WRITTEN QUESTION P-0973/01 by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Driving and diabetes.
Date: 2001-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accident prevention, diabetes, driving licence, road safety, transport accident, transport regulations

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/221

(2001/C 261 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0973/01

by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 March 2001)

Subject: Driving and diabetes

I refer to my Written Question E-2542/99 (1) and to the answer by Mrs Palacio which referred to the
Commission(cid:146)s answer E-495/98 (2) to Mr Howitt. In answer to my question, the Commission confirms that
no developments since 1998 have prompted it to change its position from that which it indicated to
Mr Howitt.

However, the Commission(cid:146)s statements to Mr Howitt (and also to Mrs Waddington at the same time)
indicate expressly that the Commission had no substantial evidence at that time to support the belief that
people with insulin-dependent diabetes had a greater propensity to be involved in accidents than other
drivers.

Is it still the case that the Commission has no such evidence? Is there, in fact, any such evidence?

(1) OJ C 225 E, 8.8.2000, p. 161.
(2) OJ C 310, 9.10.1998, p. 75.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(20 April 2001)

Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991, on driving licences (1), and more particularly its Annex III,
deals with minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving power driven vehicles, which also
includes Diabetes Mellitus. These minimum standards have been based upon advice by medical experts in
this field, rather than upon statistical evidence relating to traffic accidents involving people with insulin
dependent diabetes.

The need for further investigation in this field was expressed by the Council in its Resolution of 26 June
2000 (2) on road safety which requested the revision of
the minimum requirements of Annex III.
Consequently, the Commission decided to launch research on diabetes in the context of the 5th Research
and Technological Development Framework Programme. The results of this, and other national studies,
will be analysed by a special Working Group of the Committee on the driving licence, composed of
experts in this field. Depending on the conclusions of this special working group, this may lead to a
revision of the minimum requirements of Annex III of Directive 91/439/EEC, in due time.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2) OJ C 218, 31.7.2000.

(2001/C 261 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0998/01

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: 1999 discharge (cid:129) agriculture

The information provided by the Commission in connection with question 2.7 of the second questionnaire
on the granting of the discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European
Union for the 1999 financial year does not reply to the questions raised in various aspects. Can the
Commission therefore clarify the following points:

With regard to question 2.7(d): Can the Commission clarify the concept of production aid in the context
of its answer in relation to the support scheme for olive oil? With regard to both olive oil and milk, is the
Commission referring to the reports made by the Member States during 1999 or to irregularities occurring
in 1999?