WRITTEN QUESTION P-2854/01 by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Approval of the hormone-disrupter vinclozolin as a pesticide.
Date: 2001-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: endocrine disease, market approval, marketing, pesticide, plant health product, public health, safety standard

C 115 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(19 December 2001)

The Commission has read reports in the Dutch press about investigations into the possibility of fraud

1.
in the case of the Abb project.

2.
The Abb project is currently investigated by the Dutch authorities, in particular the European Social
Fund (ESF) agency of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, which may refer the case to the
Dutch Prosecutor. The Commission will be informed about the outcome of these investigations.

3. and 6.
have given rise to fraudulent activities,
immediately asked the national authorities to follow up with proper legal procedures.

If the Commission had been aware of any dubious schemes and/or connections, which might
it would not have co-financed such schemes, and would have

4. and 5.
The Commission will not take any position with regard to this specific case before the
investigations under the responsibility of the Dutch authorities have been completed. Only once it has a
full picture of the case will the Commission decide in fine on the consequences it wants to draw. The
Commission’s general position on the issue is given under 3 and 6.

7. With regard to the Commission’s general position on the issue raise see answer 3. and 6. With regard
to the specific Abb case see answer 4. and 5.

(2002/C 115 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2854/01

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Approval of the hormone-disrupter vinclozolin as a pesticide

the
According to the Product Monitoring Centre of the Finnish Social Welfare and Health Service,
Commission is proposing that vinclozolin 7 a substance which has been shown to be hazardous to health
and to affect hormones 7 should be approved for pesticide use. Tests on rats have shown that oral
ingestion of vinclozolin causes tumours and infertility deriving from male animals.
It has not been
scientifically proven that humans are less sensitive to the effects of vinclozolin than rats. Vinclozolin is
used as a fungicide on berries, fruit, oleiferous plants, vegetables and ornamental plants. It is often sprayed
shortly before harvest, and its use gives rise to residues in foodstuffs. The use of vinclozolin is banned in
Finland, Sweden and Denmark. In the United States it has been assigned a safety factor of 10, which in
practice means that its use is banned.

According to the EU’s chemicals strategy, decisions must be based on the precautionary principle, and the
purpose of the Pesticides Directive is to ensure a high level of protection of public health and the
environment. How can the Commission account for the fact that at the same time it is proposing that
vinclozolin be approved?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2001)

Vinclozolin is an existing active substance used in plant protection products. It is currently being evaluated
in the framework of Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991, on the placing of plant protection
products on the market1 (1). The Directive provides that substances for which safe uses, according to the
criteria of the directive, have been demonstrated can be listed in its Annex I. Member States would then
have to grant authorisations of products containing the substance where the safety criteria of the directive
are fulfilled: according to these, there must be a further safety evaluation of the product in which it is
proposed to use the approved substance. Member States may also limit or prohibit the use of products
where this is justified by their particular circumstances (e.g. climate, diet).

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/177

The Community evaluation of vinclozolin is almost complete and although the Commission is currently
considering options for decision-making on the substance, it has not yet made a proposal on vinclozolin.
Pending a Community Decision on Annex I
listing, products containing vinclozolin are currently
authorised in 12 Member States.

(1) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.

(2002/C 115 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2856/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Infringement proceedings against Greece concerning application of the COM in cotton

In its answer to my Written Question E-4160/00 (1) concerning the administrative measures taken by
Greece to restrict areas for cotton growing,
the Commission states that ‘the Commission instituted
infringement proceedings against Greece under Article 226 of the EC Treaty’ for the 2000/2001 marketing
year and that ‘the Commission may decide to institute proceedings similar to those’ in respect of the 2001/
2002 marketing year.

Can the Commission provide details of the stage reached in the relevant proceedings for the 2000/2001
and the 2001/2002 marketing years?

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 150.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 2001)

As regards the measures taken by the Greek authorities to restrict areas for cotton growing in the
2000/2001 marketing year, the Honourable Member was informed in the reply to his Written Question
E-4160/00 that the Commission had started infringement proceedings against Greece under Article 226
(ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty and that the Commission reserved the position in respect of the
institution of similar proceedings in relation to the 2001/2002 marketing year.

The Commission decided to keep in abeyance the infringement procedure concerning the measures for the
2000/2001 marketing year until the Greek legal texts providing for the detailed measures of application of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001 of 22 May 2001 on production aid for cotton (1) and of
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the
cotton aid scheme (2), had been adopted. The Greek rules in question have been very recently supplied to
the Commission. The Commission services are currently looking into them with a view to propose to the
Commission a proper course of action to be followed in respect of this case.

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001.
(2) OJ L 210, 3.8.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2857/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Division of cotton growers’ production into eligible or ineligible for aid

By Decision 55645 of 24 September 2001 (Article 8(5)), the Greek Ministry of Agriculture is applying
‘individual quotas’ to cotton production and is allowing quantities of cotton for which aid will not be