Council conclusions of 5 June 2001 on the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) and a proactive strategy on zoonoses, in particular transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
Date: 2001-06-05
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: disease prevention, disease vector, pharmaceutical legislation, public awareness campaign, public health

C 175/2

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Official Journal of the European Communities

20.6.2001

16. RECOGNISES the fact that, while national differences are
narrowing in terms of beverage preferences, alcohol
there are
consumption and alcohol policy measures,
cultural,
between
differences
social
Member States;

economic

and

consumer protection, transport, advertising, marketing,
sponsoring, excise duties and other internal market
issues, while
States’
competencies,

respecting Member

fully

17. CONSIDERS that any Community action should focus on
measures with a European added value, taking full account
of possibilities offered by the future action programme in
the field of public health, but also including measures in
policy areas other than public health;

(cid:151) strengthened cooperation and exchange of knowledge

between Member States,

(cid:151) international cooperation, in particular with and within

the World Health Organisation;

18. UNDERLINES therefore the desirability of developing a
reducing
the

comprehensive Community strategy aimed at
alcohol-related
following elements:

harm comprising

particular

in

(cid:151) further development of comparative and compre-
hensive information together with relevant high-quality
research, and an effective monitoring system on alcohol
consumption,
policy
measures and their effects in the European Community,

alcohol-related

harm,

and

19. WELCOMES the adoption by the Council of a recommen-
dation on the drinking of alcohol by children and
adolescents as a first step in the development towards a
more comprehensive approach across the Community;

20. RECOGNISES the need for cooperation with the candidate
countries to include work on an alcohol strategy, notably
in the framework of the future action programme in the
field of public health, and for the Phare programme to
include actions concerning alcohol-related problems;

(cid:151) a co-ordinated range of Community activities in all
relevant policy areas; a high level of health protection
shall be ensured in the definition and implementation
in fields such as research,
of Community activities,

21.

INVITES the Commission to put forward proposals for a
comprehensive Community strategy aimed at reducing
alcohol-related harm which shall complement national
policies and set out a timetable for the different actions.

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

of 5 June 2001

on the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) and a proactive strategy on
zoonoses, in particular transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

(2001/C 175/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

1. CONSIDERING that a significant

reported
including both
food-borne diseases of zoonotic origin,
emerging and re-emerging diseases, has been recorded in
most Member States during the last decades;

increase of

the need to properly link actions in the framework of
public health with health-related initiatives
in other
policy areas is emphasised, and in which the Commission
declares its intention to establish mechanisms to ensure
that policies and activities contribute to health protection,
as well as the Commission proposal for a public health
programme;

2. CONSIDERING that vCJD is a disease that is always fatal and

also affects younger people;

3. STRESSING that a high level of human health protection is
to be ensured in the definition and implementation of all
Community policies and activities;

4. RECALLING the communication from the Commission on
the health strategy of the European Community, in which

5. RECALLING the conclusions of the European Council

in
Nice on 7 to 9 December 2000, which take note of the
to combat BSE and
measures already taken in order
in the field of
emphasise that more intense efforts
human medicine and veterinary research are essential
if
the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
this disease
are to be guaranteed;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 175/3

6. REAFFIRMING its wish, expressed in the Council conclusions
of 14 December 2000 on BSE and the epidemiological
situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob, to develop efforts
to identify the consequences for human health of
the
BSE epidemic;

13. EMPHASISES the need for scientific research on emerging
and re-emerging diseases of zoonotic origin, including the
origin and possible transmission of TSE agents, the devel-
opment of methods to render TSE agents inactive, clinical
and laboratory diagnostic procedures concerning TSE and
measures to identify risks of iatrogenic transmission and
develop protective measures against the possible risks;

7. RECALLING Decision No 2119/98/EC of

the European
Parliament and the Council setting up a network for the
epidemiological
of
communicable diseases
including
food-borne diseases, such as vCJD, and other diseases trans-
missible by non-conventional agents;

in the Community,

surveillance

control

and

the

8. WELCOMING the comprehensive inventory of European
research on TSEs presented by a group of leading experts
established by the Commission, which addresses strengths
and weaknesses of European research in this field as a basis
for identifying major issues for further research efforts;

