91997E4020

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4020/97 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998)

Subject: Lead in drinking water

The World Health Organization has dramatically reduced the permissible level of lead in drinking water. Will the Commission say what measures it proposes to take to help Member States reduce the quantities of lead in drinking water as rapidly as possible and to provide widespread information for local government bodies and, more generally, for the people of Europe in view of the hazard lead poses for human health, especially that of infants and children.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (18 February 1998)

In its proposal ((OJ C 131, 30.5.1995. )) for revision of Council Directive 80/778/EEC of 15 July 1980 relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption ((OJ L 229, 30.8.1980. )) (the drinking water directive) the Commission adopted the value recommended by the World health organisation (WHO) of 10 microgrammes per litre (10 ìg/l) for lead. This standard was accepted by the Parliament (first reading on 12 December 1996) and in the common position of the Council (No 12767/97) on the proposed directive, which was adopted on 19 December 1997.

Once the directive is adopted, in principle during 1998, its implementation is the responsibility of the Member States. Given the important financial and practical consequences, exceptionally for lead, Member States will have fifteen years, instead of the five years general timetable, to comply with the parametric value of 10 ìg/l. Between five and fifteen years the interim standard will be 25 ìg/l instead of 50 ìg/l which is the present standard for lead.