WRITTEN QUESTION E-1079/01 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Commercial action for the storage of umbilical cord blood for obtaining stem cells.
Date: 2001-04-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: blood transfusion, ethics, health policy, illness, trade in organs

C 340 E/166

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

Reply

(16 July 2001)

The EU has most recently made clear its concerns about the human rights situation in Iran by tabling
a draft resolution on Iran also at this year(cid:146)s session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (adopted on
20 April 2001). Human rights feature prominently in the political dialogue meetings between the EU and
Iran which are held twice a year. The EU will continue to raise these issues in its direct contacts with
Iranian authorities.

(2001/C 340 E/190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1078/01

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Plight of the Turkish Kurds

What action does the Commission intend to take to ensure respect for the human rights of the Turkish
Kurds, with particular regard to Turkey(cid:146)s wish to accede to the EU?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2001)

The Accession Partnership (AP) with Turkey adopted on 8 March 2001 (1) sets out the priorities for Turkey
in her efforts to make progress towards meeting all of the Copenhagen political criteria. The AP indicates
that Turkey should, in the short term, strengthen legal and constitutional guarantees for the right to
freedom of expression in line with article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights and, in the
medium term, should guarantee full enjoyment by all
individuals without any discrimination and
irrespective of their language, race, colour, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief or religion of all
human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Commission welcomes the adoption, on 19 March 2001, of
the National Programme for the
Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) by the Turkish Government. The Commission considers this document as
an important step and the first stage in a far-reaching programme of political reform in Turkey. With
regard to the political criteria for Union membership further efforts should be undertaken in areas such as
ensuring cultural rights for all citizens irrespective of their origin as mentioned by the Honourable
Member.

(1) OJ L 85, 24.3.2001.

(2001/C 340 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1079/01

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

(6 April 2001)

Subject: Commercial action for the storage of umbilical cord blood for obtaining stem cells

In the Netherlands, and several other Member states, there is a commercial organisation called CRYO-Cell
(website: www.cryoc.com) which asks prospective parents to agree to blood from the foetal umbilical cord
or from the placenta to be frozen for a period of 20 years. The intention is that the blood should
subsequently be used to cure illnesses such as Alzheimer(cid:146)s and Parkinson(cid:146)s, brain haemorrhages, muscular
problems such as multiple sclerosis, malignant tumours and diabetes. The risk of children suffering from
these illnesses in the first 20 years of their lives is low. Furthermore, with progress in medical science it is

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/167

theoretically possible for the diseases in question (cid:129) most of which occur in the elderly (cid:129) to be properly
treated, if not cured, even without storage of the stem cells. The firm pays NLG 2 170 (ca. € 983) for
storage, removal, transport and processing of the stem cells. The campaign plays on the concern of
prospective parents to prevent illness, and the fear of death.

The Commission:

1. Can it say whether this firm, or comparable commercial organisations, operates in other Member

States, too, and under what conditions (costs, payments etc.)?

2. What is its view of the potentially misleading nature of offers such as those made by CRYO-Cell?

3. Will it submit this matter to the European ethics committee for an opinion on the desirability of such

companies?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

The Commission has no information on the existence of comparable commercial organisations in the
Community.

No Community legislation currently exists on this type of service. It falls to the Member States to deal with
the problem.

Opinion No 15 on ethical aspects of human stem cell research published in November 2000 by the
European Group on Ethics (EGE) mentions, by way of information, the existence of umbilical cord blood
banks for the treatment of leukaemia or aplastic anaemia after chemotherapy, and the possibility of
systematically retrieving cells from the umbilical cord blood at birth and freezing them in order to have
autologous stem cells available in case of later need. However, in its opinion No 15 the group did not
address the ethical aspects specific to this type of activity.

Under the revised remit of the EGE adopted by the Commission on 26 March 2001, and especially
Article 2 thereof, Parliament may draw the Commission(cid:146)s attention to matters that it considers ought to be
referred to the EGE.

(2001/C 340 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1087/01

by Ulla Sandb(cid:230)k (EDD) to the Commission

(26 March 2001)

Subject: Discharge of pesticides and the sixth environment action programme

In its sixth environment action programme, the Commission highlights the fact that 65 % of the drinking
water in Europe comes from groundwater, which should be viewed in the light of the steadily increasing
level of pollution of groundwater by pesticides throughout Europe. The Commission(cid:146)s objective in this field
is to achieve a situation in which the concentration of pesticides in our surroundings do not entail
significant risks to or impacts on human health and the environment. To achieve that goal, according to
the Commission, the risk involved in the use of pesticides must be reduced.

What specific targets,
Commission working towards to put an end to pesticide pollution of ground water?

including deadlines and maximum values for residue concentrations,

is the

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, what constitutes significant risks to or impacts on human health and the
environment, and what practical steps will the Commission take to minimise the risk involved in and
ensure better control of the use of pesticides?