9. RECALLING that the Commission’s proposal for the sixth
framework programme 2000 to 2006 for research, tech-
nological development and demonstration activities sets
out
food safety and health risks as a priority area,
including research on methods of analysis and detection
of
pathogenic micro-
feed, and the use of
organisms,
subproducts of different origins for that feed, on human
health, and the epidemiology of food-related diseases and
genetic susceptibilities;

contaminants
impact of animal

chemical

and

10. RECALLING Commission Directives

for

the Annexes

1999/82/EC and
1999/104/EC changing
to Directives
75/318/EEC and 81/852/EEC with the aim to minimise
the risks
transmission of TSE through medicinal
products (including natural remedies and homeopathics)
for human and veterinary use, Directive 76/768/EEC on
cosmetic products, Directive 93/42/EEC on medical
devices and Council Recommendation 98/463/EC estab-
lishing the acceptance criteria for blood and plasma
donors;

14. UNDERLINES the importance of the public’s awareness of
the magnitude of different health risks, thus allowing them
to make informed choices with regard to such health risks;

15. UNDERLINES the need for adequate risk communication to
the public and to the medical and social professions in
order to avoid patients with vCJD, as well as those with
sporadic and familiar CJD and related diseases, being stig-
matised as well as deprived of appropriate medical and
social care;

16. CONSIDERS that the Member States and the Commission
should continue and further develop their efforts in the
field of prevention of zoonoses,
It
encourages the Member States to:

in particular TSE.

(a) ensure

efficient

and
surveillance for human cases of zoonoses,
TSE;

reliable

epidemiological
including

(b) promote good practice for risk communication to the
public on emerging and re-emerging diseases such as
vCJD;

(c) exchange information and knowledge on good practice
for medical and social care of patients with CJD,
including vCJD, and the relatives of the patients;

(d) promote and coordinate research in this area;

11. RECALLING the Commission’s proposal

for a directive
setting standards of quality and safety for the collection,
testing, processing, storage, and distribution of human
blood and blood components and amending Council
Directive 89/381/EEC;

(e) cooperate closely with the Commission and other inter-
national forums, such as the WHO, in particular in the
aforementioned areas;

12. CONSIDERS that monitoring and prevention of zoonoses,
including TSE, require a proactive and coordinated strategy
in the field of human health,
including epidemiological
surveillance of human cases and timely assessment of
risks to human health;

(a) develop integrated mechanisms to ensure that relevant
Community policies and activities contribute to health
protection against risk from zoonoses, including TSE;

It invites the Commission to:

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Official Journal of the European Communities

20.6.2001

(b) strengthen and further develop, in particular within the
network for epidemiological surveillance and control of
communicable diseases, efficient and reliable strategies
and methods
the prevention and control of
zoonoses, including TSE, at Community level, as well
as to develop methods to assess the risks to human
health accompanying various
including
TSE, and to consider such assessment in the devel-
opment of Community policies;

zoonoses,

for

(c) strengthen and further develop the existing surveillance
mechanisms on vCJD at the Community level, in order
to make full use of the data on human cases within the
network for epidemiological surveillance and control of
communicable diseases in the Community, in order to
improve assessment of risks to human health;

(d) support,

in particular within the framework of

the
network for epidemiological surveillance and control
of communicable diseases, exchange of
information
and knowledge on good practice for risk communi-
cation to the public on emerging and re-emerging
communicable diseases such as vCJD;

(e) consider measures on the
substances of human origin;

safety of organs

and

(f) promote research in the health context, within the
appropriate
framework, building upon the
Inventory on National Research on TSE in Europe,
and with particular regard to:

legal

(cid:151) methods
inactive,

and products

to render TSE agents

(cid:151) clinical

and

laboratory

procedures
diagnostic
particularly
concerning TSE,
procedures relating to accessible peripheral tissues,

diagnostic
early

(cid:151) identifying risks of

protective measures

iatrogenic transmission and
the

against

developing
possible risks,

(cid:151) investigation of possible therapies;

(g) continually review, in the light of existing knowledge,
the protective measures undertaken against possible
risks of iatrogenic transmission, such as through phar-
maceuticals, cosmetic products and medical devices,
applying, as appropriate, the precautionary principle;

(h) support the exchange between the Member States of
practice
knowledge
information
concerning measures to eradicate risk and to better
guard against
iatrogenic trans-
mission;

the possible risks of

good

and

on

(i) cooperate closely with other international forums,

in

particular, the WHO;

(cid:151) the origin and possible transmission of TSE agents,

(j)

to the Council on these matters as soon as

report
possible.