B4-0989, 1018 and 1031/95

Resolution on ozone smog in summer

The European Parliament,

A. whereas in late June and early July the existing European population information threshold of 180 micrograms of ozone per cubic metre (mean value over one hour) has been exceeded in several countries of the European Union and in the summer of 1994 this threshold was exceeded 3100 times in the EU of twelve Member States according to the DG XI information report of September 1994,

B. whereas summer ozone smog is now a regular environmental problem which occurs every summer as soon as there is abundant sunshine and almost no wind, the main precursors of ozone being nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both mainly arising from the combustion of fossil fuels for transport purposes,

C. noting the recent Belgian report of the Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Interregional Cell for Environment which states that during the hot period from 27 June to 7 August 1994 1226 more people died in Belgium than statistically expected and whereas these experts claim that this 10% increase in mortality over 'normal' summer is connected with the combination of high temperatures and high ozone levels,

D. whereas in Denmark and the south of Sweden present ozone levels in the summer are expected to lead to crop losses of 5-10% for wheat, potatoes, clover and lucerne according to a number of scientific experiments,

E. whereas the German MAK-Committee recently decided that ozone is seriously suspected of inducing cancer, and that they will be publishing this in their MAK list of August 1995,

F. noting that the UK Government's Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards proposes a limit of 50 micrograms ozone per cubic metre (eight-hour average) as a precautionary measure to avoid adverse effects on health, such as inflammation and changes in lung function which have been observed in people exposed to only 80-100 micrograms of ozone for several hours,

G. whereas in July 1995 Germany will probably adopt a new law on summer ozone smog, with a stricter threshold than the present EU population warning threshold of 360 micrograms ozone per hour,

H. whereas since 6 July 1995 as a precautionary measure, private cars and half the taxis have been banned from driving in the centre of Athens from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.,

I. noting that in the German Länder of Bremen, Hessen, Lower-Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate speed limits of 90 km/h on motorways and 80 km/h on other main roads have been imposed in an attempt to prevent and reduce ozone smog in Germany,

J. bearing in mind that the Swiss Clean Air Act put the lower threshold at 120 micrograms of ozone and that the summer average is around 100 micrograms compared to around 20 at the beginning of this century,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the Commission, in accordance with Council Directive 92/72/EEC, to come forward as soon as possible with a proposal to amend this directive and introduce stricter population information and warning levels;

2. Regrets that Directive 92/72/EEC on air pollution through ozone has not yet been implemented in the legislation of all Member States, and calls on the Commission to take action for immediate implementation of this directive and if necessary to take the Member States to the Court of Justice;

3. Considers that the EU population information threshold should be 100 micrograms ozone per cubic metre per hour and that the EU population warning threshold should be 180 micrograms ozone per cubic metre per hour;

4. Believes that when the threshold of 180 micrograms ozone per cubic metre is exceeded, regional and national bans must be imposed on all motor traffic except public transport, emergency services and urgent deliveries, and that people working professionally outdoors then have the right to stop working;

5. Points out that there are technical means of making a drastic reduction in ozone precursors, and calls on the Commission to propose measures to take up these options;

6. Calls on the Commission to propose a 90% reduction of NOx emissions in the next ten years in the forthcoming follow-up directives of the Ambient Air Quality Directive and a 75% reduction of VOCs in the phase II and III Directives to avoid summer smog in the future;

7. Supports therefore the memorandum submitted to the Council by the German Minister of the Environment on 22 and 23 June 1995 as the first step in this direction;

8. Calls on the Commission to submit vehicle exhaust gas standards (for the year 2000) as soon as possible;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments of the Member States.