Dr. Danielle Spera, Präsidentin von ICOM Österreich und Mag. Karola Kraus, Vorsitzende der Bundesmuseenkonferenz haben sich in einem gemeinsamen Schreiben an die zuständigen Bundesminister Gernot Blümel und Elisabeth Köstinger gewandt, um auf EU-Ebene eine Ausnahmeregelung für Museen und Kultureinrichtungen zur weiteren Verwendung von Stickstoff und Stickstoffgeneratoren zum Zwecke des Schutzes von Kunst- und Kulturgütern zu erwirken.

 

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Im Folgenden finden Sie einen chronologischen Ablauf mit allen Informationen

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7. Februar 2019

Betreff: Verordnung (EU) Nr. 528/2012 - Stickstoffbehandlung von Objekten

 

Sehr geehrte Frau Bundesministerin Köstinger,

Sehr geehrter Herr Bundesministerin Blümel,

Museen und Archive bemühen sich sehr um die nachhaltige Erhaltung ihrer Bestände, die als österreichisches Kulturerbe und Weltkulturerbe von größter Bedeutung sind. Vor allem die präventive Konservierung und die Schädlingsbekämpfung sind ein großes Anliegen dieser Institutionen. Zur wirkungsvollen Schadensprävention und -bekämpfung führen Kultureinrichtungen weltweit, insbesondere aber auch die österreichischen Bundesmuseen, seit vielen Jahren Stickstoffbehandlungen durch. Diese Stickstoffbehandlung von tausenden Kunstobjekten/Kulturgütern stellt die einzig völlig giftfreie, weltweit angewandte und zudem schonendste Methode für Mensch und Objekt dar, um Schädlinge in allen Entwicklungsstadien zuverlässig abzutöten.

 

Mit der im Jahr 2012 erlassenen und seit September 2017 weitreichende Wirkung entfaltenden Biozid-Verordnung (EU) Nr. 528/2012 wird – unter anderem – die konservatorische Behandlung von Objekten mit Stickstoff stark reglementiert und somit für unsere Institutionen nahezu unmöglich gemacht. Dies stellt für die Museen ein massives Problem dar: Der Großteil der Kunst- und Kulturobjekte ist – nicht zuletzt zur Erfüllung des öffentlichen Auftrags – ständig der Gefahr ausgesetzt, durch Organismen beschädigt oder gar zerstört zu werden. Dabei reicht das Spektrum von Schadinsekten bis zu Pilzen.

 

Die Vorteile einer Stickstoffbehandlung liegen zum einen darin, dass sie sowohl als präventive Maßnahme (z. B. für alle von außen kommenden Objekte in eine Sammlung/in ein Depot) als auch zur Bekämpfung von aktivem Befall eingesetzt werden kann. Zum anderen ist diese Art der Behandlung wesentlich schonender und risikoreduzierter möglich als alle anderen Behandlungsmethoden und auch für einen Großteil der Objekte – gemessen an der Materialbeschaffenheit und an der Größe – anwendbar. Eine Rücksprache mit den zuständigen Mitarbeiter/innen der Bundesmuseen beispielsweise hat ergeben, dass keine andere Behandlung – gedacht ist hier beispielsweise an das Thermo Lignum-Verfahren oder auch die Behandlung in einer Gefrieranlage – auch nur ansatzweise eine Alternative zur Behandlung mit Stickstoff darstellen kann.

 

Aufgrund der Biozid-Verordnung (EU) Nr. 528/2012 laufen wir jedoch Gefahr, unsere zertifizierten und abgenommenen Stickstoffkammern und -generatoren nicht mehr verwenden zu dürfen. In diesem Sinne appellieren Dr. Danielle Spera, Präsidentin von ICOM Österreich und Mag. Karola Kraus, Vorsitzende der Bundesmuseenkonferenz an die zuständigen Bundesminister Gernot Blümel und Elisabeth Köstinger bei den verantwortlichen Stellen in Brüssel eine Klarstellung zugunsten von Museen und anderen Kultureinrichtungen und eine entsprechende Ausnahmeregelung zur weiteren Verwendung von Stickstoff und Stickstoffgeneratoren zum Zwecke des Schutzes von Kunst- und Kulturgütern zu erwirken.

 

Nur so wird es unseren Institutionen erlaubt, die Gesundheit unserer Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter zu schützen und zugleich unsere wertvollen Kulturschätze auf bestmögliche Weise für uns und unsere Nachkommen zu erhalten!

