WRITTEN QUESTION E-1332/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Financial aid for sarcoidosis projects.
Date: 2000-04-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, foundation, illness

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/127

The basis for the proposal includes an assessment study made by external consultants that can be
2.
accessed on the Commission(cid:146)s Internet site. Its conclusions were that the aid and its amount had only a
limited impact on availability of milk products in schools and the level of consumption in general.

3.
The Commission freely acknowledges that distribution of milk in schools can help achieve nutritional
and social objectives. That is in fact why it considers that the aid should not fall exclusively to the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund but be split between it and the Member States. The
Commission(cid:146)s proposal confirms the Community(cid:146)s financial commitment to the school milk scheme.

(1) OJ C 89, 28.3.2000.

(2001/C 53 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1322/00

by Bertel Haarder (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 April 2000)

Subject: Failure to pay grants promised to B(cid:146)Tselem

In April 1998, the Commission decided to support a project devised by B(cid:146)Tselem (The Israeli Information
Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) entitled (cid:145)Generating Commitment for Human Rights(cid:146)
(project number 98mas15 B7-7050 in the MEDA democracy programme). In 1999, B(cid:146)Tselem was granted
a further amount
in a project with four other Israeli human rights
organisations (project number 1998/281A B7-7050 in the MEDA democracy programme). In response
to several MEPs(cid:146) questions concerning B(cid:146)Tselem(cid:146)s 1998 grant, Commissioner Manuel Mar(cid:237)n replied that the
contract for the amount would be formally drawn up in early 1999. To date, no contract has been
forwarded for either of the two projects.

in its capacity as participant

Will the Commission say when B(cid:146)Tselem will receive the promised contracts in respect of the grants for
their two projects?

Will the Commission say why the grants have not yet been paid?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2000)

All 1998 MEDA-Democracy contracts, around 40 projects, including that with B(cid:146)Tselem, have now been
signed by the Commission and sent to the respective beneficiaries for counter-signature. In spite of their
infortunate delay, these projects including that with B(cid:146)Tselem will mostly go ahead as planned.

The 1999 MEDA-Democracy grant to four Israeli non-governmental organizations including B(cid:146)Tselem, was
approved by the human rights management committee in October 1999. The contract will be signed by
the Commission and sent to the beneficiary as soon as possible.

Finally, counter-signature by the beneficiary will mark the start of the project and the disbursement of the
allocated funds in compliance with all contractual conditions.

(2001/C 53 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1332/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(27 April 2000)

Subject: Financial aid for sarcoidosis projects

Late last year a number of sarcoidosis patients created a website to provide information about their illness.
The many contacts soon showed that there is a great need not only for information, but also for an
umbrella organisation (a foundation) to represent the interests of patients. This is because many people

C 53 E/128

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

suffering from sarcoidosis have problems with what is in any case a difficult diagnosis of their illness. The
European Sarcoidosis Foundation has now received the support of Dr Alexandre Vizel, professor in the
medical faculty of the University of Kazan (Tartarstan) and head of the pulmonology section.

Is the Commission aware of the problems of sarcoidosis patients? If so,

1.
concerned with sarcoidosis?

is it financing projects

Is the Commission prepared to give financial support to the European Sarcoidosis Foundation in

2.
view of the specific difficulties facing sarcoidosis patients? If so, in what way can this aid be given?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2000)

1.
The Commission is well aware of the problems of sarcoidosis patients. The Commission has been
informed that the prevalence of the disease is less than five affected people per 10 000 in the Community
and thus it is one of the 5 000 different kinds of diseases that fall within the general definition of (cid:145)rare
disease(cid:146). As the Community can provide a strong added value in the area of rare diseases, the Commission
has proposed a comprehensive strategy based on three actions.

Pharmaceutical policy. Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 December
1999 on orphan medicinal products (1) was recently adopted and it will provide incentives for research,
development and placing on the market of designated orphan medicinal products (pharmaceutical
products for rare diseases). A committee for orphan medicinal products is set up within the European
agency for the evaluation of medicinal products. The Commission has recently nominated three members
representing patients(cid:146) organisations.

Public health policy. Within the framework for action in the field of public health, a programme of
Community action on rare diseases (1999-2003) is currently being implemented by the Commission.
Transnational collaboration of organisations of those directly or indirectly affected by rare diseases is one
of
the four actions to be implemented. The other actions concern the promotion of a European
information network on rare diseases, training on rare diseases and monitoring of rare diseases.

Research policy. The fifth framework programme on research ((cid:145)Quality of life and management of living
resources(cid:146)) provides for several areas in which diseases such as sarcoidosis are covered,
in particular
(cid:145)Activities of generic nature(cid:146) area 7 which explicitly mentions rare diseases, and key action 4 (cid:145)Environment
and health(cid:146).

The Commission is not currently funding any specific project on sarcoidosis, but this disease is
2.
addressed under the more general actions in the above areas. Sarcoidosis patients(cid:146) organisations are eligible
to take part in any of the abovementioned initiatives. This should be done following the specific rules
defined for each of them (procedure defined by Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 for orphan medicinal
journal for research and public health
products; reply to calls for proposals published in the Official
programmes).

(1) OJ L 18, 22.1.2000.

(2001/C 53 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1335/00

by Pervenche BerŁs (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Free equipment and access to the Internet in schools

(4 May 2000)

A major German telecommunications operator has indicated recently that it is prepared to supply, free of
charge and before the end of the year, e-mail addresses, home pages and access to its Internet access
provider for 40 000 German schools.