Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-04-10-Speech-4-022"
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"en.20030410.1.4-022"2
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"Madam President, this report is a fine example of cooperation that extends across the borders of political parties, and my thanks for that go to my colleague, Mauro Nobilia. I myself have been happy to follow the line taken by my own group’s shadow rapporteur, my colleague Karl-Heinz Florenz. Good work from a man who has admitted he has only used a washing machine twice in his life. Quite a good, balanced report is thus taking shape. This might perhaps sounds unnecessarily solemn, considering that we are talking about washing detergents, but when you think about the effects on the environment, this everyday matter is important.
We are now making reasonable technical progress so that the use of detergents might constitute as small a burden on the environment as possible. Less attention, however, has been given to the role of the user of detergents. I believe consumer behaviour in the future will have the most significant impact on the environmental load caused by detergents. It is not enough to choose a packet with an environmental label off the shelf: people also have to be able to use the product correctly. That is not as easy as it sounds, though.
Firstly, how much to use depends on the hardness of the water. This may differ many times over between the hardest and the softest water areas. Of course, though, it would be very frustrating to produce many different kinds of package according to how hard the water is. The amount of laundry and how soiled it is also affects dosage. What is now given in Annex VIII, although improved by the Committee’s amendment, is still too approximate in this regard. Averages are not an adequate solution when just the right amount is crucial from the point of view of the consumer and the environment.
Another factor that makes the problem of correct dosage harder is the growing market in concentrates. It is more difficult to decide on dosages for concentrates if you are used to using greater amounts. There would be many advantages to the environment and the consumer, however, in using concentrates: there would be fewer packages in existence and significant sums would be saved in transportation costs. For this reason we should indeed support the switch-over to concentrates, but only if the consumer knows how to use them correctly.
Although the directive on advice to consumers is only half complete, I think that detergent manufacturers could voluntarily increase consumer awareness and so also reduce the burden on the environment. The national consumer authorities could likewise run campaigns giving guidance to users of washing detergents. I hope that will happen. They literally cannot wash their hands of this matter now."@en1
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