WRITTEN QUESTION E-3764/00 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission. Spanish government subsidies for use of silver iodide for anti-hail protection.
Date: 2000-12-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, Spain, chemical salt, degradation of the environment, environmental risk prevention, labelling, marketing, national financing, natural disaster

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/43

(2001/C 187 E/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3764/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Sornosa Mart(cid:237)nez (PSE) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: Spanish government subsidies for use of silver iodide for anti-hail protection

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture recently introduced a new category of subsidies to finance anti-hail
protection measures based on silver iodide, a substance which farmers(cid:146) organisations and others believe to
be extremely harmful both to the environment and to crops. This Spanish government measure has been
introduced with the assent of the insurance companies, who favour the use of this heavy metal since it
avoids them having to pay compensation for possible hail damage.

It has been proven that anti-hailstorm protection by means of fumigation with silver iodide (spreading it
by means of light aircraft or launching rockets into the air) provokes serious environmental damage and
can also lead to a reduction in rainfall as a result of the crystallisation of the water condensed in the clouds
(see data supplied by Seprona, the Spanish Nature Protection Service).

Despite these considerations raised by the farmers(cid:146) organisations, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture
approved, in August 2000, the subsidies for anti-hail protection measures based on silver iodide.

What action does the Commission intend to take to prevent the use of this metal, given its highly
damaging impact on agriculture and the environment in the Community?

(2001/C 187 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4006/00

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

(21 December 2000)

Subject: Use of silver iodide

Dry farming crops (dried fruit and olives) in the El Maestrat and Els Ports districts of the Valencian
Community have recently been suffering as a result of a peculiar lack of summer storms. Without these
storms, it is almost impossible to save the harvest. The drought in question may be being caused by the
unnatural manipulation of the weather; every time a storm threatens, various small planes fumigate the
area with silver iodide so as to prevent hail storms.

This substance, according to farmers(cid:146) collectives and ecologists, would appear to be toxic and extremely
harmful to the environment and to the crops.

The Spanish Government(cid:146)s State Official Gazette No 28 790 of 11 August 2000 records that the Ministry
of Agriculture gave the go ahead for subsidies for anti-hailstorm systems employing silver iodide.

Is the Commission aware of these facts?

Can the Commission tell me whether the use of this substance is banned, and if it is, what steps it intends
to take?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3764/00 and E-4006/00
given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2001)

To the Commission(cid:146)s knowledge silver iodide is produced in and/or imported into the Community at a rate
of no more than 10 tonnes per year. Information is collected on such substances and there is a risk
assessment in each individual case in pursuance of Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993
on the evaluation and control of the risks of existing substances (1) i.e. those substances that were on the