WRITTEN QUESTION P-1604/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(6 May 2003)

Subject: Atypical pneumonia virus (SARS)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been causing worldwide concern since February.

At the beginning of April there were 2 223 suspected cases in the world, 78 of which resulted in death. In Europe there were 5 suspected cases in Germany, 8 in Italy, 3 in the United Kingdom, 2 in Ireland, 1 in France and 1 in Belgium (none of them fatal).

According to the most recent information supplied by the Chinese Ministry of Health, SARS has killed another 9 people in the country and there are 203 new suspected cases (95 of them in Beijing). The total number of cases in China has now risen to 3 117, and the number of deaths has risen from 131 to 140 (59 of them in Beijing).

The antibiotics used to combat the most serious form of the infection have proved ineffective and as yet there are no antiviral drugs (it will allegedly take at least a year to develop any).

The Member States have taken action to tighten up preventive measures. In Italy, for example, not only will people arriving from countries at risk have to fill in a form at all airports, they will also be interviewed by doctors accompanied by interpreters.

Can the Commission say whether:

1. it intends to take prompt action aimed at coordinating European-wide measures to prevent, control and monitor the disease;

2. it will propose the creation of a European centre to combat disease, as Commissioner Byrne recommended when addressing the European Parliament on 7 April 2003;

3. it considers it appropriate to coordinate the increasingly rigorous checks to be carried out by the airlines flying to EU airports from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Canada (for example, measuring the temperature of passengers when they leave the areas at risk and when they arrive in Europe, with the possibility of quarantine for suspected cases) and urge countries outside the EU to carry out the same checks?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-1521/03, E-1547/03, P-1604/03, E-1613/03 and E-1617/03given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2003)

The Commission has taken a proactive and leading role in responding to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

As recently stated by the Council on SARS (6 May 2003), this has been undertaken through the Union Network for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases in the Community working under the Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community(1), and it has provided a very effective basis for the rapid exchange of information within the Union and for a co-ordinated response, in which the European Economic Area/European Free Trade Association (EEA/EFTA) and Candidate Countries have fully participated in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Commission is also keeping regular contact with Europe's airlines and airports associations, promoting the exchange of information and good practices on SARS. The air travel industry has been consulted on their expectations for a Community-wide co-ordination, although it must in any case follow standard WHO guidelines under the supervision of national health authorities.

The Council, at its extraordinary meeting on SARS, broadly agreed the orientation developed by the Commission with the assistance of the Network Committee.

Although the application of health protection measures falls to the authorities of the Member States the orientation for immediate and future actions will focus on the following issues:

- Rapid detection of all suspect cases of SARS through good surveillance.

- Protection of those at risk of infection from the cases through effective isolation of SARS patients in hospitals, including measures to protect carers.

- Particular attention to be paid to air travel, which has been an important factor in the spread of SARS, notably to standardised screening of passengers leaving affected areas, onboard advice to passengers and effective information at ports of entry from infected areas.

- The importance of raising awareness among professionals and public and the timely and accurate reporting and sharing of information with other countries, in particular EEA/EFTA countries, acceding and candidate countries and with the WHO. Co-operation should also be developed with other partners, such as airline companies.

The Council also took note of the Commission's intention to submit a proposal to create a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

In the case of controls at the external borders, each Member State conducts these controls in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2, Title II, of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, in particular Article 5, which lists the conditions for granting entry to third country nationals. The correct application of these provisions is enough to guarantee an adequate level of safety for the Schengen countries without the need for new control measures at the external borders to deal with the current situation.

As for the possible reintroduction of controls at internal borders, it should be stressed that it is up to the Member States to decide whether to take such a decision in accordance with Article 2(2) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement. However, given that the source of the problem here is in third countries, the Commission considers that the correct implementation at airports of the provisions on controls at the external borders should suffice.

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.