WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2487/97 by Klaus REHDER to the Commission. EU aid for processes for enriching drinking water with oxygen
Date: 1997-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, REHDER
Subjects: drinking water, oxygen, product quality

C 76/116

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 3. 98

2.

(cid:150) 

(cid:150) 

(cid:150) 

(cid:150) 

In the Commission’s opinion, the main reasons for the delay are as follows:

the relevant policy is imprecise with, as a result, considerable difficulties in precisely defining the content of
the operation;

lack of programming structures and significant shortcomings in structures for implementing, administering
and monitoring the measure;

frequent changes in the personnel responsible for the design and implementation of the operation;

responsibilities overlapping between a number of departments and persons;

(cid:150)  vague, very large-scale and perhaps over-ambitious operations, judging by the results.

In the light of the significant delay and the high budget initially allocated to this measure, and taking into account
the conclusions of the mid-term programme evaluation, the Ministry of Education and the Commission should,
in the context of the partnership, re-examine the operation when the programme review takes place, which in
principle should be before the end of this year.

3.
The appropriations (its budget for the period 1994-1999) currently allocated to measure 1.2, the (cid:145)single high
school(cid:146), amount to ECU 86.4 million (total cost, of which the Community contribution is 75%). It should be
noted that the European Regional Development Fund is also contributing to the operation under measure 1.4 of
the  (cid:145)school  infrastructure  and  equipment(cid:146)  programme.  The  Commission  does  not  have  information  as  to  the
exact amount of these appropriations, as the distribution takes place at project level.

(98/C 76/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2487/97

by Klaus Rehder (PSE) to the Commission

(18 July 1997)

Subject: EU aid for processes for enriching drinking water with oxygen

1. What is the Commission(cid:146)s attitude towards processes for improving drinking water with oxygen?

Is there any way in which the European Union can provide aid for new processes for enriching drinking

2.
water with oxygen?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(11. September 1997)

Water  intended  for  human  consumption  must  meet  the  requirements  of  the  drinking  water  Directive
80/778/EEC (1). In respect of the parameter dissolved oxygen, there is no guide level, or maximum admissible
concentration,  and  therefore  there  is  no  mandatory  standard  with  which  drinking  water  must  comply.  The
Community therefore does not have the possibility to demand that oxygen is added to drinking water to improve
its quality.

However, in Directive 80/778/EEC there is a comment in respect of the parameter dissolved oxygen, that the
saturation value should be (cid:145)greater than 75% except for underground water(cid:146). This means that it is advisable for
surface water with a natural dissolved oxygen content of less than 75% to be oxygenated in order to improve its
quality.

Under the proposal for  a  revised drinking  water  Directive (2),  which  is  currently  being  discussed  in  Council,
dissolved oxygen is proposed as an (cid:145)indicator(cid:146) parameter with a parametric value of greater than 50% saturation.
This means that where drinking water fails to meet this value, Member States should investigate the cause, and
take action to remedy the situation only where this is necessary in order to protect human health.

(1)  OJ L 229, 30.8.1980.
(2)  COM(94) 612 final.