 

 

UPDATE 11. März 2019

 

 

 

Im Auftrag von Frau BM Köstinger stellt das Ministerium zum Thema "Verordnung (EU) Nr. 528/2012 Stickstoffbehandlung von Objekten" folgendes klar:

 

"Abschließend darf zusammengefasst werden, dass sich das BMNT als Biozidbehörde für eine Ausnahmeregelung einsetzen wird. Falls diese Bemühungen aber nicht von Erfolg gekrönt sein sollten, werden wir die Änderungen des Anhang I abwarten und danach auf Sie zukommen, falls eine Antragstellung erforderlich ist. Bis dahin und für die Dauer eines allfälligen Verfahrens können von behördlicher Seite zum Schutz von Kunst- und Kulturgütern aus Gründen der Verhältnismäßigkeit Stickstoffkammern und –generatoren weiter betrieben werden.“

 

Das vollständige Schreiben steht unten zum Download zur Verfügung.

 

 

UPDATE 12. März 2019

 

Joint statement/call ICOM-ICOMOS for the immediate repeal of the classification of nitrogen as a biocidal active substance for cultural heritage preservation applications across the EU. In reference to the REGULATION (EU) No 528/2012 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 May 2012, concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products.

 

Nitrogen is included in Annex I of the Regulation above, however restricted to uses in limited quantities in ready-for-use canisters. This restriction needs to be removed and the possibility for nitrogen to be authorised as a biocidal product through the simplified authorisation procedure, as nitrogen plays a vital role in eliminating insect infestation on cultural heritage objects, movable or immovable.

 

Over the past decades, more and more museums and cultural heritage institutions in Europe have turned away from potentially hazardous chemical control to an Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM uses anoxia or modified/controlled atmospheres for treatment with a very low oxygen atmosphere in a chamber or tent with the aim to eliminate insect infestation on cultural heritage objects, movable or immovable, in all stages of development. Different modified/controlled atmospheres include inert gases (for example nitrogen, helium, argon) and carbon dioxide, where nitrogen is the most frequently used gas.

 

The displacement of atmospheric oxygen is a well-established method, there is no equivalent alternative in terms of preservation care and human health, for both staff and visitors of cultural heritage institutions. The procedure is included in the European Standard EN 16790:2016 Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Integrated pest management (IPM) for protection of cultural heritage. IPM is currently being used globally, it is more sustainable and reduces considerably the risks for the heritage objects and for the professionals dealing with them.

 

Many institutions have invested in own treatment chambers for anoxic disinfestation, for both prophylactic or acute pest elimination. With the extension of a mandatory registration of on-site generated nitrogen from September 2017 by the biocidal products regulation EU 528/2012 these facilities can no longer be operated. As a result, the cultural heritage institutions are faced with the acute danger that cultural heritage may be damaged or irretrievably lost, or that traditional organo-chlorine biocides may experience an undeserved revival.

 

In summary, the nitrogen ban is not justified for health aspects. It is bad for the cultural heritage conservation community to have less choices for treatment interventions, with the anoxic treatment being among the most compatible with many materials and objects. Finally, the ban is also economically damaging the market of European stakeholders in the IPM business, favouring less sustainable and riskier treatments.

 

Therefore, ICOM and ICOMOS jointly call upon the National Ministries, the European Parliament and Council, to repeal as soon as possible the classification of nitrogen as a biocidal active substance across the European Union. We advocate for a solution in which the use of nitrogen for this specific purpose in cultural heritage preservation is ratified for the entire European Union.
 

 

UPDATE, 26.6.2019

 

 

 

Das Österreichische Bundesministerium für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus bringt einen Ausnahmeantrag Österreichs zum Schutz des kulturellen Erbes gemäß Art. 55 Abs. 3 BPR an die Europäische Kommission ein:

 

European Commission

DG SANTE Unit E.4 – Pesticides and Biocides

F101 05/068 1049

Brussels
Belgium

 

Reference Number: BMNT-UW.1.2.5/0410-V/5/2019

 

Subject: Application according to Art. 55 (3) BPR for an allowance to authorise biocidal products containing the active substance nitrogen generated in situ for the protection of cultural heritage in Austria

 

Dear Mr. Berend,

 

The protection of cultural heritage is an important issue in Austria and of high public interest. We share the serious concerns of heritage institutions and state organisations about the preservation of valuable collections and cultural objects.

 

The Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism has been contacted by represent-atives of Austrian Museums and ICOM (International Council of Museums), who apply the tech-nology of a controlled nitrogen atmosphere to protect the cultural heritage by generating ni-trogen in situ. At present 9 Museums use nitrogen chambers.

