WRITTEN QUESTION E-3582/01 by Ulla Sandbæk (EDD) to the Commission. MTBE.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: chemical product, consumer protection, dangerous substance, environmental protection, environmental risk prevention, exchange of information, health control, health risk

C 172 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2002)

The Commission closely followed the recent events concerning Mr Mohammed Salih during his stay in the
Czech Republic. The Commission Delegation in Prague was immediately informed of Mr Salih’s arrest and
of the position of human rights organisations. It raised the issue at a meeting of EU ambassadors in
Prague. Contacts were also made with the Norwegian Ambassador in Prague, who confirmed his
government’s support for Mr Salih and the fact that he was in touch with the Czech authorities on the
matter. The Delegation was also informed of the close attention President Havel was personally giving to
the case. In agreement with the EU presidency it was decided only to make representations to the Czech
authorities if the initiatives already under way failed. The successful outcome of the matter was welcomed
by the Commission.

The Commission is fully aware of the human rights situation in Uzbekistan. The issue was raised at the last
Cooperation Committee meeting in Tashkent on 23 November 2001.
In accordance with the
Commission’s undertaking, the subject is addressed whenever the Commission has contact with the
Uzbek authorities. On the November 2001 visit to Brussels of the Uzbek troika,
led by Uzbekistan’s
Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdulaziz Kamilov (who also met Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs), the
Commission again broached the subject of human rights and the democratisation process in Uzbekistan.
Until recently the Uzbek authorities’ response had changed little from that given to the Parliament
delegation at the June 2001 Tashkent meeting of the Parliamentary Committee set up by the partnership
and cooperation agreement.

At the Cooperation Council meeting held in Brussels on 29 January the matter was once again raised both
by the Council Presidency and by the Commission. Progress became apparent: for the first time Mr Kamilov
did not react with irritation to mention of the subject. He said that his government actively wished to
improve the situation, but that democratic transition was slow since Uzbekistan was emerging from 70
years of Soviet domination and culture. The Uzbek authorities have already taken specific measures.
Mr Kamilov welcomed the agreement with the International Red Cross on prison visiting. He said that the
government wished to extend the scope of the agreement to all places of detention. He also referred to the
Ombudsman’s increasingly active role in dealing with human rights in Uzbekistan.

The Commission assures the Honourable Member that the points raised in his parliamentary question are
regularly addressed by the Commission in meetings with the community of European investors held in
Uzbekistan. Particular attention is given to respect for the rule of law (of major importance for private
economic operators) by the Uzbek authorities, in particular the judicial authorities.

(2002/C 172 E/095)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3582/01

by Ulla Sandbæk (EDD) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: MTBE

Can the Commission state what progress has been made on the risk reduction strategy for the petrol
additive MTBE? What does the strategy consist of, and is MTBE to be banned?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

The substance tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) is a high production volume chemical mainly used as a fuel
additive in petrol. Other uses are in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and laboratories.

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/93

Within the framework of Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93 of 23 March 1993 (1) on the evaluation and
control of the risks of existing substances, MTBE was put on a priority list of chemicals for evaluation of
the risks to man and the environment (cf. Commission Regulation (EC) No 143/97 (2)).

Commission Recommendation 2001/838/EC of 7 November 2001 (3) adopted at Community level the
results of the risk evaluation and the risk reduction strategies for the substance MTBE.

The main concerns identified were:

@ repeated dose local skin effects as a consequence of exposure arising from maintenance operations and

automotive repair;

@ the potability of drinking water in respect of taste and odour as a consequence of exposure arising

from leaking underground storage tanks and spillage from overfilling of the storage tanks.

The recommended measures include:

@ for workers: to investigate how to improve the design of fuel filter position in cars and fuel pumps so

to facilitate maintenance and repair work while aiming at minimum skin exposure to petrol;

@ for humans exposed via the environment:

it is considered that measures, aiming at protection of

groundwater will contribute to preventing the contamination of drinking water;

@ for

the environment:

it

is recommended that monitoring programmes be undertaken, where

appropriate, in order to permit the early detection of groundwater contaminated by MTBE.

It is further recommended that the best available techniques be widely applied for the construction and
operation of petrol underground storage and distribution facilities at service stations.
In this regard
Member States should consider mandatory requirements especially for all service stations in groundwater
recharge areas. Furthermore, it is recommended that harmonised technical standards for the construction
and operation of the storage tanks be developed at a European level by the European Committee for
Standardisation (CEN). Potential past release sites, located on critical areas, should be investigated and,
where necessary, remediated.

Furthermore, exchange of information on these programmes and their results should be promoted.

It is also recommended that MTBE containing bottom waters of above-ground storage tanks be controlled
by plant permits (4) or national rules. To facilitate the permitting (as well as any fixing of national rules)
these issues are included in the ongoing work to develop guidance on ‘Best Available Techniques’ (BAT) (5).
It is recommended that Member States carefully monitor the implementation of BAT in this respect and
report any important developments in BAT to the Commission in the framework of the exchange of
information on BAT.

On the basis of existing data and scientific knowledge, there are insufficient grounds to propose that MTBE
be banned.

(1) OJ L 84, 5.4.1993.
(2) OJ L 25, 28.1.1997.
(3) OJ L 319, 4.12.2001.
(4) Plant permits issued under Council Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control

(OJ L 257, 10.10.1996) or under national legislation.
(5) Work currently underway at Community level

framework of Council Directive 96/61/EC of
in the
24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (OJ L 257, 10.10.1996) in developing
BAT Reference Documents (BREFs) that cover MTBE production and handling, including design and management of
storage modes.