WRITTEN QUESTION No. 707/98 by Amedeo AMADEO , Salvatore TATARELLA to the Commission. Injury prevention
Date: 1998-03-18
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament, TATARELLA
Subjects: EU action, accident in the home, action programme, consumer protection, disease prevention, product safety, public health

C 304/150

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

With regard to the budget, since the funding is allocated only until the end of 1999, does the Commission not
consider it essential to ensure from the very beginning that the programme continues until 2003, i.e. the end of
the envisaged period?

(1)  OJ C 202, 2.7.1997, p. 20.

(98/C 304/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0707/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) and Salvatore Tatarella (NI) to the Commission

(18 March 1998)

Subject: Injury prevention

This question concerns the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting a programme of
Community action from 1999 to 2003 on injury prevention in the context of the framework for action in the field
of public health (COM(97) 178 final › 97/0132 COD (1).

With  regard  to  product  safety,  could  the  Commission  establish  a  solid  link  between  injury  prevention  and
Directive 92/59/EEC (2) on general product safety?

We  would  stress  the  measures  proposed  (cf.  the  subject  of  injury  prevention  capacity)  for  the  purpose  of
developing  the  public  health  aspects  of  other  Community  policies  aimed  at  preventing  injuries,  as  in  the
above-mentioned directive.

(1)  OJ C 202, 2.7.1997, p. 20.
(2)  OJ L 228, 11.8.1992, p. 24.

Joint answer to Written Questions
E-0704/98, E-0705/98, E-0706/98 and E-0707/98
given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 1998)

The  proposed  programme  on  injury  prevention  aims  at  the  systematic  collection  of  progressively  improved
information on injuries and their prevention, the sharing of expertise in the selection and adaptation of the best
prevention  interventions  and  improvements  in  the  epidemiology  of  injury.  As  such,  it  does  not  duplicate  the
health monitoring programme, which seeks to establish health indicators in certain areas as a tool for the overall
definition and evaluation of national and Community health policy, but will complement the latter by providing
the background material on which appropriate selection of indicators can be made. Moreover, the programme on
injury prevention will support the evaluation and dissemination of best practice as regards protective measures,
and will promote the drawing up of effective policies. As regards the future development of health policy, present
activities judged to merit priority status will feature prominently in future proposals of the Commission.

On 3 November 1997 the Council confirmed its support for the continuation and improvement of the Europe
home and leisure accident surveillance system (Ehlass). On 11 March 1998, the Commission accepted, to a large
measure, the amendments of the Parliament in first reading related to the integration, development and extension
of  the  former  Ehlass  system  in  the  proposal  for  a  programme  on  injury  prevention.  The  proposal  of  the
Commission on this programme is being modified accordingly.

The proposed decision provides that the Commission shall ensure consistency and complementarity between
actions  to  be  undertaken  under  the  proposed  programme  and  those  implemented  under  other  relevant
Community programmes and actions. As such, an appropriate cross link with Directive 92/59/EEC on general
product safety (1) is already provided. Furthermore, as regards the injury prevention capacity, activities will be
supported  to  increase  the  use  which  public  health  bodies  can  make  of  other  Community  policies  for  injury
prevention.

An amount of 14 MECU for 5 years will be proposed for the actions under the programme between 1999 and
2003.

(1)  OJ L 228, 11.8.1992.