WRITTEN QUESTION E-3875/00

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 December 2000)

Subject: European strategy to combat legionnaires' disease

New information in Europe on the scale and risks of legionnaires' disease point to the urgent need for a transparent and strict European strategy on legionella. In addition to known outbreaks of legionella in the Netherlands (Bovenkarspel), Belgium (Kapellen) and France (Strasbourg) it became known last autumn that a number of European hotels (including hotels in Spain and Greece) show an increased risk of infection with legionella. In the past five years about 12 000 tourists have been infected with this bacterium in Europe. Of these an estimated 10 % (1 200 patients) died from the illness (source: NRC Handelsblad, 26 September 2000). The longstanding European experts working group EGWLI (European Working Group for Legionella Infections) monitors legionella epidemics in the European Community. For the past ten years this working group has exchanged the names of hotels, apartments and camp sites where there is a risk of legionella. Because of the risk of commercial losses the southern European countries have insisted that the EGWLI does not disclose the names of the accommodation affected.

It must be concluded that information which is extremely pertinent to public health is being kept concealed at European level. Consumers are being provided with no information or inadequate information on the risks they run at holiday destinations.

1. How can the Commission guarantee public health when relevant information (names of accommodation where there is an increased legionella risk) is kept concealed?

2. What is the Commission's opinion on the need for a policy statement at European level to improve the transparency of information relevant to achieving the desired high level of public health protection?

3. How and when does the Commission intend, in cooperation with experts from the Member States, to prevent and control legionnaires' disease?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 2001)

The Honourable Member is referred to the joint answer to Written Questions P-3211/00 by Mr De Roo, E-3233/00 by Mrs Plooij-Van Gorsel and P-3239/00 by Mrs Corbey.

The data attributed to the European Working Group for Legionella infections (EWGLI) surveillance scheme and mentioned in the Dutch paper were an incorrect extrapolation from information on the EWGLI website. The actual number of travel related cases of legionnaires' disease that the EWGLI surveillance scheme has ascertained is one tenth of that quoted. The correct information is available at http://www.ewgli.org/.

The Commission has discussed the issues of dissemination of information, prevention and control of legionnaires' disease at the Community network committee established by Decision 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community(1) at its December 2000 meeting. The Commission proposes the development of an information policy that addresses the issues of transparency and confidentiality with regards to information for public health and to continue developing its work on prevention of legionnaires' disease within the Community network assisted by experts from Member States and the network committee. Working groups on both these issues are meeting early in 2001, and subsequent measures that appear to be necessary will be developed according to the procedures defined in Decision 2119/98/EC.

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.