WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1426/98 by Kenneth COATES to the Commission. The Rapid Spread of Tuberculosis
Date: 1998-05-11
Institutions: COATES, European Parliament
Subjects: Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, EU programme, South-East Asia, World Health Organisation, disease prevention, epidemic, infectious disease, state of emergency

22.12.98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 402/133

(98/C 402/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1426/98

by Kenneth Coates (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(11 May 1998)

Subject: The Rapid Spread of Tuberculosis

Is the Commission aware of the scale and rapid spread of tuberculosis in South-East Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe
and elsewhere, and of the deaths it causes, as reported by the World Health Organization?

What steps is the Commission taking to address this emergency?

What assistance is the Commission giving to research into how tuberculosis might be contained and cured?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 1998)

The Commission is aware of the increase in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) and of the factors that are
associated with this phenomenon, including crumbling medical systems, deteriorating socio-economic condi-
tions, and inappropriate practices leading to anti-microbial resistance.

Through the Community programme on acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other communicable
diseases the Commission is giving support to projects on surveillance and response on TB involving all Member
States. These projects aim at enhancing the capacity of the Member States(cid:146) authorities to fight against this disease.

Within the Community(cid:146)s enlargement framework, applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been
encouraged to participate in this and other public health action programmes (open to the Central and Eastern
Europe countries (CEECs), Malta and Cyprus). The Commission is also co-operating on this issue with the
United States in the context of the Community-United States task force and with international organisations, in
particular the World health organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.

Concerning research on tuberculosis, Biomed is presently funding 7 projects, amounting to a total of 3.25 MECU,
related to vaccine development, the development of a new generation of drugs in order to overcome the drug
resistant strains which are presently circulating, and on the epidemiology of tuberculosis.

Further opportunities for research on tuberculosis are offered in the fifth framework research programme, since
there will be a key action on infectious diseases.

(98/C 402/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1427/98

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: French legislation on encryption technologies

French telecommunications legislation significantly restricts the use of encryption technologies, as pointed out in
the Commission(cid:146)s communication on encryption and digital signatures. Two regulations have just entered into
force in France laying down conditions governing the use of such technologies and introducing a notification or
licensing procedure in the sector. The restrictions include a provision that the majority of members of the board of
administration of the TTP (trusted third party), which has to exist if encryption is to be permitted, must be French
citizens. Furthermore, the encryption keys must be held by a TTP, which could mean that a message appearing in
its converted form on a PC cannot legally be used in France.

Does the Commission consider the rules and state of affairs described above to be compatible with the provisions
governing the internal market and, if not, what steps will it take to guarantee the right to provide services and to
ensure that the confidentiality of communications can be maintained on French territory?