WRITTEN QUESTION E-3875/00 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European strategy to combat legionnaires' disease.
Date: 2000-12-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: access to EU information, consumer protection, health policy, health risk, infectious disease, public health

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/219

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member concerning the fire risks
emanating from the engine compartment of buses. It is one of the reasons why a proposal of a directive (1)
relating to special provisions for the construction of public service vehicles was adopted and submitted to
the Parliament and the Council on June 1997.

The draft Directive (known as (cid:145)Buses and Coaches(cid:146)), now at its second reading stage, stipulates in its Annex
1, a series of requirements relating to protection against fire risks, particularly in the engine compartment.
These requirements apply to the layout of the engine compartment, heat resisting materials, fuel and oil
ducts, drainage orifices, possible sources of heat like energy dissipating retarder and heating fluids.

It is expected that the adoption process of this directive will be completed in the coming months in order
to allow early transposition into the laws of the Member States. This Directive will increase the level of
safety of this type of public service vehicles while ensuring the benefits of the functioning of the internal
market.

(1) COM(97) 276.

(2001/C 163 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3875/00

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European strategy to combat legionnaires(cid:146) disease

(8 December 2000)

New information in Europe on the scale and risks of legionnaires(cid:146) disease point to the urgent need for a
transparent and strict European strategy on legionella. In addition to known outbreaks of legionella in the
Netherlands (Bovenkarspel), Belgium (Kapellen) and France (Strasbourg) it became known last autumn that
a number of European hotels (including hotels in Spain and Greece) show an increased risk of infection
with legionella. In the past five years about 12 000 tourists have been infected with this bacterium in
Europe. Of these an estimated 10 % (1 200 patients) died from the illness (source: NRC Handelsblad,
26 September 2000). The longstanding European experts working group EGWLI (European Working
Group for Legionella Infections) monitors legionella epidemics in the European Community. For the past
ten years this working group has exchanged the names of hotels, apartments and camp sites where there is
a risk of legionella. Because of the risk of commercial losses the southern European countries have insisted
that the EGWLI does not disclose the names of the accommodation affected.

It must be concluded that information which is extremely pertinent to public health is being kept
concealed at European level. Consumers are being provided with no information or inadequate informa-
tion on the risks they run at holiday destinations.

How can the Commission guarantee public health when relevant information (names of accommoda-

1.
tion where there is an increased legionella risk) is kept concealed?

2. What is the Commission(cid:146)s opinion on the need for a policy statement at European level to improve
the transparency of information relevant to achieving the desired high level of public health protection?

How and when does the Commission intend, in cooperation with experts from the Member States, to

3.
prevent and control legionnaires(cid:146) disease?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 2001)

The Honourable Member is referred to the joint answer to Written Questions P-3211/00 by Mr De Roo,
E-3233/00 by Mrs Plooij-Van Gorsel and P-3239/00 by Mrs Corbey.

C 163 E/220

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

The data attributed to the European Working Group for Legionella infections (EWGLI) surveillance scheme
and mentioned in the Dutch paper were an incorrect extrapolation from information on the EWGLI
website. The actual number of travel related cases of legionnaires(cid:146) disease that the EWGLI surveillance
scheme has ascertained is one tenth of that quoted. The correct
information is available at http://
www.ewgli.org/.

The Commission has discussed the issues of dissemination of information, prevention and control of
legionnaires(cid:146) disease at the Community network committee established by Decision 2119/98/EC of the
Parliament and the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for the epidemiological
surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community (1) at its December 2000 meeting.
The Commission proposes the development of an information policy that addresses the issues of
transparency and confidentiality with regards to information for public health and to continue developing
its work on prevention of legionnaires(cid:146) disease within the Community network assisted by experts from
Member States and the network committee. Working groups on both these issues are meeting early in
2001, and subsequent measures that appear to be necessary will be developed according to the procedures
defined in Decision 2119/98/EC.

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.

(2001/C 163 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3882/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Completion and re-opening of road axis 10

(4 December 2000)

The events in the former Yugoslavia have not only led to the embargo, they have also put an end to the
transport of Greek goods through Yugoslavia and interrupted work on the road axis linking central and
southern Europe.

In view of the political changes that have taken place in Yugoslavia, what steps does the Commission
intend to take to complete and re-open road axis 10 which passes through Zagreb and Belgrade and which
will facilitate road links between Greece and Central Europe?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2001)

We have not yet started to focus on infrastructure improvements. Our efforts have been concentrated on
implementing a € 200 million emergency package of assistance to help get Serbia through the winter.
We aim to have a donors(cid:146) conference for the Federal Republic of Yougoslavia (FRY) once its relationship
with the IFIs has been resolved (cid:129) we hope this will be by the early summer and once a thorough
assessment of the FRY(cid:146)s needs, currently underway, has been completed (cid:129) we will look at the possibility of
works on road axis 10 as part of that.

(2001/C 163 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3883/00

by Claude Desama (PSE) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: Management of WEU staff

Staff at the WEU are facing an uncertain future. New bodies have been set up under the second pillar,
without taking into account the skills available in the WEU. As a result of these decisions, a large number
of staff have been made redundant and new staff recruited, many people have been moved and EU and
WEU buildings have been restructured: all this has cost the taxpayer a great deal of money.