WRITTEN QUESTION E-1575/00 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Relation between mortality rates and air pollution.
Date: 2000-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Greece, atmospheric pollutant, mortality

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/79

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

(19 July 2000)

The Commission has been active in building environmental considerations into all measures to be financed
under the 3rd Community support framework. Particular attention has been paid to the areas forming part
of the Natura 2000 network, i.e. areas that receive protection under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of
2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (1) and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on
the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (2). For these areas an agreement has been
established under which all Member States accept the commitment to finance measures that will not cause
any damage to these areas. When required, Member States will proceed with the designation of additional
areas to the network.

The Commission has not received any official notification of the draft presidential decree aiming to drop
the characterisation of forest areas in Greece. There is also no notification of any complaints about this
draft decree. The area covered by the Pentelikon mountain has not received any characterisation as a
Natura 2000 area and the Commission is not aware of any kind of protection status applied at European
level.

As any land characterised as a forest area is protected in Greece under the Greek Constitution, the
Commission considers that it is for the Council of State to examine all the necessary information in order
to reply on the acceptability of the proposed decree. Bearing in mind that the Pentelikon area does not
form part of the Natura 2000 network site for Greece, the Commission cannot make any effective
suggestion to the Greek State in relation to funds available under the 3rd Community support framework.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 72 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1575/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Relation between mortality rates and air pollution

(23 May 2000)

In reply to my recent question (E-2270/99) (1) concerning ozone levels in Greece, the Commission stated
that the cost-benefit analysis of the proposal showed that benefits were higher than costs. For the first time
in an EU document, tables 9 to 12 of the annex to the explanatory memorandum of the proposal for a
directive on national emission ceilings (COM(1999) 125) (2) give figures which, upon analysis, yield actual
mortality rates.

As these figures are extremely alarming and any conclusions that may be drawn by a non-expert reading
of the document are fraught with risk, will the Commission say:

1. what the probable number of fatalities is in Greece on the basis of which the total benefits were
calculated in tables 9 to 12 of the annex (99/0067 COD) concerning acute and chronic mortality,

2. how the same calculations were made for morbidity, and

3. why two different parameters, VOSL and VOLU, are used?

(1) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000, p. 135.
(2) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 34.

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

(10 July 2000)

1.
Tables 10 and 11 of the explanatory memorandum accompanying the proposal for a directive on
national emission ceilings (COM(1999) 125) illustrate the monetised benefits resulting from emission

C 72 E/80

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

control measures additional to those proscribed in existing legislation (i.e. benefits additional to those
associated with the (cid:145)Reference(cid:146) scenario). These benefits result from emissions reductions beyond the
reference scenario for the four pollutants comprising nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ammonia. The monetised benefits calculated for Greece are based upon
a reduced level of premature mortality (70 cases) related to short-term exposure to ozone and secondary
particulate matter, and a decrease of approximately 1700 in life years lost.

2.
The analysis starts with quantification of the change in exposure of the population and sensitive
groups which results from the emission reduction of the Commission proposal. In order to quantify the
change in incidence of the effects of air pollution, exposure response functions are applied for various
types of illnesses and diseases. Several types of health impact on morbidity were considered including acute
effects such as bronchidolator usage in asthmatics, cough in asthmatics, lower respiratory symptoms in
asthmatics, asthma attacks, respiratory hospital admissions, congestive heart
failure, cerebrovascular
hospital admissions, restrictive activity days and chronic effects such as incidence of bronchitis, cough.
Benefits are quantified using information on willingness to pay to avoid these illnesses, combined with the
costs for medical treatment, etc.

3.
The monetised values that are attached to chronic and acute mortality impacts are difficult to assess
and the subject of much debate. To indicate the range of results that can be derived from different
assumptions, the Commission(cid:146)s study employs two different approaches:
it considers the value of a
statistical life (VOSL) and the value of a lost life year (VOLY).

The VOSL technique assesses the willingness-to-pay of individuals to reduce the risk of mortality. The
result is an indicator of the importance that people attach to risk, and not an assessment of how valuable
life is per se. The approach taken here used relatively conservative estimates of € 2,2 million as the VOSL
for acute mortality effects and € 1,1 million for the VOSL for chronic mortality effects. There has been
some debate about the appropriateness of using the VOSL for cases where the reduction in life expectancy
attributable to exposure is small. An alternative approach is to attach a value to each life year lost (VOLY)
as a result of premature mortality, thereby adjusting for the short life expectancy of those affected. The
Commission(cid:146)s study uses a value of € 110 000 a life year lost for acute mortality and € 67 000 for chronic
mortality.

However, it can also be argued that the VOLY approach is inconsistent with the empirical evidence on the
relation between age and willingness to pay to avoid risk. Rather than address the debate between VOSL
and VOLY directly, the benefit assessment uses both approaches to indicate the sensitivity of the benefits
analysis to this issue. Therefore, for both chronic and acute health effects there are two measures of the
benefits, of which the lower estimates reflect the use of the VOLY approach and the higher estimates the
VOSL approach.

(2001/C 72 E/095)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1579/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(24 May 2000)

Subject:

(cid:145)European Museum(cid:146) project

The Treaty lays down that the Community (cid:145)shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member
States, while respecting their national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing the common
cultural heritage to the fore(cid:146). In its answer to Written Question E-2461/99, the Council said nothing about
applying this Community objective to the (cid:145)European Museum(cid:146) project.

Given the project(cid:146)s progress and the possible involvement of EU institutions, I should be grateful if the
Council would answer the following questions:

1.

Is the possible selection of the (cid:145)Empire of Charlemagne(cid:146) as the historical starting point of the
(cid:145)European Museum(cid:146) in compliance with the treaty provision referred to above?

(a)

If so, what arguments can the Council advance to reconcile it with the treaty provision that the
Community (cid:145)shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, (cid:133) and at the
same time bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore(cid:146)?