WRITTEN QUESTION E-0227/01 by Rosemarie Müller (PSE) to the Commission. Freedom of movement for the disabled.
Date: 2001-02-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: disabled person, free movement of persons, free movement of workers

C 261 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Antibiotic resistance is a complex issue that requires co-ordinated actions to be taken in a number of both
legislative and non-legislative fields concerning human medicine, animal welfare, health and nutrition and
plant health.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics including in farmed animals can contribute to increased or accelerated
resistance in pathogenic bacteria for humans. For this reason all antibiotics which are or may be used as
human or veterinary medicine for therapeutical purposes have been banned for use as growth promoters.

Implementation of prudent use policies and guidelines for therapy to ensure rational usage of antimicro-
bials is widely stimulated by competent bodies, including the Community, the (cid:145)Office international des
Øpizooties(cid:146)
(OIE), World Health Organisation (WHO) and national authorities. Resistance monitoring
programmes are being implemented to study and guide the effect of these policies.

In line with the conclusions of the opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) on microbial
resistance of 28 May 1999 the Commission is of the opinion that further reduction in the use of
antibiotics in human medicine, veterinary medicine, animal production and plant protection should be
possible. Indeed in some sectors improved hygiene conditions and development of new vaccines have
already contributed to the reduction of their need.

Actions to address the antibiotic resistance issue should form part of a more comprehensive strategy. A
Commission communication on such a strategy will be presented later this year.

The strategy will refer to possible proposals for new legislation, for example, to phase out those antibiotics
still authorised as growth promoters in farm animals. This phase out process must be planned and co-
ordinated since precipitous actions could have repercussions for animal health. At the same time it is a
prerequisite for the replacement of the antibiotics that alternatives are available thus avoiding possible
overprescription and illegal uses as well as environmental problems by using inappropriate substitutes.

This proposal is being considered for presentation this year.

(2001/C 261 E/070)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0227/01

by Rosemarie M(cid:252)ller (PSE) to the Commission

(5 February 2001)

Subject: Freedom of movement for the disabled

Disabled persons(cid:146) organisations complain that because of administrative hurdles disabled persons have
great difficulty in exercising their right to freedom of movement and freedom to choose their place of
work within the EU. In particular, when disabled persons return to their country of origin there are
problems because the social service benefits, previously paid in the country of origin and suspended for
the duration of the period of residence abroad, can only be taken up again after laborious fresh application
procedures.

1.

Is the Commission aware of such legal and administrative hurdles making it difficult for disabled
persons to exercise their right of freedom of movement?

2. Does the Commission see any way of removing these obstacles?

3. Does the Commission have any plans for legislation to do away with such problems and, if so, when

can a legislative proposal be expected?

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/69

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(21 March 2001)

The Commission has not received any complaint concerning legal and administrative hurdles making it
difficult for disabled persons to exercise their right to freedom of movement or their freedom to choose
their place of work within the Community.

If the Honourable Member has information about any specific cases, she is invited to forward it to the
to see if any infringement of
Commission. This would enable an investigation to be carried out
Community-law has occurred and, if so, to decide what measures should be taken.

(2001/C 261 E/071)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0236/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(8 February 2001)

Subject: Continuing failure to clarify deaths of inhabitants of Kosovar village of Racak

Does the Council recall my Written Question No E-0628/00 (1) of 2 March 2000 on the deaths on
1.
15 January 1999 of 45 men belonging to the Albanian community in the village of Racak in Kosovo, and
its answer of 8 June 2000?

2. Was the full report by the Finnish forensic team of 21 June 2000 handed over to the General
Council and the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY)?

3. What, according to the report, is the exact number of victims, and what were the circumstances of
their deaths?

Is the report in the public domain? If not, why not? Is the Council prepared to make the report

4.
available to Members of the European Parliament?

Has the recommendation made by Dr Helena Ranta in March 1999, that there should first be a

5.
thorough police investigation to give an overall picture of what happened in Racak, been followed up

6.

7.

Has the ICTY now opened a criminal investigation?

Does the Council endorse the findings of the report referred to in paragraph 2 above?

How, when and by whom does the Council expect the complete truth about what happened in

8.
Racak to be conclusively established?

(1) OJ C 26 E, 26.1.2001, p. 72.

Reply

(31 May 2001)

The Council certainly recalls its reply of 8 June 2000 to a previous question on the issue and is ready to
update the Honourable Member on the issue.

At the end of the month of June 2000, the Finnish forensic team completed its work and (cid:129) as agreed with
the Council (cid:129) handed over directly to the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) a
full and detailed report of its findings. The forensic team has briefed the Council by presenting an
(cid:145)Executive Summary(cid:146) (annex). This document has been recently declassified, following advice by ICTY and
Dr Helena Ranta, who had lead the EU forensic team to Yugoslavia. On the same occasion both Dr Ranta
and the office of ICTY Prosecutor made it clear that due to ongoing investigations, the content of the final
report (cid:129) which is not in the hands of the Council (cid:129) should not be disclosed.