WRITTEN QUESTION E-0948/01 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Use of alkyphenols.
Date: 2001-03-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: chemical product, consumer protection, health risk, market approval, product safety, substitute product, toxic substance

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/129

The subsidies awarded by the Commission by way of sponsorship for this diary have been as follows:

(cid:129) 1998/1999 academic year: € 32 000 (budget heading B3300; commitment introduced in 1998 by the
Directorate-General for Information, Communication, Culture and Audiovisual Media, formerly DG X);

(cid:129) 1999/2000 academic year: € 38 000 (budget heading B3306; commitment introduced in 1999 by the

Directorate-General for Education and Culture);

(cid:129) 2000/2001 academic year: as no call

for proposals was issued as part of the activities of the
Directorate-General for Press and Communication, no subsidy was awarded from the 2000 budget,
nor will any be awarded by that Directorate-General from the 2001 budget.

(2001/C 340 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0937/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Publication of the Lowe report on the ECHO fraud

(28 March 2001)

It is in the general
interest that the report drawn up by Philip Lowe, a senior Commission official,
concerning the irregularities at ECHO in respect of the three projects involving contracts with Messrs.
Perry Lux, in which large sums of money disappeared, be published.

When will the Commission be publishing this report and why has it not yet been published?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2001)

The report by Mr Lowe was drawn up for the purposes of an administrative investigation that was initiated
in order to clarify all the possible responsibilities for certain alleged actions and,
the
regularity of specific contracts signed by the Commission for financing humanitarian actions.

in particular,

The Commission grants very broad access to information to Parliament in order to ensure transparency
and openness. However, as already pointed out in the framework of the 1998 discharge procedure (1) two
exceptions to this access require and justify confidentiality. The first concerns sensitive reports on
administrative investigations which may lead to other procedures, and the second concerns detailed
minutes of the disciplinary board.

Mr Lowe(cid:146)s report necessarily contained references that have direct implications for individual rights. It
must, therefore, remain confidential and cannot be published.

(1) Statement by the Member of the Commission responsible for the budget in the plenary debates on 11 April 2000.

(2001/C 340 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0948/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Use of alkyphenols

1. Will the Commission indicate the current position on restrictions on the use of alkyphenols in EU
legislation and in the national laws of the Member States?

Is the Commission aware that alkyphenols are used in industrial detergents, spermicidal lubricants

2.
and pesticide sprays and are known hormone disrupters?

C 340 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

Is the Commission aware of alternative products that might be used to perform the same tasks

3.
without the same side-effects?

4.

Is the Commission satisfied with the current level of restrictions on the use of alkyphenols?

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

(14 June 2001)

The Commission is currently finalising the assessment of the risks to human health and environment,
under Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control of the risks of
existing substances (1), of two nonylphenols, with the United Kingdom as Rapporteur Member State: (a)
Phenol, 4-nonyl, branched (CAS Registry Number 84852-15-3); (b) Nonylphenol (CAS Registry Number
25154-52-3) and related derivatives (nonylphenol ethoxylates)

Nonylphenols and the nonylphenol ethoxylates are a family of products that constitute only a sub-group
of the larger group of alkylphenols.

Following the completion of this work, restrictions on the marketing and use of nonylphenols and
nonylphenol ethoxylates could be proposed, as appropriate.

To date, no Community measures have been adopted concerning alkylphenols in general.

The risk assessment reports indicate that the main use of these nonylphenols is as an intermediate in the
production of nonylphenol ethoxylates, which in turn are used in detergents and paints and in the
production of resins, plastics and stabilisers in the polymer industry. Other uses include the manufacture of
phenolic oximes for use outside the Community in the metal extraction industry and in some speciality
paints. The substance has a hormone disruptive ability. It also has several toxic properties, which occur at
exposures similar to those inducing hormone system disturbances.

The risk assessment reports determined that the substances pose risks to human health (workers) and the
environment (aquatic and terrestrial environment).

These conclusions were supported by the Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the
Environment in its opinion of 4 February 2000.

Work is currently underway in the framework of the Regulation to identify the specific additional
measures needed to control the identified risks. In this context issues related to substitution are also taken
into account. It is expected that this work will be completed in June 2001.

(1) OJ L 84, 5.4.1993.

(2001/C 340 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0950/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Use of Bisphenol A

Is the Commission satisfied that the current use of Bisphenol A is consistent with consumer safety? Will it
confirm that there is now scientific evidence that current human exposure is at about the same level as
that which causes damage to the reproductive system of mice, and that Bisphenol A is a known hormone
disrupter? Will it list the current uses of Bisphenol A known to the Commission and confirm its use in
protective coatings for tin cans,
in white dental fillings and in polycarbonate plastic bottles? Is the
Commission aware of alternative products that could be used to perform the same tasks without the same
side effects?