WRITTEN QUESTION E-2782/02 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Fluoride in public water supply.
Date: 2002-10-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, European standard, application of EU law, drinking water, fluorine, health policy, human nutrition, public health, water treatment

C 137 E/118

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

12.6.2003

Most of the British trunks roads are already represented in accident rate maps. Similarly, maps exist for
trunk roads of the Netherlands and for a few roads in Sweden. To date, EuroRAP has not received finance
from the Union, but EuroRAP plans to develop further their approach and transfer it to three more
countries in cooperation with local automobile clubs during the next months. For this work, a grant
application has been submitted to the Commission. At this point in time, no concrete plans exist to extend
it to Belgium, but in the medium term this could be feasible.

To reduce the number of fatalities by 2010 by half, the Commission has proposed a set of measures in its
White Paper on ‘European transport policy for 2010 (1)’, such as best practice of a more harmonised road
engineering, black spot management and road safety audits.

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.

(2003/C 137 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2778/02

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(3 October 2002)

Subject: European identity card

Article 17 of the EC Treaty confers citizenship of the Union on every citizen of a Member State. In the
absence of a European identity card Community legislation stipulates that only two documents can be used
to prove the nationality of a European citizen in the event of a check inside the Community (cid:1) a national
identity card or passport.

In this context, does the Commission not consider that the relevant documents should also include the
residence permit?

Does it not consider that a residence permit, precisely because it is issued by the public authorities of the
place of residence on the basis of data taken from the national identity card or passport, is as valid and
official as identity papers?

issued by virtue of a
Does the Commission not consider that not recognising the residence permit,
European legislative act, as valid evidence of identity would mean undermining the concept of European
citizenship enshrined in the EC Treaty?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2002)

The Commission would refer
Mr Bodrato (1).

(1) OJ C 110 E, 8.5.2003, p. 40.

the Honourable Member

to its answer

to written E-2300/02 by

(2003/C 137 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2782/02

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 October 2002)

Subject: Fluoride in public water supply

Is it permissible for a minister for health in any of the EU Member States to forcibly medicate any part of a
population with random doses of a medicinally unproven and unlicensed substance, i.e. fluosilic acid?

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/119

And can the Commission outline any single scientific or clinical, objective, long-term study to show that
fluosilic acid in drinking water at any concentration has any beneficial effect on human health?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 November 2002)

The issue of
fluoridation of drinking water is addressed under Council Directive 80/778/EEC of
15 July 1980 relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (1), which will be replaced
by 25 December 2003 by the new Drinking Water Directive, Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November
1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (2). The approach followed by the
Commission in the development of this legislation has been to set limit values, which should not be
exceeded, for a series of substances and fluoride in particular; the maximum permitted levels have been
fixed on the basis of the available scientific knowledge in order to protect human health. The choice of the
means to bring the quality of the drinking water in line with Community legislation has always been left to
the Member States themselves. Fluoridation, like other water treatment processes, is an issue that should be
addressed by the national authorities, as the Commission believes that is the most appropriate place to deal
with it. This line has been endorsed by all Member States and the Commission is not aware that, up to
now, this approach has been called into question by Member States themselves.

Fluorosilic acid is manufactured to exacting quality standards, must meet strict purity standards and is
always added at rigorous and controlled doses in drinking water.

The values fixed in the Directive are based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
According to them, the value of 1,5 miligrams (mg) per litre for fluoride represents an appropriate balance
between the positive and negative effects of fluoride. Drinking water is not the only source of fluoride to
which people (and children in particular) are exposed; this has also been taken into consideration when
fixing the guideline. This guideline is supported by a series of studies or papers that are referred to in the
guidelines.

In the present context of Community legislation on drinking water, where Community-wide quality
objectives must be reached by all Member States but where the choice of means to achieve them is left to
the latter, the Commission is neither for or against the practice of drinking water fluoridation.

The Commission is, nevertheless, very conscious of the health risks associated with the excessive ingestion
of fluoridated compounds which may also result from the use of fluoridated toothpaste, fluoride rinses,
fluoride treatments in dental offices, food and beverages. The Commission is very aware of this issue and
will continue to follow it very closely.

(1) OJ L 229, 30.8.1980.
(2) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.

(2003/C 137 E/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2783/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 October 2002)

Subject: EU Water Initiative for WSSD

The Commission set out the details of the EU Water Initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development.

What practical steps does it intend to take before the end of 2003 to ensure that its objectives are turned
into reality?