Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-05-Speech-2-054"
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"en.19991005.3.2-054"2
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"Madam President, first of all, I would like to congratulate President Prodi on the scientific rigour, but also on the high degree of transparency which characterised his address. Obviously, I share the premises of Commission Decision 640 of 23 September 1999 which highlighted that on the basis of WHO findings, dioxin is one of the most carcinogenic substances in existence. This is why the WHO recommends keeping the acceptable daily dose at 1-4 picograms per kilogram of body weight. And yet, as a scientist and as a politician, I cannot help but feel perplexed and concerned by the conclusions arrived at in this decision, in other words, a maximum ceiling of tolerance set at 200 nanograms of PCB per gram of fat, both in poultry, in meat and in pig derivatives.
I wonder, Mr President, who can guarantee – albeit with this point of reference for PCB at hand – that the levels of dioxin present will not harm people? Basically, the danger is not only linked to the levels, but also to other pharmacokinetic characteristics typical of these compounds which have a half-life of around 5.8 years, maybe even 7 years. This means that they linger for dozens of years after intake. Therefore, after continuous intake, there certainly will be an accumulation which can be dangerous. I therefore think that the directives issued by the Commission which you lead should cover permanent checks on dioxin levels but also other pollutants, in all the food we eat. The same goes for the air we breathe and the water we drink. Taking all this into account, I think then that clear directives are in the interests of citizens and consumers so that people’s levels of exposure to dioxin and PCBs – which belong to the same class as dioxins – are as low as possible.
In conclusion, I agree with what Mr Florenz said about a European agency. It is something that would be extremely useful, but would achieve little, Mr President, if it were not organised across the Union, as close as possible to the citizens following what I myself suggested to the Finnish Health Minister. And so we must have highly specialised laboratories in every European region that are close to the citizens and which can scientifically guarantee what we eat, drink or breathe each day. And this can all be done, as I have already clearly said, in specialised laboratories already in place in universities."@en1
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