WRITTEN QUESTION E-3254/02 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. High values of suspended microparticles in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Date: 2002-11-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central Greece, European standard, Macedonia, air quality, industrialisation, pollution control, prevention of pollution, town traffic, urban area

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/119

account of requirements regarding safety and public policy on its territory, and more specifically on its
road network. Of course, this discretion cannot be based on criteria connected with nationality or place of
establishment. In this connection, the reasons reportedly adduced by the Danish authorities, i.e. traffic
conditions, appear to come within the powers of the Danish authorities as the public authority.

Be that as it may, it is clear that the Member States must apply the Community provisions on access to
passenger transport markets in a useful, fair and proportionate manner. Without judging the decision of
the Danish authorities in this regard, for which the Commission in any case has little information at its
disposal, the Commission notes that the argument connected with traffic management must be clearly
in the decision of the competent authorities. Moreover, the imperatives
justified, with reasons given,
connected with traffic management must be taken into account in an initiative that gives real content to a
passenger transport operator’s right to introduce a new regular service. Accordingly, the operator ought to
be authorised to introduce stops to pick up or drop off passengers that are located at places enabling him
to run a reasonable and viable service.

Where necessary,
decisions adopted by the competent authorities of Member States.

it is for the national courts to assess the reasonable and proportionate nature of

(2003/C 155 E/131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3254/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 November 2002)

Subject: High values of suspended microparticles in Athens and Thessaloniki

The Greek press reports that research being carried out for the Commission by the European Earlinet
network shows that Athens and Thessaloniki have the highest values for suspended microparticles of 19
major European cities.

What are the causes of such high values for suspended microparticles? What public health risks are
associated with this phenomenon and what steps has the Commission taken under Community law to
tackle the problem?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2003)

industrialisation and high volumes of

In most
Airborne suspended particulate matter (PM) can be either primary or secondary in nature.
European countries,
traffic mean that anthropogenic sources
predominate, especially in urban areas, and sources of anthropogenic particles are similar throughout
Europe. The most significant of these are traffic, industrial activities, combustion sources (industrial and
residential), human-started forest
fires and mechanical abrasion. For densely populated and heavily
industrialised areas like Athens and Thessaloniki the sources mentioned above have to be regarded as the
predominant causes for high concentrations of fine particles.

There is ever increasing evidence that fine particles have deleterious effects on human health, causing
premature deaths and reducing quality of life by aggravating respiratory conditions such as asthma. The
Commission has recently asked the World Health Organisation (WHO) to update the advice on the health
effects of air pollutants including PM and the results of this review will be available in spring 2003.

Existing legislation (1) defines new and ambitious long- and short term limit values (annual and daily
averages) for PM10 (mass concentration of particles below a diameter of 10 µm) in ambient air that have
to be met from 2005. In addition, various directives set limit values for particle emissions from specific
sources such as road traffic.

C 155 E/120

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.7.2003

In order to study the possibility for further action, the Commission launched the Clean Air For Europe
(CAFE) programme in May 2001. PM has been identified as one of the key issues to be considered. As well
as the WHO review, several other initiatives have been taken up by the CAFE programme so far also with
regard to the PM issue,

for instance:

(cid:1) a baseline scenario and integrated assessment modelling showing different options of possible

measures to control air pollutants and thus providing a basis for the final policy advice;

(cid:1) a CAFE working group on PM comprising experts from different stakeholders which will give

recommendations on possible future targets for PM.

(1) Council Directive 1999/30/EC of 22 April 1999 relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and

oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air (cid:1) OJ L 163, 29.6.1999.

(2003/C 155 E/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3256/02

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 November 2002)

Subject: Chemical testing on animals

Data obtained from animal tests can be misleading due to difficulties extrapolating results from animals to
people and from laboratory doses to realistic levels of human exposure. The use of human exposure data
could drastically reduce the need for animal-based toxicity testing during implementation of the proposed
EU chemicals policy, and would ensure that data used for the evaluation of existing substances is directly
relevant to effects in human beings.

What efforts are being made by the Commission to ensure that human exposure data is used to evaluate
the toxicological effects of existing substances? Will a systematic evaluation of human exposure data be
incorporated into the REACH system, and will such data be made publicly available?

Furthermore, does the Commission agree that it is unsatisfactory to use data from animal tests that have
never been validated to modern standards to validate new non-animal test methods? Are there plans to use
human data generated from ethical human studies (such as skin allergy testing results), as well as from
occupational information, hospital records, epidemiology and accidental poisoning records, to assess and
validate non-animal test methods?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2003)

The Commission is currently preparing a legislative proposal, which will be based on the White Paper on
the ‘Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy’. One of the approaches proposed in the White Paper to limit
the need for animal testing was that ‘existing information on the toxicity and ecotoxicity of substances,
including epidemiological studies, will be taken into account’. Accordingly,
the proposal will make
appropriate provisions for the use of data from human epidemiology.