WRITTEN QUESTION P-3878/00 by Anneli Hulthén (PSE) to the Commission. Resources for sufferers of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome.
Date: 2000-12-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, action programme, allocation of resources, competence of the Member States, disease of the nervous system, health care, help for victims

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

2. Will the Commission (cid:145)submit proposals to the Council(cid:146) in accordance with Article 22 of the TEU to
obtain information from the German Ministry of Defence on the aid from this ministry in the construction
of a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey? If not, why is the Commission refusing to submit
a proposal
in accordance with Article 22 of the TEU given the importance of this question for the
common foreign and security policy?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2001)

According to Article 22 of the Treaty on European Union, the Commission and the Member States have
the right to submit proposals to the Council related to common foreign and security policy (CFSP) matters.
However, the case under consideration refers to the alleged export of dual-use or possibly military items
from one Member State to Turkey. In this context, it should be noted that, while legislation in the field of
dual-use exports is a Community competence (c.f. Council Regulation (EC) No 1334/2000 of 22 June
2000 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports of dual-use items and technology (1)), the
implementation remains with the Member States. It is, therefore, for the Member State where the exporter
is established to decide on authorisation requests and to monitor their implementation.

(1) OJ L 159, 30.6.2000.

(2001/C 187 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3878/00

by Anneli HulthØn (PSE) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: Resources for sufferers of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome

Can the Commission guarantee that there will in future be sufficient resources for sufferers of Creutzfeldt-
Jakob Syndrome, such as care and rehabilitation? Can the Commission also guarantee that sufficient funds
have been set aside for preventive measures and research?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2001)

Article 152 (ex Article 129) of the EC Treaty specifically requires that (cid:145)(cid:133) Community action in the field of
public health shall fully respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the organisation and delivery
of health services and medical care (cid:133)(cid:146).

For this reason, the resources for care and rehabilitation are largely under the responsibilities of the
Member States.

However, funds for intensifying research on the outstanding questions related to animal and human
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE(cid:146)s) were provided through a European action plan, which
was proposed by the Commission in November 1996. This action plan was rapidly adopted by Council
and Parliament with a supplementary budget of € 35 million bringing the total amount of Community
funding up to € 50,7 million. Since then, 54 projects involving 150 research laboratories, throughout
Europe, have been funded by the Commission under the research Framework Programme 4 (Biomed,
Biotech and FAIR programmes).

Research efforts are being pursued in the Fifth framework programme where all aspects foreseen in the
action plan, such as: clinical and epidemiological research on human spongiform encephalopathies (SE),
the infective agent and its transmission mechanism, diagnosis of (SE), evaluation of the risk from (SE),

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treatment and prevention of (SE), and co-ordination of research activities between Member States, are
included in the Quality of Life programme. Three new projects have been selected for funding to pursue
the continuous surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) cases, harmonise diagnostic methods and
investigate manufacturing processes to reduce risks of contamination. Forthcoming calls for proposals in
the Quality of Life programme this year and in 2001 will offer a further opportunity to strengthen this
effort and focus on critical areas where research is needed.

In addition, as far as Community actions in the area of public health are concerned, surveillance of vCJD is
foreseen under the Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998
setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the
Community (1).

Furthermore, collaborative networks of persons directly or indirectly affected by vCJD would have the
possibility of submitting project proposals in reply to call for proposals published in the framework of the
Community action programme on rare diseases (1999-2003) or of the Community action programme for
the prevention of AIDS and other communicable diseases (1996-2000; prolongation 2001-2002 proposed
by the Commission).

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.

(2001/C 187 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3887/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Discrimination against workers in the nuclear sector

Is the Commission aware of Dr William Cramp(cid:146)s work that led to the development of the (cid:145)Nuclear
Precipitation Test(cid:146), whereby individuals who are particularly sensitive to the effects of radiation may be
identified?

Does the Commission take the view that such tests should not be used to pre-select individuals to work in
nuclear facilities and that, rather than discriminating on grounds of individual human biology, environ-
ments should be made safe for all?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2001)

The work of Dr W Cramp is know to the Commission. However, in the current state of the art the results
and findings of studies on differing sensitivity to radiation cannot yet be put to any practical use.

The Commission therefore shares the view of the Honourable Member that these tests should not be used
to pre-select staff, especially as the focus of this particular scientific research into the sensitivity of human
organisms to radioactive radiation is the treatment of cancer tumours.

Annual exposure limits are set in order to protect workers against the hazards of ionising radiation. These
limits are always based on the latest scientific and technical developments in the field of the biological
effects of ionising radiation. Workers in the nuclear industry also undergo annual medical examinations
designed to establish their fitness for such work.

These two measures form the basis for EU basic safety standards for radiation protection, the effectiveness
of which is highlighted by the high level of protection afforded to workers. The Commission therefore
takes the view that no further measures are needed along these lines.