CouldtheCommissionindicatewhatstagethisproposalhasreached,whetheratimetablehasbeenagreed
for its implementation and whether a feasibility study has been conducted to gauge costs and therepercussionsforpatientmobility?
AnswergivenbyMrsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(14October2003)
TheCommissionwouldliketoinformtheHonourableMemberthaton18June2003theAdministrative
CommissiononSocialSecurityforMigrantWorkersadoptedthreedecisionswhichwillallowtheuseoftheEuropeanhealthinsurancecardasof1June2004.Theobjectiveofthiscardistofacilitateaccesstohealth care across Europe, and therefore to promote mobility by avoiding the current form-based
procedures.
TheEuropeancardwillbeintroducedinitiallyinaformatwhichwillallowessentialdatafortheprovision
ofhealthcareandreimbursementofthecosttobereadbythehumaneye.However,countrieswhichalreadyuseelectronicmediamaycontinuetodosoandincorporatethedatawhichmustbeincludedonthe European card. Ingeneral, Member Statesmay choosetoincorporate the European card intoanexistingnationalcard/dashorcardsissuedbyregionalauthorities/dashortoissueaspecialcard.
TheEuropeancardwillinitiallyreplaceonlyformE111,whichallowsaccesstoemergencyhealthcare
duringavisittoaMemberStateotherthanthestateinwhichtheindividualisinsured.AdoptionoftheproposalforaRegulationamendingRegulations(EEC)Nos1408/71(
1)and574/72(2)inrelationtothe
alignmentofrights(3)willallowtheEuropeancardtobesubstitutedforotherformsusedforaccessto
healthcareduringatriptoanothercountry,namelytheE128(usedinthecaseofpostingstoorstudiesinanotherMemberState),theE110(usedforinternationalroadtransport)andtheE119(usedforjobseekersinanotherMemberState).
TheideabehindtheEuropeancardistotransferultimatelytoanelectronicversionoftheforms.Oneof
thefactorsonwhichthiswilldependistheevaluationofcertainprojectswhicharecurrentlyunderwayandarebeingsupportedbytheUnion,suchasNetc@rds,inwhichseveralMemberStatesareinvolved.AtthisstageoftheprojecttheCommissionhasnotyetdecidedthearrangementsfortransferringtoanelectronicversioninallMemberStates.
(1) Regulation(EEC)No1408/71oftheCouncilof14June1971ontheapplicationofsocialsecurityschemesto
employedpersonsandtheirfamiliesmovingwithintheCommunity,OJL149,5.7.1971.UpdatedbyCouncil
Regulation(EC)No118/97,OJL28,30.1.1997,andlastamendedbyRegulation(EC)No1386/2001oftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncil,OJL187,10.7.2001.
(
2) Regulation(EEC)No574/72oftheCouncilof21March1972fixingtheprocedureforimplementingRegulation
(EEC)No1408/71,OJL74,27.3.1971.UpdatedbyCouncilRegulation(EC)No1290/97,OJL176,4.7.1997,and
last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1386/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 187,10.7.2001.
(
3) COM(2003)378final.
(2004/C58E/214) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2714/03
byKathleenVanBrempt(PSE)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:Claimsfordamagesinthecaseofwrongfulbirths
InBelgiuminrecentyearstherehavebeenscoresoflegalactionsbroughtbyparentsofdisabledchildren.
Theparentsaresystematicallyclaimingdamagesfromdoctorswhofailtodiagnoseadefectinthefoetusduringpregnancy.Theparentsclaimthatifthedisabilityhadbeendetected,aterminationcouldhavebeencarriedout.Belgiancourtshaveordereddoctorstopaysignificantsumsindamages.VeryrecentlyajudgeintheNetherlandsawardeddamagestoaseriouslyhandicappedgirlagednine.InFrancetherehasbeenasimilarjudgment(NicholasPerruchecase).Insurersandobstetriciansrefertotheseaswrongfulbirthorwrongful births. They also point out that gynaecological examinations never provide 100 per centcertainty.6.3.2004EN C58E/199 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
IstheCommissionawareofclaimsfordamagesinthecaseofwrongfulbirths?
CantheCommissionputafigureonthenumberoflegalactionsforwrongfulbirthintheEU?
DoestheCommissionintendtodraftregulationsonwrongfulbirths?WhatistheCommission’sviewof
therecentchangeinFrenchlawwhichnowstipulatesthatnoonecanbringaclaimfordamagessolelyonthegroundsofhavingbeenborn?
AnswergivenbyMrByrneonbehalfoftheCommission
(22October2003)
TheissueofclaimsfordamagesincasesofwrongfulbirthsdoesnotfallwithintheCommunity’ssphereof
competence.
TheresponsibilityforhealthcarelieswiththeMembersStates.TheCommissionisnotabletointervenein
thisrespectandthereforedoesnotintendtopresentdraftregulationsonwrongfulbirthsgiventhattheECTreatydoesnotprovideforthepossibilityfortheCommunitytoadoptharmonisationmeasureswith
regardtomeasuresintendedtoprotectandemporiahumanhealth.
Forthesamereason,theCommissionisnotinapositiontoreacttotherecentchangeofaFrenchlawon
claimsfordamages.
(2004/C58E/215) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2715/03
byKathleenVanBrempt(PSE)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:Rohypnol
InBelgiumtherehaverecentlybeencasesoftheprescriptiondrugRohypnolbeingusedincasesofassault
andrape.AnumberofunsuspectingtouristswererobbedaftereatingbiscuitscontainingRohypnol.TheyhavealsobeeninstancesofwomenbeingrapedaftertheirdrinkswerespikedwithRohypnol.Rohypnolisknowntobeastrongsedativeandcaninduceblackoutsandmemoryloss.Thismakesitdifficulttotrackdownoffenders.IntheUnitedStatesthesubstancehasnowbeenbannedandRohypnolisequatedwithcocaineandheroin.InBelgiumtoo,pharmacistsarecallingforabanonRohypnol.
IstheCommissionawareofthemisuseofRohypnolbycriminals?
DoestheCommissionintendtobanRohypnol?
Ifnot,whatistheCommissiondoingtocombatthemisuseofRohypnol?
AnswergivenbyMrLiikanenonbehalfoftheCommission
(15October2003)
Rohypnol (chemical name flunitrazepam) is a medicine of the benzodiazepine class. It is nationally
authorisedinvariousMemberStatesforthetreatmentofsevereinsomnia.
TheCommissionisawareofreportsofRohypnolbeingmisusedbycriminals.TheCommissionisawareof
reports of other psychoactive medicines, including other members of the benzodiazipine class beingmisused. Rohypnol has been shown to be effective in the treatment of the severe insomnia and theCommissiondoesnotintendtobanitsuse.However,variousactionshavebeentakenorareplannedataC58E/200 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion