COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 25 January 1988 on a Community action programme to combat environmental pollution by cadmium (88/C 30/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Whereas exposure of man and the environment to cadmium has increased because of the large-scale use thereof over recent decades; Whereas in certain areas such exposure has already reached levels which cause concern and constitute a problem for human health and the environment; Whereas cadmium pollution poses a complex and difficult problem since it is a 'multimedia' form of pollution, affecting all environmental sectors; whereas cadmium may be emitted into the environment at numerous points in the production, manufacturing, use and waste disposal processes, and can readily migrate between environmental sectors; Whereas the effectiveness of a Community programme aimed at combating environmental pollution by cadmium will depend on a proper scientific and technical understanding of the ways in which human beings and the environment are being contaminated;

Considers that, without prejudice and in addition to national and Community action already taken in this field, new action should be taken at Community level to control and reduce cadmium pollution, in order to increase the protection of human health and the environment,

Considers that it may be necessary in certain areas to further intensify efforts to measure and monitor the presence of cadmium in the environment, for example in the soil,

Invites the Commission, in consultation with Member States, to continue its examination, in the light of scientific and technical studies, of the extent and relative importance of the sources of human and environmental contamination from cadmium and to submit to the Council a report thereon, Welcomes the initiative of the Commission proposing an action programme as an additional step forward to control environmental pollution by cadmium and agrees that such control should be pursued through an integrated approach taking into account all the various sources of cadmium pollution, including diffuse sources,

Invites the Commission to pursue without delay the development of specific measures of the kind identified in the action programme, taking into account relevant Community provisions, Stresses that, in the light of the result of scientific and technical studies, the major elements of the strategy for cadmium control in the interests of the protection of human health and the environment should be the following:

- limitation of the uses of cadmium to cases where suitable alternatives do not exist;

-stimulation of research and development: - of substitutes and technological derivatives, in particular, encouragement to the development of further alternatives to the use of cadmium in pigments, stabilizers and plating;

-related to the cadmium content of the raw materials used for the production of phosphate fertilizers;

-of varieties of tobacco and food plants with a lower cadmium content;

-collection and recycling of products containing cadmium, for example batteries;

-development of a strategy designed to reduce cadmium input in soil, for example by appropriate control measures for the cadmium content of phosphate fertilizers based on suitable technology not entailing excessive costs, taking into account environmental conditions in the different regions of the Community;-combating significant sources of airborne and water pollution.