Brussels, 13/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - The presence of and checks on radioactive substances in water for human consumption is a sufficiently serious public health issue for the European Parliament (EP) to be allowed to have its say and act as co-legislator, MEPs stated in Strasbourg on 12 March. Voting with their rapporteur, Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France), by a huge majority (578 to 59 against, with 34 abstentions), they sent out a strong message to the European Commission: public health issues must be dealt with in the framework of the Treaty of Lisbon, and should, therefore, come under co-decision. In so doing, the European Parliament is standing up to the Commission, which takes the view that the EURATOM Treaty is the relevant legal basis to deal with this public health matter.
“Radioactive substances and other carcinogenic chemicals present in drinking water are public health issues as well as nuclear issues. This is why I have insisted that the legal basis be changed: activities which may lead to radioactive contamination and admissible levels of radioactivity must be checked democratically. It is therefore vital for the European Parliament to be directly involved in setting standards in this matter and for its amendments finally to be taken into account in the European texts. The legal affairs committee has already tabled an opinion to this effect, and if the Council of the EU challenges this right of the MEPs, it is my clear intention to bring this dossier before the European Court of Justice”, said Michèle Rivasi.
The report on the radioactive contamination of drinking water was approved by the plenary as part of the consultation process on the draft regulation submitted by the Commission under EURATOM, rather than Article 191 of the Treaty of Lisbon, as the Parliament is calling for.
The Parliament calls for the protection of human health and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation by drafting minimum standards and monitoring radioactive contamination, in order to guarantee that more ambitious limits are applied throughout the EU for concentrations of radioactivity present in drinking water.
The MEPs are also calling for improved information to the public, who are often unaware of the risks from nuclear activities in their area, the application of the principle of polluter pays in all member states, and “stricter contamination standards, taking account of natural and artificial radioactivity and the affected populations, so that critical populations, specifically children, can be better taken into account”, which will allow “a better assessment of the doses received by the population which run counter to the standards laid down by the European Commission”, the rapporteur stresses. (AN/transl.fl)