 

For the operation of treatment facilities, the nitrogen is separated from ambient air directly at the place of use and stored in a tank container. During the treatment the nitrogen content of the atmosphere in the chamber is increased to 99 % and oxygen is almost completely removed. In addition humidity (45%) and temperature (25 ° C) in the chamber are controlled. The dura-tion of the treatment of the objects is usually 4 weeks. Under these conditions, harmful organ-isms cannot survive.
The technology has many advantages, the most important ones are

 

- It can be applied to objects made from materials that cannot be committed to other treatments such as freezing or heat treatments and in particular for objects made of organic or combined materials
- It is effective for harmful organisms at all stages
- The method can be used for the treatment of almost all cultural objects
- Nitrogen is already listed in Annex I of the BPR and therefore classified as substance with a more favourable environmental and health profile
- Standard EN 16790 (2016) „Conservation of cultural heritage – Integrated pest man-agement (IPM) for protection of cultural heritage“ includes the method in Annex E.4. as „Anoxia or modified/controlled atmospheres“ for the goal of killing insects. Among other substances the use of nitrogen is described as „most used“.

 

Standard EN 16790 also lists alternative treatments to „Anoxia or modified/controlled atmos-pheres“ such as „Low temperature“ and „Elevated temperature“. Both methods have some disadvantages or side effects. Low temperature treatment might effect surface treatments and coatings, e.g. shellac or alkyd on wood and metal and can destroy the object. Elevated temperature has side effects in form of changes of surface of some organic materials.

 

If museum objects have been treated in a previous treatment with chemical agents like lindan, residues from this previous treatments can be mobilized and enriched at the surface of the ob-ject. Treated but unloaded objects can be contaminated via the gas phase. In addition, depend-ing on a different thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion of different materials in the composite, mechanical stresses caused by dilation can endanger fragile objects made of mixed materials.
Thermal processes are generally not suitable for the treatment of paintings, wax-, oil- or pro-tein-bound polychrome objects, since this can change during the treatment temperature-de-pendent properties of the materials and cause irreversible damage of the cultural object. Glued objects can be destroyed if the glue will be softened by the higher temperature. Cultural ob-jects made by leather or vellum cannot be treated with higher temperatures as there is a risk of shrinking.
Also other treatments like radiation or biocidal products have limitations according to Stand-ard EN 16790. The use of radiation is legally restricted and biocidal products can – depending on the sensitivity of materials – modify the cultural object in a chemical way.

 

The use of nitrogen in ready-for-use canisters as listed in Annex I of the BPR does not appear to be a sufficient alternative for museums as the limited quantities in canisters require frequent transport and a storage facility. The weight of the gas cylinders is another disadvantage. Under certain circumstances the corresponding point load of the floors in historical museum buildings is exceeded with the required number of gas cylinders.
In addition, there is only one authorisation granted in Austria for a biocidal product with the active substance nitrogen. The product name is „Rentokil N2 Controlled Atmosphere“ with the R4BP Asset number AT-0008142-0000. In our view this does not ensure a constant availability of the product as required for frequent applications. In 2018 two museums in Austria (for ex-ample the Landesmuseum Kärnten) asked Rentokil for a nitrogen treatment, but the service could not be provided.

 

Art. 55 para 3 BPR reads,
„3. By way of derogation from point (a) of Article 19(1), the Commission may, by means of im-plementing acts, allow a Member State to authorise a biocidal product containing a non-ap-proved active substance if it is satisfied that that active substance is essential for the protection of cultural heritage and that no appropriate alternatives are available. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 82(2). A Member State wishing to obtain such a derogation shall apply to the Commission, providing due justification.“
As mentioned above Austria believes that Anoxia or modified/controlled atmospheres is es-sential for the protection of cultural heritage and no appropriate alternatives are available for all applications. This opinion is also supported by 2016 Standard EN 16790. In Austria in situ generated nitrogen is used to achieve a controlled atmosphere.

 

In situ generated nitrogen is neither an approved active substance nor included in Annex I of the BPR. Therefore Austria applies to the Commission according to Art. 55 (3) BPR to allow a deroga-tion from point (a) of Article 19 (1) BPR by means of an implementing act for the active sub-stance in situ generated nitrogen for the protection of cultural heritage. The derogation should be unlimited (at least for five years).

 

We are aware that a national authorisation will have to include risk mitigation measures such as a restriction of the user categories for museum professionals and trained professionals only as well as safety provisions for the operation of nitrogen chambers. We propose a harmonisation of the conditions for a derogation in one (or more) implementing act(s) for all the MS who are seeking a derogation.

 

Finally, we would be grateful if the Commission could take an initiative with the aim to harmonise also the national derogations / authorisations for the protection of cultural heritage as much as possible.

 

Yours sincerely,

26. Juni 2019
For the Federal Minister:
Dr. Thomas Jakl