WRITTEN QUESTION E-2399/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Cleaning up the legacy of asbestos pollution in the European Union.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air quality, asbestos, directive (EU), environmental protection, hazardous waste, health risk, market approval, pollution control measures

C 330 E/10

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.11.2000

applied by each Member State to regulation of products emitting low level radiation, for example in
relation to the import of wastes, component and finished products; discharges into air or cross border
waterways; import of meat and livestock from overseas countries whose standards are less strict than the
EU(cid:146)s.

(1) OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2000)

Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996, establishes the basic safety standards for the protection
of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. The
Directive must be implemented in national legislation by May 2000. It replaces the previous standards laid
down in Council Directive 80/836/Euratom as amended by Directive 84/467/Euratom (1). Since the first
standards were introduced in 1959, revisions have regularly been adopted to take account of evolving
knowledge of the effects of ionising radiation and operational experience in radiation protection.

The new Directive addresses the issue of very low levels of radioactivity in consumer goods in a more
coherent and restrictive way than previously. Exemption values below which sources need not be reported,
are in general much lower than before. This guarantees that such goods can circulate freely. The possible
exposure of the population as a result of trace amounts of radioactivity is negligible.

The basic safety standards ensure uniform introduction in Member States(cid:146) legislation of exemption values.
For the release of materials which can be re-used or recycled, the new Directive specifies the basis for
setting clearance levels. These are set by Member States, taking Community guidance into account.

With regard to discharges of effluents in air or waterways, it is up to Member States to set the discharge
limits, while respecting the dose limit to members of the public. However, under Article 37 of the Euratom
Treaty, Member States submit to the Commission general data on each plan for the disposal of radioactive
waste, and the Commission gives an opinion whether this is liable to affect the environment of other
Member States.

With regard to foodstuffs, Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 of 22 March 1990 on the conditions
governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the
Chernobyl nuclear power station (2) establishes maximum permitted levels of radioactivity for the import
from third countries. Compliance with these levels is ensured by Member States.

(1) OJ L 265, 5.10.1984.
(2) OJ L 82, 29.3.1990.

(2000/C 330 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2399/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Cleaning up the legacy of asbestos pollution in the European Union

The use of asbestos fibres has been banned since 1997 because of the risk to public health. This legacy of
pollution therefore needs to be disposed of as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. A detailed inventory of
asbestos and clear directives on disposal are of the utmost importance in this respect.

1.
Does the Commission have an accurate and detailed inventory of the (cid:145)historical(cid:146) use of asbestos in the
15 EU Member States on the basis of sales figures of the asbestos producers? If not, will the Commission
set about creating such an inventory so that disposal can be carried out rapidly and efficiently in the near
future?

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

How much asbestos was produced and used in the European Union in 1997?

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, in how many factories was asbestos used?

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, in how many office buildings was asbestos used?

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, in how many homes was asbestos used?

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, in how many school buildings was asbestos used?

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, which buildings need to be cleaned up as a matter of priority?

8. What directives has the Commission drafted to achieve a rapid and efficient disposal of the legacy of
asbestos pollution?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 2000)

The marketing and use of five of the six different types of asbestos have been banned in the Community
since 1991. On 26 July 1999, the Commission adopted Directive 1999/77/EC of 26 July 1999 adapting to
technical progress for the sixth time Annex I to Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of
the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the
marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (asbestos) (1) which extends this ban
to all types of asbestos from 1 January 2005 at the latest. There are only very limited exceptions to this
ban, and these will be reviewed by the Commission before 1 January 2003. This Directive should prevent
any increase in the stock of asbestos in the Community.

The Commission does not have a detailed inventory of the use of asbestos in the Member States.

The Commission does not have the information requested in items 2-7 of the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
questions.

Asbestos waste is subject to general waste legislation, namely Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July
1975 on waste (2) (as modified). Furthermore, asbestos waste constitutes hazardous waste under Council
Directive 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 (3) when it is contained in insulation materials present in
construction and demolition waste. Council Directive 87/217/EEC of 19 March 1987 on the prevention
and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos (4) contains some basic rules as regards the removal
and disposal of asbestos waste. Those provisions do not require a rapid and efficient disposal of such
asbestos waste.

(1) OJ L 207, 6.8.1999.
(2) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(3) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991.
(4) OJ L 85, 28.3.1987.

(2000/C 330 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2451/99

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Overlapping of meetings of the Commission and of the European Parliament

The Commission regularly organises meetings or (press) conferences on dates which coincide with part-
sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg or Brussels. On Friday 19 November 1999, for example,
Commissioner Kinnock held a press conference and working luncheon in The Hague which MEPs were
also invited to attend, although the European Parliament was sitting in Strasbourg on that day.

Does not the Commission agree that such overlapping of meetings and conferences is undesirable,

1.
given that the Commission has to attend meetings of Parliament?