WRITTEN QUESTION E-0460/01 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission. Traveller's thrombosis.
Date: 2001-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air transport, carriage of passengers, illness, public health, transport safety

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/57

(2001/C 318 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0458/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Controlling the damage caused by toxic agents

(19 February 2001)

Public opinion is understandably concerned about the increasing incidence of specific tumours, such as
melanomas and leukaemias.

1.

Is the Commission able to confirm this increased incidence?

2.
Is it willing to set up a special temporary working group, under Commissioner Byrne, to conduct
investigations in each EU Member State to ascertain what damage has been caused over the past ten years
by specific toxic agents, such as benzene, additives used in strong detergents (for car bodies, graffiti, etc.),
the impact of radiation from Chernobyl on water and the earth in Europe and contamination by depleted
uranium, plutonium or other agents in the wake of the bombs dumped in the Adriatic and Lake Garda?

3. What measures does it intend to take to ascertain whether or not there is a connection between the
increase in such tumours and the uncontrolled dissemination of these toxic agents?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2001)

The Commission is not in a position to confirm an increased incidence of specific tumours in

1.
Europe, referred to by the Honourable Members.

2.
The Commission has under the (cid:145)Europe against Cancer(cid:146) programme a European network of Cancer
Registries, which produces incidence and mortality data for all cancers. The data are accessible to the
European citizen via Internet web site http://www.iarc.fr.

3.
The Commission already follows the evolution of cancer incidence and mortality with the (cid:145)Advisory
Committee on Cancer Prevention(cid:146), which advises the Commission on all issues related to the prevention of
Cancer including toxic agents as risk factors.

4.
The Commission additionally funds research helping to elucidate the links between cancer and
environmental factors including environmental pollutants and thus contributes to the development of
measures to protect public health under its Specific Research Program Quality of Life and Management of
Living Resources (cid:129) Key Action 4 Environment and Health. The catalogues of funded projects 1999 and
2000 are accessible to the European citizen via Internet web site http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/
quality-of-life.html.

(2001/C 318 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0460/01

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(19 February 2001)

Subject: Traveller(cid:146)s thrombosis

The Commission, in its reply to Question E-2020/99 (1) (tabled by the author of the present question)
relating to seating conditions in air passenger transport, stated that it would examine the matter on the
basis of a consultation document.

Surprisingly, the consultation document states, in paragraph 2.1, not only that further research and proofs
are needed concerning traveller(cid:146)s thrombosis if action is to be taken on the matter, but, furthermore, that
limited passenger space makes for greater protection if there is an emergency landing.

C 318 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

Almost a year on, the author of this question has encountered no scientific proof for the notion that
confining air passengers in a highly restricted space improves passenger safety. On the contrary, numerous
scientific publications, factual evidence and public opinion all back up the view that traveller(cid:146)s thrombosis
is one of the consequences of the policy of enclosing passengers in a confined space. Certain studies even
suggest that thrombosis may occur in as many cases as one in a thousand (Aerospace Medical Association
(cid:129) Air Transport Medicine Committee, Traveller(cid:146)s Thrombosis, Deep Vein Thrombosis associated with
Travel, January 2001).

Traveller(cid:146)s thrombosis is only one of the more obvious consequences of the inhuman treatment frequently
inflicted on passengers by airlines: cases in point include rheumatic ailments, claustrophobia, and even
syndromes such as (cid:145)air rage(cid:146) (cid:129) a phenomenon which the Commission document refers to in detail, but
without any consideration of its possible causes.

Given the above:

1. Does the Commission not consider it necessary, as a matter of urgency, to review its position on the

confinement of air passengers in restricted spaces?

2. Does the Commission not consider that

the principles already existing in EU law concerning
minimum spaces for the transportation of poultry, pigs and other livestock should be extended to the
transport of human beings by air?

(1) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000, p. 68.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

The Commission is aware that long-distance transport of passengers by air may increase the risk of
thrombosis or affect passengers(cid:146) health in other ways. However, it does not believe that current knowledge
justifies a legislative proposal from the Commission, and believes a review needs to be made of studies
conducted by scientists from around the world before any conclusions are drawn regarding possible
Community action to protect passenger health, including reserving passenger space for reasons other than
rapid evacuation of aircraft.

The consultation which the World Health Organisation (WHO) organised on this subject on 12 and
13 March 2001 confirmed the lack of concrete evidence linking the risk of thrombosis to air travel. The
WHO is proposing to undertake a series of epidemiological studies on the risk, the scale of the problem
and the risk factors, studies to isolate the environmental
factors (cabin pressure, oxygen levels,
consumption of alcohol and lack of exercise) and, lastly, a study of the effectiveness of various preventive
measures. A number of airline companies appear interested in contributing to, and helping to finance,
these studies.

The Commission intends to follow the progress of research in this area closely. To this end, it will also
take account of the results of a research project entitled Dynasafe, which is being funded under the
Community(cid:146)s Fifth framework programme of research and development (1).

(1) COM(97) 553 final.

(2001/C 318 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0471/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 February 2001)

Subject: Plan Colombia

Since 1990 more than 35 000 people, the majority of them civilians, have died in armed clashes in
Colombia. Since last September there has been an additional element in the peace process in the form of
the so-called Plan Colombia, launched by the country(cid:146)s president, AndrØs Pastrana, and costing USD 7
billion for the period 2000-2006. The Commission plans to provide € 105 million in economic aid to
Colombia over the same period. The EU will be contributing € 300 million in all.