# CE2004088EN.01025002.xml

| 8.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 88/250 |
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8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 88/250

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(2004/C 88 E/0255)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0935/04

by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject:   European environment and health strategy – SCALE

Subject:

Early last summer, the Commission launched the European environment and health strategy (SCALE).

In its press release (IP/03/823) of 11 June 2003, the Commission describes the five key elements of the strategy. The second of these is ‘children’, as they are particularly susceptible to environmental agents. In this connection the Commission claims that 157 million children in Europe are suffering from special environment-related problems.

According to ‘A Community of fifteen: key figures’, 2000 edition, in 1998 less than 20 % of the population of the EU consisted of children aged from 0 to 14. Assuming the population of the EU to be around 370 million, the population would include 74 million children under 15 at the absolute maximum. Even if one allows for the increase in the EU's population due to enlargement, it would hardly be possible to arrive at a figure of 157 million children in Europe.

The Commission:

| 1. | What criteria did it use to arrive at the figure of 157 million children in Europe? |
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1.

What criteria did it use to arrive at the figure of 157 million children in Europe?

| 2. | Could the figure quoted by the Commission be due to a misprint? |
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2.

Could the figure quoted by the Commission be due to a misprint?

| 3. | If so, how many children are really suffering from environment-related problems in Europe? |
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3.

If so, how many children are really suffering from environment-related problems in Europe?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

(30 April 2004)

| 1. | The Commission has quoted the figure of 157 million children in Europe based on the United Nations (UN) Population Data Base as no data was available from Directorate-General Eurostat at this stage. The figure refers to the population of children aged 0-15 in Europe in 2000. The figure, however, refers to the total number of children inhabiting Europe and not to the number of children suffering from environmentally-related diseases. |
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1.

The Commission has quoted the figure of 157 million children in Europe based on the United Nations (UN) Population Data Base as no data was available from Directorate-General Eurostat at this stage. The figure refers to the population of children aged 0-15 in Europe in 2000. The figure, however, refers to the total number of children inhabiting Europe and not to the number of children suffering from environmentally-related diseases.

| 2. | The figure quoted by the Commission is not due to a misprint. The relevant reference website is: (www.un.org/popin/data.html). |
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2.

The figure quoted by the Commission is not due to a misprint. The relevant reference website is: (www.un.org/popin/data.html).

| 3. | At this stage, the Commission does not have reliable figures on how many children are suffering from diseases related to the environment across Europe. It has been estimated that up to one fifth of the total burden of disease in industrialised countries can be attributed to environmental factors (1). In this respect, children are an important target group as they are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards. One important development in this context is the significant increase in childhood asthma observed in developed western societies to levels where around 10 % of children are suffering from asthmatic symptoms. The environment and health monitoring work to be developed as a key priority of the EU Environment and health strategy will make it possible to develop specific estimates on the numbers of children affected by diseases related to the environment. |
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3.

At this stage, the Commission does not have reliable figures on how many children are suffering from diseases related to the environment across Europe. It has been estimated that up to one fifth of the total burden of disease in industrialised countries can be attributed to environmental factors (1). In this respect, children are an important target group as they are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards. One important development in this context is the significant increase in childhood asthma observed in developed western societies to levels where around 10 % of children are suffering from asthmatic symptoms. The environment and health monitoring work to be developed as a key priority of the EU Environment and health strategy will make it possible to develop specific estimates on the numbers of children affected by diseases related to the environment.

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(1)  How much global ill health is attributable to environmental factors?, K. R. Smith et al, Epidemiology 1999.

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