WRITTEN QUESTION E-0458/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission. Controlling the damage caused by toxic agents.
Date: 2001-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: access to information, cancer, public health, toxic substance

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.