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
MemberStateleveltoreducethepotentialforcriminalmisuseofRohypnol.Theseincludereformulating
themedicinetomakeitmoredifficulttoadministercovertlyandinforminghealthcareprofessionalsandthepublicoftheriskofmisuse.
(2004/C58E/216) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2716/03
byKathleenVanBrempt(PSE)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:Radardetectors
AwholerangeofdetectorsystemsforspeedchecksareavailableontheEuropeanmarket.Oneoftheseis
theBritishRoadPilot,anewhigh-techGPSreceiverwhichwarnsmotoristswhentheyareapproachinganunmanned camera and tells them whether or not they need to reduce their speed. Unlike all otherdetectors,theRoadPilotisnotbannedinBelgiumbecauseitdoesnotdetectpoliceradarwhichisillegalinBelgium.However,BelgianscanacquirepoliceradardetectorsintheNetherlandswheretheyarelegal.Asaresult,manymotoristsaredrivingaroundwithradardetectionsystems.
Roadsafetyexpertshavedrawnattentiontothedangersofdetectionsystemsofthiskind.Theypointout
thattherearedriverswhobrakesuddenlywhentheyreceiveasignalandthenspeedupagainoncetheyhavepassedthespeeddetectiondevice.
WhatistheCommission’sattitudetoradardetectors?
IstheCommissionawareofthecommercialsuccessofthesespeedcameradetectorsystems?Doesitnotagreethatradardetectorsaredangerousforroadsafety?
DoesitintendtodrawupEuropeanregulationsonthismatter?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(21October2003)
TheCommissioniscollectingtheinformationitneedstoanswerthequestion.Itwillcommunicateits
findingsassoonaspossible.
(2004/C58E/217) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2719/03
byMargrietusvandenBerg(PSE)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:Follow-upquestionontheproblemsoffrontierstudents
Fromitsanswerof27AugusttoWrittenQuestionE-2534/03(1),itappearsthattheCommissiondoes
havetheauthoritytoencouragecooperationbetweenMemberStatesintheareaofeducationandtheorganisationofeducationsystems.Whatstepsisitpreparedtotakeinthissphere?
(1) OJC33E,6.2.2004.6.3.2004EN C58E/201 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion