WRITTEN QUESTION P-1087/01 by Ulla Sandbæk (EDD) to the Commission. Discharge of pesticides and the sixth environment action programme.
Date: 2001-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, environmental protection, groundwater, pesticide, water pollution

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/167

theoretically possible for the diseases in question (cid:129) most of which occur in the elderly (cid:129) to be properly
treated, if not cured, even without storage of the stem cells. The firm pays NLG 2 170 (ca. € 983) for
storage, removal, transport and processing of the stem cells. The campaign plays on the concern of
prospective parents to prevent illness, and the fear of death.

The Commission:

1. Can it say whether this firm, or comparable commercial organisations, operates in other Member

States, too, and under what conditions (costs, payments etc.)?

2. What is its view of the potentially misleading nature of offers such as those made by CRYO-Cell?

3. Will it submit this matter to the European ethics committee for an opinion on the desirability of such

companies?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

The Commission has no information on the existence of comparable commercial organisations in the
Community.

No Community legislation currently exists on this type of service. It falls to the Member States to deal with
the problem.

Opinion No 15 on ethical aspects of human stem cell research published in November 2000 by the
European Group on Ethics (EGE) mentions, by way of information, the existence of umbilical cord blood
banks for the treatment of leukaemia or aplastic anaemia after chemotherapy, and the possibility of
systematically retrieving cells from the umbilical cord blood at birth and freezing them in order to have
autologous stem cells available in case of later need. However, in its opinion No 15 the group did not
address the ethical aspects specific to this type of activity.

Under the revised remit of the EGE adopted by the Commission on 26 March 2001, and especially
Article 2 thereof, Parliament may draw the Commission(cid:146)s attention to matters that it considers ought to be
referred to the EGE.

(2001/C 340 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1087/01

by Ulla Sandb(cid:230)k (EDD) to the Commission

(26 March 2001)

Subject: Discharge of pesticides and the sixth environment action programme

In its sixth environment action programme, the Commission highlights the fact that 65 % of the drinking
water in Europe comes from groundwater, which should be viewed in the light of the steadily increasing
level of pollution of groundwater by pesticides throughout Europe. The Commission(cid:146)s objective in this field
is to achieve a situation in which the concentration of pesticides in our surroundings do not entail
significant risks to or impacts on human health and the environment. To achieve that goal, according to
the Commission, the risk involved in the use of pesticides must be reduced.

What specific targets,
Commission working towards to put an end to pesticide pollution of ground water?

including deadlines and maximum values for residue concentrations,

is the

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, what constitutes significant risks to or impacts on human health and the
environment, and what practical steps will the Commission take to minimise the risk involved in and
ensure better control of the use of pesticides?

C 340 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

What, in specific terms, does a revision of Directive 91/414 (1) concerning the placing of plant protection
products on the market entail, and how is that in keeping with the Commission(cid:146)s objectives?

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

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

(31 May 2001)

On water protection policy, the Community has just finalised a thorough review, by adopting in October
2000 the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (1). This Directive sets the legally binding objective that
all waters including groundwaters have to achieve good status within a set deadline of 15 years at the
latest. Such (cid:145)good status(cid:146) is further defined as being in compliance with quality standards applicable under
other relevant Community legislation.

Tools for achieving such good status are programmes of measures to be established and implemented in
a legally binding way, in order to achieve the defined target within the deadline. Those programmes of
measures have to follow a combined approach of addressing pollution at the source (emission control) and
quality standards for water. The programmes are complementary to existing Community legislation
relevant for water protection, including the Plant Protection Directive 91/414/EEC (2), without of course
changing their already set implementation deadlines.

The Commission is currently preparing a report to the Parliament and Council on Directive 91/414/EEC
where this issue will be addressed.

For particularly hazardous substances a (cid:145)phasing out(cid:146) is foreseen within a maximum time frame of 2020,
i.e. a cessation of discharges, emissions and losses. Details are to be addressed by specific measures as
foreseen in Article 16 of the Water Framework Directive. The Commission has already presented to the
Parliament and Council the list of (cid:145)priority hazardous substances(cid:146) including the substances to be phased
out (3). Amongst those substances to be phased out is one pesticide (lindane) where a Commission Decision
to withdraw all plant protection uses from the market was taken last December (4), others are under a re-
evaluation process at EU level.

However, meeting maximum admissible quality standards for groundwater is not sufficient. This is why the
Water Framework Directive aims at preventing any upward trends of groundwater pollution, be it by
pesticides or other pollutants. Details have to be addressed by specific measures as foreseen in Article 17 of
the Water Framework Directive, and the Commission is obliged to present to the Parliament and Council
a Proposal for a Daughter Directive on Groundwater Protection by December 2002.

Moreover the Commission is currently preparing a thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.
(2) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.
(3) COM(2001) 17 final.
(4) OJ L 324, 21.12.2000.

(2001/C 340 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1092/01

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 April 2001)

Subject: Licensing of SSB radio equipment

According to the (cid:145)Nederlands Staatscourant(cid:146) (Netherlands Official Gazette) No 236, the sale and use of AM/
FM/SSB/CB radio equipment is authorised in the Netherlands with effect from 1 March. The authorisation
will cover 40-channel sets with AM, FM and SSB modulation. The maximum output power will be 4
Watts.