WRITTEN QUESTION E-3018/01 by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Transport and health in the Alpine countries Austria, France and Switzerland.
Date: 2001-10-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Alpine Region, Austria, France, Switzerland, World Health Organisation, air quality, public health, transport policy

C 134 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

The Council has already had the opportunity (cid:18) in reply to Question 8 No H-0431/01 put by
the Honourable Member (cid:18) to stress the importance it attaches to combating the sexual exploitation of
children and to draw up a list of the initiatives it has taken in the field. The Council’s position on previous
initiatives will serve as a rule of thumb for its representative if it is decided to participate in this
conference.

The Council does not have an assessment of the implementation of the action plans adopted at the
previous conference.

(2002/C 134 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3018/01

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 October 2001)

Subject: Transport and health in the Alpine countries Austria, France and Switzerland

A recent WHO study, published in the UK health journal ‘The Lancet’, showed that in Austria, France and
Switzerland in 1996, circa 22 000 people died as a result of transport’s negative health effects. Almost
300 000 children below the age of 15 developed acute bronchitis and more than 150 000 children
suffered from asthma.

Is the Commission aware of this and other studies, and what conclusions does the Commission draw for
the future of European transport policy, especially for sensitive areas, such as the entire Alpine transborder
region?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 December 2001)

The Commission is aware of the World Health Organisation (WHO) study and a wide range of similar
studies, some financed by the Commission itself, examining the considerable social costs of transport.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) study provides valuable new data on the health impacts of one of
the most important sources of air pollution and contributes to the significant body of research findings
concerning health effects that are being built up as a result of national, Community and other
internationally supported research projects. The Community is currently supporting 10 projects under
the 5th Research and Technological Development
(RTD) Framework Programme, with a funding
contribution of approximately € 12,5 million. (In addition a number of other projects are also being
supported in the fields of allergy and asthma.) These air pollution and health projects are to be further
co-ordinated with the developing Clean Air For Europe (CAFE) policy initiative, through a thematic
network (Airnet) structurally linked to the policy development framework. The main author of the WHO
study is included in the network as one of the partners.

In its White Paper ‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide (1)’ of 12 September 2001, the
Commission pays a particular attention to the problems encountered by sensitive areas and gives a priority
to shifting the balance between modes and to resolving problems of congestion, particularly by clearing
bottlenecks. This issue goes beyond the Alpine region and constitutes a sensitive problem for the whole
European Union.

The Commission will thus use the results of the studies in developing and implementing its policies to
address the negative effects of transport especially in the sensitive areas. In this context, priority will be
including major investments,
given to the implementation of the range of general measures planned,
introduction of instruments to better reflect transport costs and financing programmes such as the new
Marco Polo financial assistance scheme.

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.