WRITTEN QUESTION E-0562/04 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Incidence of blue-baby syndrome in EU Member States.
Date: 2004-02-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, blood disease, chemical salt, drinking water, early childhood, environmental standard, health statistics, pollution control measures, pollution from agricultural sources, water pollution, water protection

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/809

(2004/C 84 E/0903)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0562/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 February 2004)

Subject: Incidence of ‘blue-baby syndrome’ in EU Member States

Does the Commission have any statistics relating to the incidences of methaemoglobinaemia (i.e. ‘blue-baby
syndrome’) in EU Member States?

Does it believe that full compliance with the Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC (1)) has had
an impact on the incidence of this syndrome in the EU since the Directive entered into force in 1995? If so,
what has been that impact?

(1) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 2004)

The ‘blue baby syndrome’ (methaemoglobinaemia), linked to high nitrate levels in drinking water, still
exists both in Eastern Europe (hundreds of cases) and the United States, but has a relatively low incidence
in the countries of Western Europe. This is in relation also to the enforcement of strict limit value on
nitrates in drinking waters over the last 20 years.

According to the joint report from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and the World Health
Organisation (WHO) office for Europe (1), few countries keep records of methaemoglobinaemia: eight out
infants receiving drinking waters from shallow
of 26. The report shows that
groundwater sources (individual private wells) is emphasized by the data from Hungary, where between
nine and 49 cases are recorded annually, all over the country. A similar number of incidents is recorded
annually in Slovakia. In Albania in 1996 were recorded 46 cases of methaeglonobinemia, all related to
nitrate in drinking water, while in Romania, between 1985 and 1996, 2 913 cases were recorded.

the vulnerability of

The precautionary value of 50 milligrams (mg) per litre is essential to prevent health effects, such as
methaemoglobinaemia in infants. The revision of the Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on
the quality of water intended for human consumption (2), which reviewed the parametric values in
accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge (e.g. WHO Guidelines, Scientific Committee on
Toxicology and Ecotoxicology), confirmed for nitrates the previous limit value of 50 mg per litre.

In order to reduce the nitrate concentration in waters, the full implementation of the Nitrates Directive
(Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against
pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources) is essential.

Since 1991, and in particular in the last years, significant progress has been made by Member States in the
different steps foreseen by the Directive: water monitoring and identification of polluted waters,
designation of nitrates vulnerable zones and design and implementation of action programmes. At this
stage, all Member States have established a monitoring network, designated nitrate vulnerable zones and,
in general, established action programmes in nitrate vulnerable zones, which means that
they are
implementing a set of measures to prevent and reduce nitrate pollution. The total surface of nitrate
vulnerable zones in Europe comprised 38 % of the total EU area in the year 2000. Since then, also as a
consequence of Commission action through infringement procedures,
further increased in several
Member States, like Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Ireland took
the decision to establish an action programme in the whole country, as previously done by Belgium,
Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Finland.

it

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Official Journal of the European Union

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3.4.2004

Notwithstanding these improvements, further progress is required. The Commission is fully committed to
ensure that the Nitrates Directive is correctly implemented in the Member States with a set of actions and
if necessary by putting legal pressure through infringement procedures on Member States, which do not
implement correctly the different steps of the Directive.

(1) EEA, WHO, 2002. Water and health in Europe, WHO Regional publications European series, No 93.
(2) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.

(2004/C 84 E/0904)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0564/04

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 February 2004)

Subject: Ship-to-ship oil transfers

Can the Commission indicate what European Union legislation, if any, exists with regard to the safety of
ship-to-ship oil transfers in the coastal waters of the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2004)

There is no Community legislation dealing expressly with ship-to-ship cargo transfers in waters under the
jurisdiction of the Member States.

However, several EU maritime safety Directives and Regulations are relevant, as they provide for
inspections of ships involved in this type of operation in ports and waters under the jurisdiction of
Member States.

The following are particularly relevant:

(cid:1) Directive 2001/106/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001
amending Council Directive 95/21/EC (2) on port state control deals with this matter indirectly.
It provides for priority inspections of ships considered to be at risk, including tankers likely to make
ship-to-ship transfers;

(cid:1) Regulation (EC) No 1726/2003 (3) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003
amending Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 (4). This Regulation prohibits the operation (cid:1) and this
includes fuel transfer (cid:1) of single-hull oil tankers transporting heavy grades of oil
in ports and
anchorages in Member States.

(1) Directive 2001/106/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001 amending Council
Directive 95/21/EC concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community ports and sailing in the
waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship safety, pollution prevention
and shipboard living and working conditions, OJ L 19, 22.1.2002.

(2) OJ L 157, 7.7.1998.
(3) Regulation (EC) No 1726/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 amending
Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 on the accelerated phasing-in of double-hull or equivalent design requirements for
single-hull oil tankers, OJ L 249, 1.10.2003.

(4) OJ L 64, 7.3.2003.