WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2054/97 by John IVERSEN to the Commission. Pesticides
25. 2. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 60/79 (98/C 60/115) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2054/97 by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission (16 June 1997) Subject: Pesticides Cheminova, a large Danish company which produces pesticides has in the last couple of weeks been accused of selling to countries outside the EU pesticides which have not been authorized in the EU. The pesticides are used for instance in Central America, where a Danish documentary showed that farm workers were becoming ill and dying after coming into contact with them. Does the Commission take the view that there should be a ban on exports of pesticides to non-member countries if they are not authorized in the EU? Does it consider that product liability should be introduced so that producers may be held liable for the effects which such substances might have on the environment and human health? Joint answer to Written Questions E-2013/97 and E-2054/97 given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (7 August 1997) The Commission does not intend to take steps to introduce a ban on exporting outside the Community poisonous sprays or other dangerous chemicals which are not authorized in the Community. International fora (United Nations environment programme (UNEP), Food and agriculture organisation (FAO), Organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD)) have discussed for many years the issue of exports of dangerous chemicals domestically banned for marketing and use in order to protect health and the environment of other countries. The outcome of these discussions was two international recommendations (London guidelines for the exchange of information on chemicals in international trade, UNEP; International code of conduct on the distribution and use of pesticides, FAO), both later amended by inclusion of the international prior informed consent (PIC) procedure (UNEP, 1989; FAO, 1990). The aim of those recommendations is to inform importing countries about risks and hazards of chemicals, the use of which has been banned or severely restricted in the country of origin for health or environmental reasons. The purpose of this kind of information is to raise risk awareness in the importing countries and thus help them control imports of unwanted chemicals. The international PIC procedure, in fact, requests governments to take decisions on future imports of certain dangerous chemicals on the basis of prior information on the chemical. Decision guidance documents for PIC chemicals are prepared by FAO and UNEP and circulated in order to help governments to assess the risks connected with the handling and use of the chemical and to make more informed decisions about future import and use taking into account local conditions. On that basis, each country should be able to decide if it wants to ban the import of those chemicals or to impose conditions on their use. The Community has implemented the international recommendations by means of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2455/92 concerning the export and import of certain dangerous chemicals (1), making the information exchange and PIC procedure mandatory in the Community. Moreover, exporters of dangerous chemicals and preparations are obliged to package and label their products in the same way as when they are marketed in the Community. Negotiations are currently taking place under the auspices of UNEP and FAO for the preparation of an international legally binding instrument for the application of the PIC procedure. The third session of these negotiations was held in Geneva from 26 to 30 May 1997