WRITTEN QUESTION E-3574/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Pollution in the home

In recent years, numerous excellent measures have been taken to reduce air pollution. However, people in Europe, particularly town-dwellers, spend some 90 % of their time indoors. Pollution may also occur inside the home. As well as fumes from cleaning/maintenance products and tobacco smoke, causes include poorly functioning air conditioning systems and biological allergens such as house dust mites, animal fur, moulds and fungi. The alarming thing about such pollution is that chronic complaints which have no known cause are becoming increasingly prevalent. These include allergies, asthma and some types of cancer. If various occupants of the same building display a number of similar symptoms, these are attributed to sick building syndrome.

Few doctors recognise the symptoms of disorders associated with pollution inside the home. Consumers' organisations are asking for standards and regulations to be drawn up concerning pollution in the home, as a basis for amending building regulations and standards for building materials and furniture materials. Harmful products should always be fully and clearly marked (Test Gezondheid, December 2001). Luxembourg, Sweden and Germany now have services which will measure pollution in the home free of charge. This preventive and problem-solving approach ultimately results in fewer people falling ill and lower social-security costs.

1. Is the Commission aware of projects to combat pollution in the home in Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden and Belgium? Is it convinced of their value? Will the Commission therefore make it compulsory to introduce such services throughout the Union?

2. Is the Commission considering making appropriations available to cultivate awareness of the problem, among both doctors and consumers?

3. Will the Commission ensure that products intended for use in the home which may harm occupants carry clear and adequate warnings? Will the Commission take steps to encourage the use of less harmful products?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2002)

1. The Honourable Member refers to action taken in Belgium, Germany and Sweden to tackle indoor pollution. The Commission is well aware of these initiatives as some of them were supported by the 1999 Community Action Programme on pollution-related diseases. One of the projects funded was the Sandrine II project, which was developed in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. The final evaluation of the project was quite negative as a clear lack of scientific methodology was identified, leading to inconsistent results (further information available on the website: www.ful.ac.be/hotes/iew.

2. Measures to raise awareness of the problem among doctors and consumers are also implemented by the Action Programme on pollution-related diseases, under which several projects providing information on preventing asthma and allergies received funding. The list of projects funded is available on the following website: www.europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/programmes/pollution/ph_poll_index_en.html.

3. The Commission is also aware that uncertainties remain over the possible impact of indoor air quality on health. In order to provide some of the scientific basis which may guide longer-term policy action, research on indoor air quality (both in the home and in some occupational settings) is supported under the Environment and Health Key Action of the Quality of Life Programme, a component of the Fifth Framework Programme for research and technological development (RTD). Furthermore, this topic has been highlighted as one of the priority areas in the current Call for research proposals. Details of the Quality of Life Programme can be found at: www.cordis.lu/life/src/proj_browse.htm.

Several specific Community Directives apply to products intended for domestic use (Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits(1), Council Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys(2)). In addition, Council Directive 92/59/EEC of 29 June 1992 on general product safety(3), as amended by Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001(4), applies to consumer products, including furnishings, which are not covered by specific Directives. Finally, Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances(5) contains detailed provisions for the classification and labelling of dangerous chemical substances, as does Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 1999 on dangerous preparations(6).

Community legislation on chemicals is currently being revised (White Paper on the strategy for a future chemicals policy(7)) in order to remedy, as a first priority, the lack of knowledge about the dangerous properties and the uses of chemicals. The Commission feels that the activities planned in the areas mentioned, for example the drafting of mandates to establish or amend European standards under the various directives and the new measures on chemicals, will help to prevent health risks related to domestic pollution.

(1) OJ L 77, 26.3.1973.

(2) OJ L 187, 16.7.1988.

(3) OJ L 228, 11.8.1992.

(4) OJ L 11, 15.1.2002.

(5) OJ P 196, 16.8.1967.

(6) OJ L 200, 30.7.1999.

(7) COM(2001) 88 final.