WRITTEN QUESTION E-0361/04 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Fluoridation of Irish drinking water.
Date: 2004-02-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, aluminium, drinking water, environmental standard, health risk, water pollution, water treatment

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/375

by Seat Pagine Gialle (89.24.24) and that provided by their own telephone provider (412) (in these two
last cases they are ‘enhanced’ directory enquiry services with the possibility to access information in
addition to the simple telephone number).

Before the entry into force of the Codice, the directory enquiry service was provided by Telecom Italia
(number 12) as the universal service provider. Under the current service conditions the price for the
interactive voice recorded service remains more or less the same as before (that
is EUR 0,50 for
information) and is doubled if operator assistance is required.

As regards the second part of the Honourable Member’s question, Article 65 of the Codice provides that
the Ministry reviews every year the application of the universal service obligations in order to determine to
which services they should be applied. Article 3(2) of the Universal Service Directive requires Member
States to determine the most efficient and appropriate approach for ensuring the implementation of
universal service, whilst respecting the principles of objectivity, transparency, non-discrimination and
proportionality. It, therefore, appears fully appropriate and even desirable that national authorities should
periodically review the conditions that have underpinned their earlier decisions. Also, the Codice explicitly
states that the review will be based, among other things, on the position taken by the Commission as part
of its periodic review under Article 15 of the Universal Service Directive.

The Commission will continue to monitor the compliance by the Member States, including Italy, with the
in the event of non-compliance, may propose the opening of an
Universal Service Directive and,
infringement proceeding with a view to having the Court of
Justice rule on the existence of this
infringement. As the Honourable Member will recall, the Court has sole competence to rule on the legality
or otherwise of a transposition measure. The Commission will,
in particular, monitor the situation
regarding the periodical review by the Italian authorities of the conditions under which these services are
provided, so as to ensure that
transparency, non-discrimination and
proportionality are met.

the principles of objectivity,

(2004/C 84 E/0435)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0361/04

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2004)

Subject: Fluoridation of Irish drinking water

1. Will the Commission confirm that its Environment DG has received representations from the EP’s
Committee on Petitions on the ‘very serious and persistent problems with Irish public water schemes’ (1) in
particular the excess amounts of aluminium in fluoridated supplies?

2. Will the Commission reveal what, if any, investigations the Commission has made into this serious
situation, not only in the Galway area but into the other 42 Sanitary Authorities in Ireland that also add
fluoride, three quarters of whom regularly exceed the legal limit for aluminium, according to the EPA’s
‘Quality of Drinking Water, 2001’

3. Why were these criticisms about Irish drinking water not scrutinised as part of the review and
possible revision of the Drinking Water Directive during 2003 before its implementation?

(1) See PE 329 242.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2004)

1. and 2.
The Honourable Member appears to be referring to a number of distinct drinking water issues
in Ireland. Petitions 333/98, 661/2000, 1497/2002 before the Petitions Committee of the Parliament
concern, respectively, microbiological contamination of a public drinking water supply at Carraroe, County

C 84 E/376

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Galway, microbiological contamination of and high aluminium levels in the Troyswood public water
supply in Kilkenny and the appearance of algal blooms in Lough Guitane, a drinking water source in
County Kerry. The most serious, persistent problem with Irish public water supplies consists of
microbiological contamination. This has affected a significant number of public water supplies, including
those at Carraroe and Troyswood, although the gravest problems are found in private Irish supplies. It is
Ireland (1). The Commission has been in
the subject of a decision of
communication with the Irish authorities with a view to ensuring that problems of microbiological
contamination are brought to an end and that the Court judgement is addressed as soon as possible. The
issue of fluoridation did not figure in these petitions, and it has not been raised with the Irish authorities.

Justice against

the Court of

3.
The new Drinking Water Directive (2) sets quality standards in particular for microbiological
parameters, aluminium and fluorides, based on available scientific evidence, advice from the Commission’s
Scientific Advisory Committee Toxicology of Chemical compounds (CSTE) and in line with the values
recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (3). The values set are also in line with the most
recent documents by WHO dating from 2003.

The Commission is proactively following developments in the drinking water sector, and organised, in
October 2003, a seminar on drinking water. This seminar brought together a range of experts from across
the European Union including new Member States as well as the WHO, from universities, administrations
and agencies, water suppliers and industry as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and
inter alia, the issues of microbiological and chemical parameters (including fluoride). For
addressed,
fluoride values it has been recognized that the current value of 1,5 milligrammes per litre (mg/l)
is
sufficiently protective, and that a lower value of 1,0 mg/l could be recommended for artificially fluoridated
drinking water. At the same time there has been general agreement that there was no urgent need to
change the 1998 Directive.

(1) Commission v Ireland, Case C-316/00, judgement of 14 November 2003.
(2) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption,

OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.

(3) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, current 2nd edition (Geneva, 1993-1997), as well as draft 3rd edition

(Geneva, 2003).

(2004/C 84 E/0436)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0363/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(12 February 2004)

Subject: Complaint P2000/4974

Could the Commission indicate the state of play with regard to complaint No P2000/4974 relating to the
Environmental Impact Assessment concerning refurbishment proposals for Eyre Square, Galway? What
conclusions has it come to, and when does it expect to take a final decision in the matter?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(17 March 2004)

This complaint related to the absence of an environmental
for an urban
development project consisting of refurbishment works on Eyre Square, which is the principal square in
Galway. In 2003, the Irish authorities confirmed that an EIA had been undertaken for the project. On the
basis that no breach of Directive 85/337/EEC (1) could be identified, the complaint file was subsequently
closed.

impact assessment

(EIA)

(1) Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the
environment, OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997, OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.