Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-12-Speech-3-221"
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"en.20030212.7.3-221"2
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"Mr President, I have nothing much to say about landmines. The subject speaks for itself. We have all seen the television footage of maimed children, including recently in various areas of former Yugoslavia. Most of what I have to say has to do with depleted uranium.
Natural uranium contains over 99% uranium 238 and very little uranium 235. Uranium 235 is excellent as a fuel in nuclear reactors and is used in nuclear weapons. Consequently, the material is enriched with uranium 235 and what is left, the residue, which is mainly uranium 238, is what we know as depleted uranium. This depleted uranium is used in bombs because it is very dense and highly penetrating; it can blast through floors, tank armouring and so on. However, the drawback is that it vaporises when it explodes. And when it vaporises, most of it oxidises. These oxides end up as soluble uranium salts over an area of 10-15 kilometres, although they are often carried several hundred kilometres on the wind. They can be inhaled, enter the water supply and so on.
The problem with uranium 238 is that it has very weak alpha rays, meaning that I can hold it my hand without coming to any harm, but if I inhale it, because the body has phagocytes which absorb these particles, the cells are irradiated very close to their genetic material and this is thought to be the cause of the harmful effects of depleted uranium. Of course, research carried out has not proven 100% that this is what happens, but the results are very convincing, which is why we must be very, very careful. That is exactly what Parliament’s motion says; that because it is highly likely that it represents a public health risk and that exposure to depleted uranium is dangerous, the European Union (this is point 7) needs to monitor this research and everything else to do with depleted uranium, including possible extensive environmental pollution and the long-term dangers to human health.
It is perfectly logical that the European Parliament should take an interest in this sort of issue; it needs to be taken into account so that we can avoid using this ammunition because, I repeat, it has huge drawbacks. Also, depleted uranium takes several thousand years to decay. If an area is contaminated, it remains contaminated for thousands of years. The principle of precaution alone should make us think twice about using this ammunition which, I repeat, can contaminate areas for thousands of years, with long-term dangers to public health.
That is why I should like to ask my honourable friends to vote in favour of this motion which, I think, for both mines and depleted uranium ammunition, is a commensurate response to the current situation. I think that the European Parliament should vote for it and that the Commission should take up and monitor this issue. I trust that the Council and the Greek Presidency will do something about getting the Ottawa Convention ratified, so that anti-personnel mines can be eliminated, and introducing a moratorium, followed perhaps by a total ban on the use of depleted uranium ammunition."@en1
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