WRITTEN QUESTION E-3903/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Damage to children's brains caused by neurotoxins used in farming as crop protection products.
Date: 2000-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: health legislation, health risk, human nutrition, plant health product

C 261 E/10

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

According to the French Presidency(cid:146)s report on the Common European Security and Defence Policy,
2.
endorsed at the European Council in Nice, on the basis of the decisions taken by the Feira European
Council and in close consultation with NATO, the European Union has, during the French Presidency,
continued preparations for establishing a permanent and effective relationship between the two organisa-
tions. The documents annexed to the Presidency(cid:146)s report on the permanent arrangements for EU/NATO
consultation and cooperation and the implementation of paragraph 10 of the Washington communiquØ
constitute the EU(cid:146)s contribution to work on future arrangements between the two organisations.

The final communiquØ of the ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council, held at NATO
3.
headquarters on 14 and 15 December 2000, stated that the members of NATO had noted and welcomed
the proposals made by the European Council at Nice for permanent arrangements to ensure full
transparency, consultation and cooperation between NATO and the EU.

4.
On 22 January 2001 the Council welcomed the positive reaction of the ministerial meeting of the
North Atlantic Council of 14 and 15 December 2000 to the EU proposals on the permanent arrangements
for EU-NATO consultation and cooperation which were contained in the Presidency report on the
in Nice. Further to the
European Security and Defence Policy endorsed by the European Council
communiquØ of the ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council regarding the frequency of meetings,
the Council confirmed that meetings between the North Atlantic Council and the Political and Security
Committee would be held not less than three times, and EU/NATO ministerials not less than once, per EU
Presidency. Either organisation could request additional meetings as necessary. The Council noted with
satisfaction the identity of views between the EU and NATO.

5.
The Presidency informed the Secretary-General of NATO of the Council(cid:146)s conlusions of 22 January
2001 on EU-NATO relations. On that basis it concluded that the EU and NATO were in agreement on the
permanent arrangements for consultation and cooperation.

(2001/C 261 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3903/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Damage to children(cid:146)s brains caused by neurotoxins used in farming as crop protection products

Is the Commission aware that crop protection products used in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables
1.
are strengthened after they are combined following human consumption and that because of the effect
they have on the human nervous system they can harm the development of the brain?

2.
Can the Commission confirm that the current rules within the European Union for determining
maximum values for the amount of neurotoxins in food are based on the impact of each poison
individually, but that insufficient account is taken of the consequences of combining different types of
toxins?

3.
Can the Commission also confirm that, in contrast to the more stringent American standards, the
rules currently in force in the European Union on neurotoxins take no account of the great vulnerability of
children?

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/11

Can the Commission confirm the research findings of the leading Dutch organisations Consumen-
4.
tenbond and Stichting Natuur en milieu which show that grapes from Greece and Italy contain on average
four or five sorts of toxin including, on average, one neurotoxin, with the result that roughly one third of
grapes from those countries would be unsuitable for consumption by children in accordance with
American standards, and that the situation regarding French apples is comparable?

5. What is the Commission doing to prevent the sale of fruit and vegetables polluted by neurotoxins
and to ensure that the standards within the European Union are as strict as those applied by the United
States?

(Source: Consumentengids, vol. 48, no. 12 December 2000)

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 April 2001)

The Commission is aware that the consumption of different commodities may lead to the cumulative
uptake of residues but considers that the current authorisation system for crop protection products
provides for adequate safety margins, particularly when combined with the constant monitoring of actual
residue levels in food.

The Commission confirms that the current regulatory system for pesticide residues in food is generally
individual active substances from all dietary sources. The
based on the assessment of
Commission does not agree with the view of the Honourable Member that insufficient account is taken
of the consequences of combining different types of toxins since this is done wherever possible with the
available accepted methodologies. Such methodologies are continually under review and the Commission
actively encourages their improvement.

intakes of

The Commission does not agree with the view of the Honourable Member and can ensure him that
European standards are no less stringent than American standards. Risk assessment includes both hazard
and exposure considerations and the resulting overall level of protection is defined by the conservatism
applied when both parameters of this calculation are combined. Although the American hazard assessment
may be, at times, more conservative than the European one, this is offset by more conservative European
exposure estimates. The special situation of children is fully considered when the Commission sets
standards in this area.

Without access to all the underlying data the Commission cannot comment on the publication of the
Dutch (cid:145)Consumentenbond stichting Natuur en Milieu(cid:146). However, the Commission is aware that experts
from the Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport have evaluated the publication and found its
conclusions to be misleading and not supported by the data. The results of national and Community-co-
ordinated monitoring programmes for pesticides residues in cereals, fruit and vegetables consistently show
that 98 % of the samples taken do not contain residues above the Community standards. In the cases
where maximum residue levels (MRLs) are exceeded (similar to the American rate), assessments indicate no
threat to health. The Commission and Member States make every effort to bring this number down
further.

Community and national monitoring programmes provide information on compliance with MRLs, which
is used in enforcing the relevant legislation.
In addition, the Commission is developing harmonised
guidelines in order to further improve reporting by Member States of infringements of MRLs of pesticides
in foodstuffs of plant origin through the Rapid Alert System. This will ensure that action is taken on a
more consistent basis, providing all consumers in the Community with the same level of protection.