WRITTEN QUESTION E-1189/01 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Economy-class syndrome.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air transport, cardiovascular disease, carriage of passengers, common transport policy, consumer protection, disease prevention, health risk

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/195

(2001/C 340 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1189/01

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

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Economy-class syndrome

There have recently been a number of cases of what is termed economy-class syndrome, which has led to
the deaths of passengers travelling on long-haul flights as a result of their being required to sit for hours in
the same position in the cramped seating of aircraft used on intercontinental flights.

This phenomenon is simply a consequence of the fact that the airlines are trying to make as much use as
possible of the space available on aircraft in order to increase the profitability of long-haul flights.
However,
the lives of passengers,
regulations should be introduced which dictate the amount of space to which each passenger should be
entitled in order to be able to move around enough to prevent the occurrence of the dreaded embolism
caused by economy-class syndrome.

the situation has reached such a stage that,

in order to protect

In view of the above, does the Commission not think that it should take action to protect the lives of
passengers on intercontinental flights by introducing regulations which will oblige airlines to provide
adequate seating?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2001)

The Commission is well aware of recent reports and developments in the field of Deep vein thrombosis
(DVT) and cabin conditions and is taking passengers(cid:146) concerns very seriously. It has examined various
reports, in particular that of the Select Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Lords.

On the basis of a preliminary assessment, the Commission has not found real substance in the extreme
claims about health risks from air travel. However, it takes the danger of health risks most seriously, in
particular that of DVT, the more so as data is poor on the incidence of the complaint.

Consequently, as a first precaution, Mrs de Palacio, Vice-President of the Commission responsible for
transport policy has written to the presidents of the Association of European Airlines, the European
Regions Airlines Association and the International Air Carrier Association, urging their members to take
precautionary measures in relation to DVT. In her letter, she has urged airlines to act rapidly to minimise
the risks by informing passengers when they make reservations or order tickets, on the risks, on
predisposing factors and on precautionary measures to take before long flights and advise them, once on
board the aircraft, on what to do to lessen the chance of thrombosis.

A number of airlines have already introduced, on their own initiative, pre-boarding warnings and/or in-
flight advice (leaflets, videos, in-flight magazines showing exercises, recommending what to do and what to
avoid, etc).

Originally, as indicated in a previous Joint reply to Written Questions E-0151/01 of Mr Hatzidakis,
E-0155/01 of Mrs Roth-Behrendt and Mr Souladakis, E-0191/01 of Mr Davies, E-0233/01 of
Mrs Garcia Orcoyen Tormo, E-0271/01 of Mr Duin and P-0353/01 of Sir Robert Atkins (1),
the
Commission had intended to set up expert groups, one on the effects of DVT and the other on air quality
and cabin conditions.

In the meantime, in view of various initiatives, and in particular a specialised conference organised by the
World Health Organisation in March 2001, the Commission is of the opinion that it would be more
efficient to contribute financially to research to be undertaken at international level, covering the following
aspects:

1.

establish whether there is an association between air travel and DVT, quantify this association, if it
exists, and provide clues to aetiological factors;

C 340 E/196

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

2.

3.

special studies involving groups of volunteers, examining isolated independent environmental and
behavioral risk factors;

interventional study to assess preventive measures with standardised diagnostic methods, involving
passengers in experimental well-controlled studies.

This research programme is due to be launched in the summer of 2001.

The Commission will not fail to forward the results of this work to the Parliament, once completed.
However, in the current status of scientific knowledge, the Commission does not intend to propose a new
regulation in this matter.

(1) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001, p. 132.

(2001/C 340 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1201/01

by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Harmonisation of minimum standards for personal protective equipment

Are employers obliged, following the publication of Council Directive 89/686/EEC (1) in the Official
1.
Journal and the listing of sources in the equipment safety law, to make personal protective equipment
meeting these minimum standards available to their employees? Is there an indirect obligation for the latter
to wear this equipment for reasons of liability?

Following the publication of these standards, are employers still free to determine on their own

2.
authority what kind of work and protective clothing employees should wear?

3.

Is the labour protection law affected by the minimum standards?

The regulation on workplaces excludes road vehicles in public transport from the scope of its

4.
provisions. Could the minimum standards for personal protective equipment likewise be excluded?

(1) OJ L 399, 30.12.1989, p. 18.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2001)

Article 4 (1) of Council Directive 89/656/EEC of 30 November 1989 on the minimum health and safety
requirements for the use by workers of personal protective equipment at the workplace (1) provides that
(cid:145)personal protective equipment must comply with the relevant Community provisions on design and
manufacture with respect
i.e. with Directive 89/686/EEC as amended on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment (2).

to safety and health(cid:146),

Article 4 of Directive 89/656/EEC also sets out the conditions of use of personal protective equipment. In
particular, paragraph 6 stipulates that it must be supplied free of charge by the employer but leaves it up
to Member States whether to provide (cid:145)that the worker be asked to contribute towards the cost of certain
personal protective equipment in circumstances where use of the equipment is not exclusive to the
workplace(cid:146).

In accordance with Article 13 of Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (3),
(cid:145)it shall be the
responsibility of each worker to take care as far as possible of his own safety and health and that of other
persons affected by his acts or omissions at work in accordance with his training and the instructions
given by his employer(cid:146).