European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of perfluorooctane sulfonates (amendment of Council Directive 76/769/EEC) (COM(2005)0618 - C6-0418/2005 - 2005/0244(COD))
Date: 2006-10-25
Institutions: Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, European Parliament
Subjects: approximation of laws, dangerous substance, health risk, marketing restriction, toxic substance

20.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 313 E/199

Wednesday 25 October 2006

The programme budget may also cover expenditure associated with the preparation, follow-up, monitoring,
auditing and evaluation activities directly necessary for the management of the programme and the realisa-
tion of its objectives,
information and publication activities, expenditure
associated with the IT networks for the exchange of information and any other administrative and technical
support expenditure on which the Commission may decide for the management of the programme.

in particular studies, meetings,

The overall administrative expenditure of the programme should be proportional to the tasks provided for
in the programme concerned and, as an indication, should represent approximately 10 % of the total budget
allocated to the programme.

The Commission may undertake information, publication and dissemination activities as appropriate,
thereby ensuring broad knowledge and a high impact of the activities supported by the programme.

III.

CONTROLS AND AUDITS

For projects selected in accordance with this Decision, a sampling audit system will be established.

The beneficiary of a grant must make available to the Commission all supporting documents relating to
expenditure for a period of five years from the date of the final payment. The beneficiary of a grant must
ensure that, where applicable, supporting documents in the possession of partners or members are made
available to the Commission.

The Commission may have an audit of the use made of the grant carried out either directly by its own staff
or by any other qualified outside body of its choice. Such audits may be carried out throughout the lifetime
of the contract and for a period of five years from the date of payment of the balance. Where appropriate,
the audit findings may lead to recovery decisions by the Commission.

Commission staff and outside personnel authorised by the Commission must have appropriate access to the
offices of the beneficiary and to all the information, including information in electronic format, necessary
for such audits.

The Court of Auditors and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) will have the same rights, especially of
access, as the Commission.

P6_TA(2006)0444

Restrictions on the marketing and use of perfluorooctane sulfonates ***I

legislative resolution on the proposal

European Parliament
the European
Parliament and of the Council relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of perfluorooctane
sulfonates (amendment of Council Directive 76/769/EEC) (COM(2005)0618 — C6-0418/2005 —
2005/0244(COD))

for a directive of

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal

to the European Parliament

and the Council

(COM(2005)0618) (1),

— having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 95 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission

submitted the proposal to Parliament (C6-0418/2005),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

(A6-0251/2006),

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

C 313 E/200

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.12.2006

Wednesday 25 October 2006

1.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend the proposal

2.
substantially or replace it with another text;

3.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

P6_TC1-COD(2005)0244

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 25 October 2006 with a view to
the adoption of Directive 2006/…/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending for
the 30th time Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use
of certain dangerous substances and preparations (perfluorooctane sulfonates)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 95 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

An OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) hazard assessment has been
done on the basis of information that was available by July 2002. This assessment concluded that
perfluorooctane sulfonates (hereinafter ‘PFOS’) are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to mamma-
lian species and, therefore, indicate cause for concern.

The risks posed to health and environment by PFOS have been assessed in accordance with the
principles of Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control
of the risks of existing substances (3). The risk assessment identified a need to reduce the risks to
health and the environment.

The Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (hereinafter ‘SCHER’) has been con-
sulted. SCHER concluded that PFOS fulfil the criteria for classification as very persistent, very bioac-
cumulative and toxic. PFOS also have a potential for long range environmental transport and have
the potential to produce adverse effects and therefore fulfil the criteria for being considered as persis-
tent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention (4). SCHER identified a need for
further scientific risk assessment of PFOS but it also agreed that risk reduction measures might be
necessary to avoid the re-occurrence of former uses. According to SCHER, on-going critical uses in
the aviation industry, the semiconductor industry and the photographic industry do not appear to
pose a relevant risk to the environment or human health, if releases into the environment and work-
place exposure are minimised. With regard to fire-fighting foams, SCHER agrees that health and
environmental risks of substitutes should be assessed before a final decision can be taken. SCHER
also agrees with restricting the use of PFOS in the plating industry, if there are no other measures
available that could be applied to reduce the emissions during metal plating to a significantly lower
level.

(1) OJ C 195, 18.8.2006, p. 10.
(2) Position of the European Parliament of 25 October 2006.
(3) OJ L 84, 5.4.1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and

of the Council (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).

(4) Council Decision 2006/507/EC of 14 October 2004 concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Com-

munity, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (OJ L 209, 31.7.2006, p. 1).