EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/809

(2004/C 84 E/0903)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0562/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 February 2004)

Subject: Incidence of ‘blue-baby syndrome’ in EU Member States

Does the Commission have any statistics relating to the incidences of methaemoglobinaemia (i.e. ‘blue-baby syndrome’) in EU Member States?

Does it believe that full compliance with the Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC (1)) has had an impact on the incidence of this syndrome in the EU since the Directive entered into force in 1995? If so, what has been that impact?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 2004)

The ‘blue baby syndrome’ (methaemoglobinaemia), linked to high nitrate levels in drinking water, still exists both in Eastern Europe (hundreds of cases) and the United States, but has a relatively low incidence in the countries of Western Europe. This is in relation also to the enforcement of strict limit value on nitrates in drinking waters over the last 20 years.

According to the joint report from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) office for Europe (2), few countries keep records of methaemoglobinaemia: eight out of 26. The report shows that the vulnerability of infants receiving drinking waters from shallow groundwater sources (individual private wells) is emphasized by the data from Hungary, where between nine and 49 cases are recorded annually, all over the country. A similar number of incidents is recorded annually in Slovakia. In Albania in 1996 were recorded 46 cases of methaeglonobinemia, all related to nitrate in drinking water, while in Romania, between 1985 and 1996, 2 913 cases were recorded.

The precautionary value of 50 milligrams (mg) per litre is essential to prevent health effects, such as methaemoglobinaemia in infants. The revision of the Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (3), which reviewed the parametric values in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge (e.g. WHO Guidelines, Scientific Committee on Toxicology and Ecotoxicology), confirmed for nitrates the previous limit value of 50 mg per litre.

In order to reduce the nitrate concentration in waters, the full implementation of the Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources) is essential.

Since 1991, and in particular in the last years, significant progress has been made by Member States in the different steps foreseen by the Directive: water monitoring and identification of polluted waters, designation of nitrates vulnerable zones and design and implementation of action programmes. At this stage, all Member States have established a monitoring network, designated nitrate vulnerable zones and, in general, established action programmes in nitrate vulnerable zones, which means that they are implementing a set of measures to prevent and reduce nitrate pollution. The total surface of nitrate vulnerable zones in Europe comprised 38 % of the total EU area in the year 2000. Since then, also as a consequence of Commission action through infringement procedures, it further increased in several Member States, like Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Ireland took the decision to establish an action programme in the whole country, as previously done by Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Finland.

Notwithstanding these improvements, further progress is required. The Commission is fully committed to ensure that the Nitrates Directive is correctly implemented in the Member States with a set of actions and if necessary by putting legal pressure through infringement procedures on Member States, which do not implement correctly the different steps of the Directive.

(1) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1.

(2) EEA, WHO, 2002. Water and health in Europe, WHO Regional publications European series, No 93.

(3) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.