WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2092/98 by Doeke EISMA to the Commission. Upsurge in computer-related repetitive strain injury (RSI)
Date: 1998-07-10
Institutions: EISMA, European Parliament
Subjects: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, disease of the nervous system, disease prevention, micro-computer, occupational disease, occupational health, occupational safety

C 31/122

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.2.1999

(1999/C 31/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2081/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: The URBAN programme in Greece

(10 July 1998)

The basic aim of the URBAN programme is to help find viable solutions in areas with severe social problems.

One of the areas selected under the programme in Greece (Subprogramme 1) is Drapetsonas-Keratsiniou.
Perama, which is geographically a continuation of the Drapetsonas-Keratsiniou area and has identical and even
more acute social problems (severe unemployment, large numbers of small and medium-sized businesses that
meet the programme(cid:146)s criteria etc) has not been included in the programme.

Does the Commission know why this area was not included in the above programme? Can it be incorporated and
by what procedure?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 1998)

The Commission is aware that there are blighted urban areas in Greece that are not covered by the Urban
Community Initiative. As the budget for the Initiative is limited, a choice had to be made from among the possible
areas. The Greek authorities chose other urban areas in difficulty over Perama. It could only now be included if
the Greek authorities asked for it, if the Urban budget allowed it (which currently is not the case) and if there were
already a concrete action plan for implementation before the end of 1999.

(1999/C 31/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2092/98

by Doeke Eisma (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 July 1998)

Subject: Upsurge in computer-related repetitive strain injury (RSI)

Is the Commission aware of the new complaint of repetitive strain injury (RSI)?

Can the Commission state what the precise cause of this complaint is and what treatment and preventive measures
are available?

Can the Commission state how many cases of RSI were reported in the European Union in 1997?

Does the Commission agree that if the cause is not quickly identified, together with preventive measures, the
upsurge in the incidence of this complaint, in conjunction with the ever more important part played by the
computer in modern society, is likely to have an enormous economic impact?

What action does the Commission propose to combat and prevent this complaint?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1998)

The Commission is aware of musculoskeletal disorders and, in particular, of repetitive strain injury.

With regard to the prevention of and the granting of compensation for occupational diseases, Annex I of
Commission Recommendation 90/326/EEC of 22 May 1990 concerning the adoption of a European schedule of
occupational diseases (1) contains, among the diseases caused by physical agents, eight different diagnostic
groups of mulculoskeletal disorders.

In the context of the harmonisation of statistics on occupational diseases (the (cid:145)European Occupational Diseases
Statistics(cid:146) (EODS) project), the Commission collected data during the reference year 1995. The preliminary
results of this project, not yet published, show that approximately 3 400 cases of nerve paralysis due to pressure