs  on 11 March  1975  and  the oral 
report  prepared  by Mrs  Strobel; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its meeting  on 24 
April  (129th  plenary  session  of 23 and  24 April 
1975), HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
The Committee  approves  the proposed  Resolution, 
subject  to the following  comments: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  welcomes  the Commission's 
proposal  for  a revised  list  of second-category 
pollutants.  The  first-category  pollutants  covered  by 
the Programme  of Action  on the  Environment  are 
already  being  studied.  These  pollutants  are  listed 
below: V 
Lead  and lead  compounds; 
Organic  halogen  and  organic  phosphorus 
compounds; 
Hydrocarbons  with  known  or probable  carcinogenic 
effects; 
Sulphur  compounds  and suspended  particles; 
Nitrogen  oxides; 
Carbon  monoxide; 
Photochemical  oxidants; 
Asbestos; 
Vanadium; 
29.10.75 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 248/17 
Inorganic  micropollutants  and  their  metabolites 
(mercury,  cadmium,  chromium,  copper,  nickel,  tin, 
zinc,  arsenic,  beryllium,  cyanide); 
Chlorine  compounds; 
Phenols; 
Hydrocarbons. 
1.2. The  Committee  expresses  its agreement  with 
the four  criteria  applied  when  C9nsidering  the effects 
of the  pollutants  and  groups  of pollutants.  The 
Committee  would  particularly  stress  the importance 
of toxic  effects  on human  beings  and  prolonged 
exposure  to small  doses,  which  will  have  to be 
assessed  over  a very  long  period  of time. 
1.3. In  view  of the length  of the list of pollutants 
and groups  of pollutants  to be  studied,  the 
Committee  believes  that  it will  be necessary  to fix an 
order  of priorities  for  this  study.  By  this,  the 
Committee  does  not  mean  a reclassification  of the 
pollutants,  but merely  establishment  of the sequence 
in which  the pollutants  are to be studied,  in view  of 
the fact  that  it will  not be possible  to study  all of 
them  at the same  time. 
1.4. Comparison  of the  list  contained  in the 
present  document  with  the list which  was  set out in 
the Programme  of Action  published  in 1973  revealed 
that two  substances,  namely,  dusts  and  beryllium, 
had been  omitted  from  the  list  of atmospheric 
pollutants  and  groups  of atmospheric  pollutants;  the 
Committee  believes  that  both  substances  should  be 
re-included.  Bearing  this  in mind,  the pollutants  and 
groups  of pollutants  may  be subdivided  as follows: 
AIR 
First  priority 
Cadmium 
Vinyl  chloride 
(monomer) 
Fluorine 
Nickel 
Dusts  (particulate  ma-
terial) WATER 
First  priority 
Asbestos 
Clorine  and its 
compounds 
Nitrates 
Nitrites 
Organic  solvents Second  priority 
Mercaptans 
Substances  having  an 
unpleasant  odour  or 
taste  (excluding  mercap-
tans and  hydrogen 
sulphide) 
Hydrogen  sulphide 
Beryllium Second  priority 
Bleaching  agents 
Barium 
Phosphorous  and its 
compounds 
Selenium 
Thallium 
1.5. On  the basis  of this  appraisal,  the remaining 
second-category  pollutants  and pollutant  groups  — be 
they atmospheric  pollutants  or water  pollutants  — 
mentioned  in the draft  Council  Resolution  may  be 
studied  at a later  stage,  when  it will  be possible  to 
expand  or revise  this list.  A number  of the pollutants 
and groups  of pollutants  contained  in the list can be 
omitted,  since  they  already  figure  in the  list  of 
first-category  pollutants.  This  applies  to beryllium, 
cadmiuiii  and nickel  as water  pollutants. 
1.6. The  Committee  assumes  that  the  criteria 
mentioned  under  the heading  'Aims  and  Content'  of 
the Programme  of Action  on the Environment  (*) will 
also be fully  applicable  to the  second-category 
pollutants.  In particular,  the Committee  believes  that 
the standardization  of measuring  methods  and 
equipment  and  the  subsequent  determination  of 
existing  levels  of pollution  caused  by the substances 
listed  are  matters  which  should  be given  some 
priority. 
1.7. The  Committee  notes  that  the  Commission 
proposal  is of tremendous  importance  to the public 
in the Community,  but it also  realizes  that  the study 
of these  pollutants  and  groups  of pollutants  will 
require  a considerable  amount  of tinve. 
(!) OJ No C 112,  20. 12. 1973,  Part  II, Title  I, Chapter  I. 
Done  at Brussels,  24 April  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE