WRITTEN QUESTION E-0039/02 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. Therapeutic use of cannabis.
Date: 2002-01-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU law, crop production, medicinal product, narcotic, national law, pharmaceutical legislation, psychotropic substance, therapeutics

C 147 E/232

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

(2002/C 147 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0037/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Regulation governing ski instructors in Italy

The long-awaited regulation which, under the agreements reached between the Commission, a number of
alpine countries and national ski instructors’ associations, is to govern tests for the recognition of the
qualifications of ski instructors wishing to establish themselves in Italy, and to lay down rules governing
the free provision of such services, is still under preparation at the Italian Ministry for Community Affairs.
Can the Commission provide information on the delays that have occurred in Italy in this area?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2002)

to which the Honourable Member

refers was concluded, under the aegis of

The agreement
the
Commission, between ten professional ski instructors’ associations on 28 March 2000. The Commission
and the alpine countries are not signatories to this agreement. Consequently, Italy is in no way required to
incorporate the provisions of that agreement into its national legislation. Italy is only required to observe
the provisions of Council Directive 92/51/EEC of 18 June 1992 on a second general system for the
recognition of professional education and training to supplement Directive 89/48/EEC (1). However, it is
our understanding that the Italian authorities have accepted the above-mentioned agreement on an
informal basis. Moreover, to date, we have not received any complaint from ski instructors from other
Member States who have encountered difficulties in exercising their profession in Italy.

(1) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.

(2002/C 147 E/247)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0039/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Therapeutic use of cannabis

Given the disparities in national laws regarding the permitted uses of cannabis for therapeutic purposes
8 particularly for the alleviation of pain 8 what information can the Commission provide on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 February 2002)

So far no medicinal products authorised by the Commission pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2309/93 of 22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorization and supervision of
medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the Evaluation
of Medicinal Products (1) do contain cannabis or other derived substances.

The Commission does not possess comprehensive information on all medicinal products authorised by the
it cannot be said whether
Member States or for which clinical trials are conducted. For this reason,
cannabis is contained in any of the nationally authorised medicinal products.
In any case, such an
authorisation would have to comply with the requirements of quality, safety and efficacy as laid down in
Directive 2001/83/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code
relating to medicinal products for human use (2) and in Directive 2001/82/EC of the Parliament and of the
Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products (2).

20.6.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/233

No Community provisions prohibit 8 per se 8 the use of cannabis as active substance for a medicinal
product.

(1) OJ L 214, 24.8.1993.
(2) OJ L 311, 28.11.2001.

(2002/C 147 E/248)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0040/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection transmitted by a tick bite (particularly by ticks of the Ixodes
genus, which are the most common in mountain areas). Given that cases have been recorded in many
parts of Europe, appropriate information should be provided, particularly at local level, with a view to
preventing contagion and ensuring early treatment.

What action needs to be taken at European level to ensure that information on this disease is disseminated
throughout the Union?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

At European level the website owned by the European Union Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis,
(Eucalb) (1) provides up-to date information on lyme borreliosis for general
informational purposes.
Community funding that was provided for this Concerted Action ceased in 1996 and the website has been
updated on a voluntary basis since then.

The current website consists of short reviews on main reservoirs, hosts and transmission, risks, diagnosis
and prevention of the disease and informs on the problems of endemic areas, seasonal factors influencing
the peak of human infections throughout the year and prevention, including tick control measures and
personal precautions with guidelines on a number of steps which can be taken to greatly reduce the
possibility of coming into contacts with ticks.

Many World Wide Web sites as well as educational leaflets for the public also address this issue.

Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 set up a network for
the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community (2). However, the
Honourable Member should be aware that Member States did not consider surveillance of Lyme disease a
priority, based on specific criteria for selection listed in Commission Decision 2000/96/EC of 22 December
1999 on communicable diseases to be progressively covered by that network (3).

Appropriate measures at local level with regard to health care are subject to the responsibility of each
Member State according to Article 152 of the EC Treaty.

(1) http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/vie/LymeEU.
(2) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.
(3) OJ L 28, 3.2.2000.