WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1993/98 by Kirsten JENSEN to the Commission. DEA (diethanolamine)
Date: 1998-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, JENSEN KIRSTEN
Subjects: EU law, carcinogenic substance, chemical product, cosmetic product, scientific committee (EU), self-employed person, statistical nomenclature, toxic substance

29.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 118/13

3.
The Commission brought to the attention of the Member State, at the monitoring committee meeting
of 31 October 1997 and in writing on 16 January 1998, the fact that payments in respect of 1998 could not
be undertaken by the Commission until formalities regarding the year 1996 had been completed and that
year(cid:146)s execution report forwarded to the Commission. As early as October 1996 the Commission
convened a meeting of all parties including the Central employment office (CBA) and the ministry,
drawing attention to the need to complete procedures in respect of 1996 and pointing out the gravity of the
situation should the final payment claim not be completed.

4.
These formalities have been in operation since 1994 and were agreed by all Member States. As stated
under point 1, the suspension was lifted in May 1997 and therefore has no bearing on the fact that the 1996
final payment claim was not received by the Commission until 23 June 1998.

5.

No.

6.
The 1996 final payment claim was received on 23 June 1998, the payment was processed as soon as
possible. Once this procedure was completed, it was then necessary to modify the Commission(cid:146)s decision
to reflect the new 1996 situation. It was only after that decision was taken that the first advance for 1998,
which represents a much higher amount, could be processed.

The 1996 final payment claim being received on 23 June 1998 and the modification request arriving on
30 June 1998, the Commission proceeded to ensure all these procedures with the minimum delay. The
payment to the Dutch authorities was made in the first week of September.

(1) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(1999/C 118/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1993/98

by Kirsten Jensen (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 1998)

Subject: DEA (diethanolamine)

DEA is used in soaps, bubble bath preparations, shampoos, etc. It is classified as a local irritant in the EU,
but recent research carried out in the USA as part of the National Toxicology Program found cancer in the
livers and kidneys of male mice which had been exposed to DEA. Moreover, DEA can be converted into
N-nitrosodiethanolamine in the human body.

Having regard to the precautionary principle, will the Commission investigate whether DEA should be
classified as a carcinogen in Category 3 on the basis of these findings?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 1998)

The scientific experts group which the Commission convenes for the purpose of classification of
hazardous substances is discussing the results of the available toxicological studies for diethanolamine
(DEA). The next meeting will probably allow them to finalise their advice. The studies on the carcinogenic
effects of DEA will be given special attention on that occasion.

The new classification of DEA will be presented for insertion into Annex I to Directive 67/548/EEC on the
classification packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (1), in accordance with the regulatory
committee procedure provided under Article 29, at one of the forthcoming adaptations to technical
progress.

(1) OJ 196, 16.8.1967.