13. 8. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 225/33 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 21 July 1987 amending Directive 85/210/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the lead content of petrol (87/416/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 130 S thereof, ' Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the proposal from the European Parliament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (), Whereas Directive 85/210/EEC (%), as amended by Direc- tive 85/581/EEC (%), obliges Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure the availability and balanced distribution within their territories of unleaded petrol from 1 October 1989 ; Whereas serious damage to public health and to the en- vironment has been observed and attributed to lead; whereas, since leaded petrol is a major source of pollution, Member States should be allowed to prohibit the market- ing of regular leaded petrol; Whereas the Community is committed to reducing the use of leaded petrol and whereas this is to be considered as part of a systained effort to limit further the exposure of the population to lead in the environment; () OJ No C 90, 4. 4. 1987, p. 3. () OJ No C 190, 20. 7. 1987, p. 180. () OJ No C 180, 8. 7. 1987, p. 16. () OJ No L 96, 3. 4. 1985, p. 25. () OJ No L 372, 31. 12. 1985, p. 37. Whereas the co-existence on the market of too many different types of petrol inhibits increased use of unleaded petrol to the detriment of environmental improvement ; Whereas the withdrawal of regular leaded petrol from the market would entail the use of products which substitute for it; ) - Whereas vehicles currently running on regular leaded petrol are technically capable of running either on premium leaded petrol or on unleaded petrol ; Whereas it is to be expected that there will be a switch to the use of unleaded petrol where this does not entail excessive costs for the consumer; Whereas the banning of regular leaded petrol from the market of a Member State should therefore lead to an improvement in the level of environmental and human " health protection ; Whereas at least six months’ notice should be given to the public before regular leaded petrol is banned from _ national markets, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Atticle 2 of Directive 85/210/EEC is hereby replaced by the following : ‘Article 2 1. . As from the entry into force of this Directive, and subject to paragraphs 2 and 4, Member States shall continue to ensure the availability and balanced distribution of leaded petrol within their - territories.