WRITTEN QUESTION E-2900/00 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Road accidents.
Date: 2000-09-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common transport policy, police checks, road safety, road traffic, traffic control, trans-European network

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/125

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2000)

Airport malaria is a rare and potentially serious disease. Since 1977, when the disease was first
documented, 75 cases of airport malaria have been observed in western Europe. People may be infected
by the bite of an anopheles mosquito during a flight or stopover, or while opening containers or luggage
anywhere in the airport area. People who live near an airport or whose road transport brings them into
the vicinity may also be affected. The highest risk of airport malaria comes from western and central
Africa, as most of the air traffic from these countries includes stopovers in western Europe. Airport malaria
occurs mainly in hot summers, a period more favourable to the survival of anopheles. In addition, the
summer months in Europe correspond to the rainy season in African regions located between the Tropic
of Cancer and the equator, a period when malaria transmission is high.

Prevention of airport malaria is based on aircraft disinsection for aircraft coming from malaria endemic
areas. This disinsection, which is part of the international health regulations, must be done following the
World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Several methods are available.

Member State authorities, the medical professions, as well as the general public have been informed
through the information channels of the Community network of this emerging but still relatively rare
health threat. It is the responsibility of the Member States to ensure that appropriate preventive measures
are implemented at the airports. The spread of malaria by this route is not yet fully understood and even
when correctly applied, the WHO disinsection recommendations may not prevent all cases of airport
malaria.

(2001/C 136 E/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2900/00

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Road accidents

Article 2 of Decision No 1692/96/EC (1) of
the Council on the
development of the trans-European transport network states that the objective of the network is to (cid:145)ensure
the sustainable mobility of persons and goods (cid:133) under the best possible social and safety conditions(cid:146).

the European Parliament and of

Four years later, however, the number of people injured in road accidents remains constant in all 15
Member States, according to European Union statistics, while the number of fatalities in countries such as
Greece, Spain and Portugal is steadily rising.

What does the Commission intend to do, therefore, to increase the level of safety on European roads?

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996, p. 1.

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 2000)

From a human, social and economic standpoint, road safety is a very serious concern in the Community.
There are enormous differences between the Member States.

The improvement of road safety is a responsibility shared by all concerned: the Community, the Member
States, regional authorities, businesses and of course, the individual.

C 136 E/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

The Community, for its part, has clearly defined responsibilities and is exclusively responsible for certain
measures, such as technical standards for vehicles, rules on driving licenses and measures promoting the
use of certain innovative technologies, in the field of traffic management for example.

Other initiatives are under way or in the pipeline concerning education, controls and cooperation between
police forces. Efforts are being made to pay closer attention to road safety in road schemes and
improvements and encourage the exchange of information and experience in areas such as training and
awareness-raising.

All these measures should have a positive impact, especially on the Member States with the highest fatality
rates.

Measures under way or due to be taken in the short term at Community level are outlined in the
Commission communication of 17 March 2000 entitled (cid:145)Priorities in EU road safety Progress (cid:129) Report
and ranking of actions(cid:146) (1). This follows on from the 2nd Community Action Programme (1997-2001) in
the field of road safety.

In addition, the Commission will continue with the current programme and in 2001 it will prepare an
action programme for 2002-2010 aiming to reduce the number of fatalities and serious casualties on
European roads, which will include all the measures described above and address the problems mentioned
by the Honourable Member.

With regard to the trans-European road network, the Commission is supporting several projects promoting
the use of telematics in traffic management and information systems, which are also helping to improve
road safety.

(1) COM(2000) 125 final.

(2001/C 136 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2906/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Accession negotiations

Are there, or in the history of the European Union have there ever been, any peoples which it was
the EU but which in practice had no democratic representation within the

1.
claimed were part of
institutions?

If the Republic of Cyprus were to be allowed to join the European Union while claiming a
the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

2.
constitutional mandate over the entire island, while in fact
continued to proclaim its independence, would this be a precedent?

3.
Is there any reference within the treaties of the European Union which would require individuals to
be directly consulted, or otherwise represented by their directly elected representatives, to identify their
views before any claims are made that they are part of the EU?

4. What is the status of Gibraltar in this respect?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2000)

1. and 2.
The Commission would stress that there is no precedent in the Union(cid:146)s history of a people in
the Union being without democratic representation. However, this statement does not make any judge-
ment on whether the (cid:145)Turkish Republic of North Cyprus(cid:146) provides democratic representation or not.