WRITTEN QUESTION E-3134/02 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Smog-related deaths.
Date: 2002-11-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, air quality, heating, metropolis, mortality, pollution control measures, prevention of pollution, substitute fuel, town traffic

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/95

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 2003)

The authorisation delivered by the Planning Authority for the reallocation of this gas plant has been
1.
based on an Environmental Planning Statement (EPS) that has been issued in accordance with the Maltese
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law in force at that time. In the absence of evidence that any
major breach of Community requirements during the authorisation process for this project have occurred
the Commission does not intend at this stage to make any suggestion or request to the Maltese authorities
regarding this project.

2.
Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-accident hazards involving
dangerous substances (also called Seveso II Directive) aims at the prevention of major accidents involving
dangerous substances, and the limitation of their consequences for man and the environment. The
Directive applies to chemical plants and storage that hold quantities of dangerous substances beyond
certain threshold levels set out in the Directive. According to information received by the Maltese
authorities, the gas plant at Kirkop does not come under the Directive.

3.
In the absence of adequate detailed information concerning the location of the plant and the risks
involved, the Commission is not in a position to express any opinion as to whether the distance of the
plant from houses is appropriate or not. Community legislation in force does not establish any concrete
limits in this respect and decisions have to be made on a case by case basis.

4.
During the environmental assessment procedure of this project, potential negative impacts deriving
from noise (from operation of the plant and from road traffic generated) on the population have been
assessed. Conclusions are that no significant impacts will occur. In particular concerning noise from traffic
increase, the non-technical summary of the environmental impact study explains that ‘the site at Kirkop
has direct access to the arterial road. Hence, the traffic generated to and from the site will have no impact
on urbanised areas.’ Besides, the Works Department, now situated in the same industrial site, will move
and a net reduction in traffic will result. During operation, the study establishes that ‘provided suitable
safeguards are provided, the proposed development should not cause any noise nuisance to nearby Kirkop
residents’.

5. Malta would have to transpose and implement new Directive 2002/49/EC of the Parliament and of
the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise, as any
other Member State after accession. Deadline for transposition is 18 July 2004. Malta would then have to
comply with obligations of this Directive that calls for the establishment of strategic noise maps and action
plans in the vicinity of major transport infrastructures and in agglomerations with more than 250 000
inhabitants in a first phase (2007-2008), and more than 100 000 inhabitants in a second phase (2012-
2013).

(2003/C 155 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3134/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(4 November 2002)

Subject: Smog-related deaths

According to data from the World Health Organisation, each year at least three million deaths occur due
to atmospheric pollution in cities. According to another Italian study, in the eight largest cities dust and
gas claim 3 500 victims a year, whereas in Europe the figure rises to 100 000. The causes lie mainly in
cars and other modes of transport, which emit between 55 and 70 % of harmful substances, while the rest
comes from domestic heating and industrial discharges.

C 155 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.7.2003

In view of this situation:

1. Does the Commission have measures to propose to prevent this constant increase in pollution?

2. Does it not consider that it should promote the use of clean engines and discourage that of petrol

engines?

3. Would it not be useful to promote an information campaign to draw attention once again to the

damage caused to health by atmospheric pollution from petrol-driven engines?

4.

5.

In view of the crisis in the automobile sector, could it not promote the use of gas fuels?

In view of the atmospheric pollution caused by heating, would it not been useful to encourage the use
of solar panels, at least for heating water?

Answer given by Mr Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2003)

The Union has a well-developed policy in place to address the recognised health risks due to air pollution.
This policy includes directives setting limits on ambient concentrations of pollutants, national emission
ceilings, and emission limit values from specific (mobile and stationary) sources. In order to address the
remaining problems the Commission launched the Clean Air for Europe programme in 2001, which will
lead to the development of the thematic strategy on air pollution foreseen in the Sixth Environmental
Action Programme.

On the specific issue of petrol engines, the Commission shares the view of the Honourable Member that
the use of alternative fuels should increase in the transport sector and has taken a number of steps already
described in the reply to Written Question E-2887/02, although that reply also describes a number of
caveats in relation to gas fuels. A Common Position was reached in November 2002 in the Council on the
Commission’s proposal on the promotion of biofuels for transport which proposes a target of 2 % of
biofuels in 2005 and 5,75 % by 2010 in the overall market of fuels for transportation. Following a second
reading in the Parliament, the Directive is expected to be adopted during the first semester of 2003.

The Commission agrees that the use of renewable energy sources in heating applications, such as solar
panels, as well as improvements in energy efficiency, can result in substantial benefits, both in terms of a
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and of air pollution. Based on a proposal of the Commission, the
Council and Parliament have recently adopted a Directive on the energy performance of buildings that lays
down a framework for the Member States to implement energy improvements and/or the use of renewable
energy sources in building applications.

As far as an information campaign is concerned, the Commission considers that this is primarily a matter
for the Member States.

(2003/C 155 E/108)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3145/02

by Theresa Zabell (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 November 2002)

Subject: Invoicing of phone calls interrupted owing to failure of the mobile phone network

On a daily basis, members of the public have the mobile phone link they have established cut off owing to
gaps in coverage and receiver saturation, and have to redial the number and continue their conversation
with that all-too-familiar explanation ‘Sorry, we got cut off. Can you hear me now?’.