WRITTEN QUESTION No. 221/98 by John IVERSEN to the Commission. Junk medicine
Date: 1998-02-11
Institutions: European Parliament, IVERSEN
Subjects: EU aid, World Health Organisation, Yugoslavia, emergency aid, health aid, humanitarian aid, medicinal product, perishable goods, pharmaceutical product, waste

2. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/55

(98/C 304/76)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0214/98

by Allan Macartney (ARE) to the Commission

(11 February 1998)

Subject: Replacement of dry-cleaning machines and compensation

Is the Commission aware whether any steps have been taken to mitigate the costs for those dry-cleaners who
have had to replace their 113 fluid machines? 113 machines are being/have been phased out, and it appears that
the practice is to use distilled fluid until this runs out and them either to convert existing machines or buy new
ones.

The costs involved, both for converting or replacing, are substantial, particularly for small businesses. It would
therefore seem equitable to have some sort of compensation or grant allowance scheme in place to prevent small
dry-cleaning businesses from facing financial ruin. As this conversion is required at the behest of the EC, could
the Commission confirm, with due haste, whether compensation has been or will be made available?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(24 March 1998)

The Commission is not aware of any compensation or allowance schemes intended to help dry cleaners with the
costs of conversion or replacement of dry cleaning machines which use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) 113.

CFC 113 is an ozone-depleting substance. It is therefore subject to phasing out under the Montreal Protocol on
substances that deplete the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol has now been signed by over 165 parties, each of
which  is  thereby  committed  to  phase  out  the  production  and  consumption  of  all  ozone-depleting  substances.
Under the Montreal Protocol, developed countries had to phase out their production and consumption of CFCs by
1 January 1996, except for a few essential uses such as asthma inhalers. Under Regulation (EC) No 3093/94 on
substances that deplete the ozone layer (1), phasing out was one year earlier in the Community.

Hence it is not the Commission which is requiring the conversion of dry cleaning machines using CFC 113.
Rather  the  parties  to  the  Montreal  Protocol,  including  the  Community  and  all  its  Member  States,  have
collectively  decided,  as  part  of  their  commitment  to  ozone  layer  protection,  that  CFCs  should  no  longer  be
produced and placed on the market for this use.

The decision to phase out the production of CFCs was first taken in 1990 at the second meeting of the parties to
the Montreal Protocol. The date was subsequently advanced at the fourth meeting in 1992, in view of accelerated
ozone depletion and the growing availability of alternatives. For dry cleaning, the Protocol(cid:146)s technical committee
notes that the most widely used dry cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene, has been successfully used for over
30 years and represents a likely alternative to CFC 113.

Despite  the  availability  of  alternatives,  there  is  nothing  in  the  Montreal  Protocol  nor  in  Regulation  (EC)
No 3093/94  which  prevents  dry  cleaners  continuing  to  use  recycled  or  stockpiled  CFCs  produced  before  the
phaseout. By this means, many users throughout the Community have been able to plan their move out of CFCs
in a way which avoids technical and economic difficulties, including financial ruin.

(1)  OJ L 333, 22.12.1994.

(98/C 304/77)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0221/98

by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission

(11 February 1998)

Subject: Junk medicine

A recent investigation described in the journal of the Danish Nursing Council(cid:146)s periodical (cid:145)Sygeplejesken(cid:146) has
revealed  that  two-thirds  of  the  medicines  donated  to  former  Yugoslavia  were  out-  of-date  or  unusable.  The
investigation carried out by the European Organization for Health and Development concludes that medicines
supplied in aid did more harm than good.