WRITTEN QUESTION E-0709/00 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Sellafield and Cap de La Hague reprocessing plants.
Date: 2000-03-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Lower Normandy, North West (England), fuel reprocessing, health risk, marine pollution

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/19

(2001/C 53 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0709/00

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Sellafield and Cap de La Hague reprocessing plants

(17 March 2000)

As a signatory to the OSPAR Convention,
the Commission is pursuing the objective of reducing
radioactivity levels in the entire biotope of European sees and the North-East Atlantic to the natural level
by the year 2020. In a question tabled in January attention was repeatedly drawn to the continuing
contamination of European seas by the Sellafield and Cap de La Hague nuclear reprocessing plants.

The OSPAR Convention states that the measured values for artificial man-made radionuclides should
1.
be as close to zero as possible by the year 2020 in the entire biotope of European seas and the North-East
Atlantic. In view of trends in values recorded over recent years, does the Commission believe that the
continued operation of the reprocessing plants can be reconciled with this objective? If so, what scientific
basis (pleas quote studies) or other evidence is there for this belief?

2. What thought has the Commission given to the question of whether the continuing low-dose
radiation of many successive generations of inhabitants of the contaminated coastal areas will give rise to
genetic damage? If
for this
assessment?

is the scientific basis (please quote studies)

it sees no such risk, what

3.
Does the Commission intend, in cooperation with the OSPAR commission, to subject the reproces-
sing facilities to more rigorous inspections from now on? What future action and measures, including
budgetary aspects, are planned by the Commission to achieve the objectives set out by the OSPAR
signatories?

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

(18 May 2000)

1.
In signing the Oslo-Paris (OSPAR) Sintra statement of 23 July 1998 the signatory ministers and the
Commission emphasised their commitment to a number of aims of OSPAR set out in that political
statement. Specifically, in respect of radioactive substances, the contracting parties, meeting within the
framework of the OSPAR commission, committed themselves to ensuring that discharges, emissions and
losses of radioactive substances are reduced by the year 2020 to levels where the additional concentrations
in the marine environment, above historic levels, resulting from such discharges, emissions and losses, are
close to zero. At that time the contracting parties adopted an objective and strategy for the purposes of
directing the future work of
the OSPAR commission with regard to radioactive substances. The
responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of measures in that strategy, and progress made, rests with
the OSPAR commission by quinquennial review and, if necessary, modification of the strategy.

The Commission is committed to assisting the OSPAR commission in its work. The OSPAR strategy
2.
the OSPAR commission identify
with regard to radioactive substances includes a commitment that
radioactive substances and human activities which give rise to concern about the impact of discharges,
emissions or losses of radioactive substances and that this identification should take account of results of
scientific investigations relevant to radioactive substances in the marine environment. Assessments made,
and the programmes and measures adopted, to achieve the OSPAR commission(cid:146)s objective, involve among
other things the application of the precautionary principle. The work of the OSPAR commission would
therefore be expected to address adequately the scientific issues the Honourable Member raises.

3.
The Commission is committed to participating in the work of OSPAR at a number of levels in
respect of radioactive substances and is undertaking a study for the update of the Mar(cid:237)na project on the
radiological exposure of the Community from radioactivity in North European marine waters. This work is
mentioned in the OSPAR strategy with regard to radioactive substances and the Commission has taken
account of the views of OSPAR, regarding the scope and nature of the study, in order to assist the OSPAR
commission(cid:146)s work. As part of its strategy with respect to radioactive substances OSPAR is looking in
detail at reprocessing. The OSPAR commission(cid:146)s strategy with regard to radioactive substances requires

C 53 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

OSPAR to take account of the outcome of a study by the nuclear energy agency of the Organisation for
economic cooperation and development (OECD) concerning a thorough review and assessment of the
reprocessing and non-reprocessing options for spent fuel management. The OECD has involved the
Commission in the preparation of this report for OSPAR. The Commission will continue to carry out a
programme of verifications in Member States under Article 35 Euratom Treaty. The Commission does not
have any plans to carry out inspections of reprocessing facilities in co-operation with the OSPAR
commission, since, while the Commission has a right of access under Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty,
this would be outside the OSPAR commission(cid:146)s mandate.

(2001/C 53 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0722/00

by Carles-Alfred Gas(cid:242)liba i B(cid:246)hm (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 March 2000)

Subject: Community procedure for the recording and placing on the market of active substances and plant

protection products

Council Directive 91/414/EEC (1) of 15 July 1991 introduced a new system for the recording and placing
on the market of plant protection products, together with a non-standard procedure for the recording of
active substances and products containing those substances, which hitherto had been produced and
circulated freely. SMEs are now feeling the severe impact of this unusual state of affairs as the number of
substances added to Annex I of the Directive grows. In some instances, a party which gives notification of
an active substance included in Annex I interprets Article 13(3)(d) of the Directive for its own ends rather
than in keeping with Community principles and allows a third party to gain access to supplies of the
substance and to the protected data it has requested, but charges outrageous prices in the process and
attaches unreasonable conditions, given the market concerned. Those with exclusive rights take this course
of action to force small and medium-sized competitors which have been working with such substances
until their inclusion under Annex I of the Directive off the market.

Is the Commission aware of the threat which the aforementioned practice, based on a specific reading of
the Directive, poses to SMEs in the plant protection sector? Likewise, is it aware of the danger which might
emerge for traditional producers of active substances or manufacturers of plant protection products which
use certain active substances in their products?

Is it the Commission(cid:146)s intention to permit such a practice?

Does the Commission intend to ensure that third parties seeking access to protected data should pay fixed
amounts based exclusively on the cost of the file drawn up by the first notifying party, irrespective of the
intended use of the data, and on the nature of applicants(cid:146) products, their share of the market and their
capacity and potential in terms of distribution and marketing? What measures does it intend to adopt to
counteract the adverse effects of the Directive on SMEs in the sector?

(1) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(28 April 2000)

The use of plant protection products is regulated by Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 (1)
concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. The main objectives of this Directive
are to (a) ensure a high level of protection of human health, for the consumer and for the producers of
agricultural commodities, (b) ensure a high level of protection of the environment and resources and (c)
ensure free circulation of plant protection products and agricultural produce in the Community.

The Directive provides for a positive list of accepted active substances that are considered as safe for
human and animal health and the environment after a thorough evaluation. Member States can only
authorise a plant protection product if the active substances it contains are listed in the positive list and