WRITTEN QUESTION E-3008/01 by Antonio Mussa (UEN), Cristiana Muscardini (UEN)and Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission. The plague in Kazakhstan: risk to Europe and the United States.
Date: 2001-10-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Kazakhstan, epidemiology, health control, infectious disease, information network, military personnel, public health

C 134 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

to Directive 95/21/EC (1) and the Paris memorandum on Port State Control, the application of which in
this case has imposed the banning of the vessel from entering any port in the Community area. The fact
that the vessel has changed name does not change the banning order of the ship. The Commission has
verified in the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) database that the vessel Tom-T is effectively
banned from entry into ports of any of the 19 contracting parties working together in the Paris MoU
framework. Hence, at this moment it is very unlikely that the vessel is trading or will be trading between
European ports.

However, as pointed out, this is an international problem. While the Commission may be successful to ban
the vessel
in Europe the same vessel may continue to trade elsewhere in the world. Shipowners or
operators that do not care to follow any of the internationally agreed rules should not be able to find and
fly any flag or trade. Unfortunately that is not the situation. Such problems are to be addressed to the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and in this respect the recently published white paper on
transport (2) proposes that the Community should become a contracting party to the IMO.

As regards the point mentioned by the Honourable Member concerning the certificates delivered by the
Portuguese classification society, it appears following some investigation, that all certificates issued were
withdrawn and returned to that classification society in August 2000.

(1) Council Directive 95/21/EC of 19 June 1995 concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community
ports and sailing in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship
safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions (port State control), OJ L 157, 7.7.1995.

(2) COM(2001) 370 final ‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide’.

(2002/C 134 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3008/01

by Antonio Mussa (UEN), Cristiana Muscardini (UEN)
and Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(29 October 2001)

Subject: The plague in Kazakhstan: risk to Europe and the United States

In Roman times the plague was spread throughout Europe and from 1 347 to 1 348 swept through the
whole of the Mediterranean area, including Europe and north Africa via Genovese ships returning from the
Black Sea and due to the rapid movements of troops of the Mongol Empire, which spread the plague
bacterium, through rat fleas on the horses and backpacks of soldiers coming from areas far away where
the plague was endemic.

In the present historical context, where military operations are being carried out on a vast scale in areas
posing health risks there may be a re-emergence of plague foci; even though military personnel and staff
already employed in health care are protected by appropriate precautions such as vaccination and
prophylactics, these do not rule out the presence of virulent strains in laboratories, which are therefore
much more contagious than the original strain.

There is also a risk of the plague being spread when those employed in military, technical assistance and
health operations return home.

For certain types of plague A bubonic, pneumonic or septicaemic A early diagnosis is the determining
factor in ensuring suitable treatment to cure or prevent the illness.

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/175

Can the Commission say whether it intends:

1.

to set up a committee of inquiry to consider as a matter of urgency any possible risk of epidemics, to
identify their hygiene/health or criminal origin (such as germ warfare) and to assess the possibility of
providing aid for Kazakhstan and for all
those countries working in Central Asia as part of
humanitarian aid missions.

2.

to set up a monitoring committee responsible for assessing the measures required to tackle any
possible contamination?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2001)

Plague is considered a serious imported disease by Commission Decision No 2000/96/EC of 22 December
1999 (1) and is, therefore, one of the diseases to be progressively covered by the Community network for
the surveillance of communicable diseases established under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament
and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and
control of communicable diseases in the Community (2).

The Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection is fostering epidemiological surveillance and
control of communicable diseases and other health threats by granting financial support to leading
structures in the Member States and by coordinating early warning and response activities of the national
public health authorities. Among other initiatives the Commission has reached an agreement with the
Member States on the adoption of harmonised case definitions for communicable diseases including plague
with a view to improving comparability of surveillance data.

The Commission is,
in light of the recent events, fully aware of the increased risk of epidemics of
communicable diseases including the intentional release of biological agents. The public health services
have, therefore, launched several actions towards building up capacities and strengthening coordination of
preparedness at national and Community level with the aim to establish a ‘European Pandemic
Preparedness Plan’.

(1) OJ L 28, 3.2.2000.
(2) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.

(2002/C 134 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3011/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

Subject: Commercial and sexual exploitation of children

(22 October 2001)

The Second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children is to be held in
Yokohama, Japan, from 17 to 20 December 2001.

Will the Council be taking part in that Congress? What views will it express and what commitments will it
give as the European Union’s contribution to the international fight against the sexual and commercial
exploitation of children, and what is its assessment of its policy so far?

Does it have an evaluation of the implementation of the action plans adopted at the First World Congress
held in Stockholm in 1996?

Reply

(14 February 2002)

There are plans for a representative of the Council or the Council Presidency to attend the Second World
Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children although a decision has not yet been taken.