WRITTEN QUESTION E-1843/01 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Cryo-cell (Commission answer to Written Question E-1079/01).
Date: 2001-06-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: blood transfusion, ethics, health policy, trade in organs

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/67

Given scientific proof that certain food products, principally animals fats, are also seriously harmful to
health, will the Commission say:

1. Whether it considers it acceptable that no measures are taken to restrict the consumption of animal
fats when they are responsible for heart disease, a range of other serious diseases and a large number
of victims, and

2. Whether it intends to propose measures to reduce the production and consumption of animal fats

(butter) in line with the measures proposed for tobacco growing?

3. Does it intend to redirect aid towards olive growing and the consumption of olive oil, which
demonstrably have positive effects on health, and to reduce support for the production of animal fats
accordingly?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

The Commission is aware of the fact that a high intake of saturated fatty acids is associated with an
increased risk of coronary heart disease, whereas a lower intake of saturated and a higher intake of
monounsaturated fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

However, the comparison between the health effects of tobacco smoking and the consumption of animal
fat is not justified. For tobacco consumption and lung cancer for example, there is an established dose-
response relationship (with smoking responsible for around 80 % of all deaths from lung cancer), whereas
the relation between animal fat and coronary heart disease is far more complex. This is not to say that an
excessive intake of fat should not be addressed in health education campaigns, and the activities of the
Commission in the framework of its health promotion programme do underline the importance of a
balanced and varied diet.

Regarding olive oil, the Commission does not envisage a reorientation of aid towards olive growing, given
the fact that there already exist numerous measures in favour of the consumption and promotion of olive
oil, either within the Community market or in third country markets. While emphasising the particular
nutritional characteristics of
the product, all promotion campaigns for olive oil are run without
devaluating other products which could be considered as competitors on the consumer markets.

(2002/C 81 E/079)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1843/01

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

(26 June 2001)

Subject: Cryo-cell (Commission answer to Written Question E-1079/01)

In its answer of 6 April 2001 to Written Question E-1079/01 (1) on (cid:145)commercial action for the storage of
umbilical cord blood for obtaining stem cells(cid:146) the Commission writes that it has no information on the
existence of similar commercial organisations in the Community.

However, if the Commission had visited the website I referred to (www.cryoc.com), it would have seen that
the firm Cryo-cell is active in a number of Member States.

I therefore ask the Commission to visit the website in order to examine the activities of this organisation
more closely.

I also call on the Commission, in accordance with the suggestion made in its abovementioned answer, to
submit this question to the European Ethics Group (EEG) and to inform me of the outcome.

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 166.

C 81 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The Commission has no information about Cryo-cell other than that available on the firm(cid:146)s Internet site
and already known to the Honourable Member. Nor does the Commission have any information about
other similar firms in the European Union.

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for raising this matter. It believes that the services
offered by Cryo-cell do indeed raise serious ethical questions and has asked the European Ethics Group to
look into the ethical aspects of this type of activity as part of its current work on the ethical aspects of the
patentability of inventions arising from research into human stem cells.

(2002/C 81 E/080)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1887/01

by Ilka Schr(cid:246)der (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(21 June 2001)

Subject:

(cid:145)Enfopol 29(cid:146) plans for retention of communication data

A recent feature (http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/may/03Benfopol.htm) by the London-based Non-
Governmental Organisation Statewatch as well as an article in the Guardian newspaper (18 May 2001)
deal with extended requirements to be placed on service and network telecommunications providers to
cover mobile phones, satellite phones and internet usage. Allegedly the plans, referred to as (cid:145)Enfopol 29(cid:146)
also require them to supply law enforcement agencies on production of an interception order with
personal details of users such as e-mail account, passwords, addresses and credit card details. According to
the Guardian, (cid:145)European Union governments are trying to relax stringent data protection rules to guarantee
the police and law enforcement agencies access to private phone calls and e-mails(cid:146).

In consideration of the fact that such a requirement would be in flagrant contradiction to Directives
95/46/EC (1) and 97/66/EC (2) as well as to Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and to Article 8 of the European Charter of Fundamental
Rights, I ask the Council:

1. To what extent is it true that the Police Cooperation Working Party is working on plans referring to
implemented, would be in

the interception and retention of communication data which,
contradiction to applicable EU legislation?

if

2. What is the Member States(cid:146) position on relaxing this legislation in order to provide a legal framework

for extended interception and retention of such data?

3. A document uncovered by Statewatch calls for (cid:145)every phone call, every mobile phone call, every fax,
every e-mail, every website(cid:146)s contents, all internet usage, from anywhere, by everyone, to be recorded,
archived and be accessible(cid:146) for law enforcement agencies. What is the Council(cid:146)s position on this
request?

(1) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.
(2) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 1.

Reply

(29 November 2001)

The Council has adopted,

1.
telecommunications (1).

in January 1995, a Resolution on the lawful

interception of