WRITTEN QUESTION E-1240/01 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Safe Harbour.
Date: 2001-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United States, agreement (EU), data protection, personal data

C 350 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(28 June 2001)

The Commission welcomes the interest of the Honourable Member for the Commission(cid:146)s proposals for
accelerated action against the major communicable diseases including tuberculosis (TB) and wish to
reassure the Honourable Member that the Commission supports the recommendations of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the expansion of the DOTS approach.

The Commission has produced two recent Communications to guide an accelerated response. The first (1)
detailed the global impact of the three diseases, and highlighted underused interventions with potential for
greater use. The document did not address the detail of specific interventions but in the case of TB
highlighted the Stop TB initiative and its agenda for action of which DOTS is a crucial component. The
second Communication (2), the Framework for action, defined how the Commission would meet the
challenges of this ambitious agenda.

DOTS is undoubtedly a key part of any successful national strategy to address TB and needs to be nested
in a strong health system. Other priorities include the development of new diagnostics, drugs and an
effective TB vaccine and action to increase the affordability of second line drugs, needed to treat resistant
strains of tuberculosis. The Commission Programme for Action envisages action in all these areas.

(1) COM(2000) 585 final.
(2) COM(2001) 96 final.

(2001/C 350 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1240/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 April 2001)

Subject: Safe Harbour

Given that so few US companies have signed up to Safe Harbour, what impact will this have on the
European Commission(cid:146)s forthcoming six-month review of the agreement? How does the Commission plan
to assess the Safe Harbour agreement and its implementation and which criteria will it look at?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(26 June 2001)

The fact that fewer companies have joined the Safe Harbour so far than the American Department of
Commerce originally expected has no impact on the Commission(cid:146)s undertaking to the Parliament to make
an interim report this year on how the Safe Harbour works. The Commission is collecting factual
information from a number of Community and American sources, with a view to determining whether all
the elements foreseen in the arrangement are in place and whether there is any evidence that the Safe
Harbour is either not providing the level of protection foreseen for data subjects or not providing the
security and simplifying effect that it should for those involved in making data transfers.

(2001/C 350 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1241/01

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

Subject: Reducing private transport use in cities

(26 April 2001)

The European Union is in favour of reducing the use of private transport in cities. In Madrid recently, the
Environment Commissioner, Margot Wallstr(cid:246)m, and ministers from various EU Member States launched