WRITTEN QUESTION E-1295/00 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Driving licences and diabetes.
Date: 2000-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, United Kingdom, diabetes, driving licence, interpretation of the law

C 72 E/40

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

(2001/C 72 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1295/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Driving licences and diabetes

The British Government has interpreted Directive 91/439/EEC (1) in such a way as to require it to ban
virtually all people who treat their diabetes with insulin from driving passenger-carrying vehicles and
vehicles exceeding 3,5 tonnes in weight.

1.

Is the Commission aware if any other Member States have introduced such restrictive measures?

The British Government argues that its policy derives from (cid:145)long-standing expert assessment of the dangers
associated with the driving of
the House of
Commons Science and Technology Committee reported in February 2000 that the source of this evidence
could not be identified.

larger vehicles by insulin-treated diabetics(cid:146). However,

Is the Commission aware of any evidence which might support the interpretation of the Directive

2.
being applied by the British Government?

(1) OJ L 237, 24.1.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences (1), stipulates in Annex III point 10 that:

Only in very exceptional cases may driving licences be issued to, or renewed for, applicants or drivers
in this group suffering from diabetes mellitus and requiring insulin treatment, and then only where
duly justified by authorised medical opinion and subject to regular medical check-ups.

This requires that people with diabetes mellitus should not normally be allowed to drive lorries or buses,
as there is a risk that they will suffer from blackouts. If this occurs while the individual concerned is
driving such large vehicles, there is an obvious risk of a major accident occurring.

The medical provisions laid dawn in Annex III of the Directive are based on the expert advice of medical
experts from across the Community.

As regards the interpretation of the Directive the detailed rules applicable for defining (cid:145)very exceptional
cases(cid:146) are a matter for each Member State to set as they see fit. However, it is clear that this cannot be
interpreted as meaning that all insulin-dependent diabetics may drive lorries or buses.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(2001/C 72 E/044)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1306/00

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: The welfare of broiler chickens

The recent report by the Commission(cid:146)s Scientific Committee on Animal Health & Animal Welfare on (cid:145)The
welfare of chickens kept for meat production (broilers)(cid:146) concludes that the broiler industry(cid:146)s determination
to achieve fast growth rates leads to many broiler chickens suffering from painful leg disorders and ascites.
The Scientific Committee also indicated that the highest acceptable stocking density is around 30 kg/m2