WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/02 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Varying degrees of resistance to Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and lack of hospital treatment as a result of quarantine.
Date: 2002-04-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, Netherlands, antibiotic, health policy, infectious disease, medical institution, public health, scientific research

C 229 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

to the Commission by the regional and municipal authorities
According to the information sent
concerned, the equestrian centre project in San Vero Milis does not receive Community financing but is
part of an integrated area project financed by regional funds only.

(2002/C 229 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Varying degrees of resistance to Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and lack of hospital treatment as a

result of quarantine

Can the Commission confirm that the ‘hospital bacterium’ Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is only
1.
1,5 % resistant to treatment with antibiotics in Dutch hospitals whereas in Belgian hospitals it is 30 %
resistant because of the much greater use of antibiotics, and that as a result many infections caused by this
bacterium are no longer treatable in Belgium?

2.
Is the Commission aware that survivors of the huge fire at the cafe in Volendam in the Netherlands
on 1 January 2001, who were treated in Belgian hospitals for a long period because of lack of capacity in
the Netherlands, were kept in quarantine after their return to the Netherlands in the Heliomare facility in
Beverwijk and that one of these patients died in July 2001 because her heart valve had been weakened by
MRSA and she could not be taken to hospital for investigation and treatment because of quarantine
requirements?

3. What can be done to prevent a situation in which necessary medical treatment cannot be given
because of quarantine requirements?

4.
How can people who fall sick during a visit to a Member State other than their home country or
who have to undergo medical treatment abroad be better informed about the risks they run and how these
risks can be reduced?

Does the Commission have figures relating to the situation in other EU Member States and in the

5.
twelve candidate countries?

6. What steps can be taken to bring down the level of resistance in Member States with high resistance
and to prevent resistance increasing in those Member States with a lower level of resistance? What
measures are being taken in areas with a low resistance to antibiotics to protect
them against
contamination from areas with a high level of resistance?

Source: Dutch TV programme ‘Kruispunt’ of 17 March 2002 and Flemish newspaper ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ of
19 March 2002.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

1.
Since 1998 the Commission has been supporting a laboratory based European Antimicrobial
Resistance Surveillance Scheme (EARSS) on the susceptibility of blood isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.
For the period 1999-2001 EARSS reported a proportion of 21-23 % blood isolates of Methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for Belgium and 0,1-0,3 % for the Netherlands. The Commission does not
have sufficient information to explain the reasons for this difference. An important step to link the
resistance development to the use of antimicrobial agents has been taken with the support of the ESAC
project (see 6).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/177

2.

No, the Commission is not aware of the facts described.

3. and 4.
responsibility of the Member States.

The Commission is not in a position to comment on health care issues that fall within the

Yes, see 1. Tables of the EARSS susceptibility data for Staphylococcus aureus since 1998 for 23

5.
countries are downloadable from the EARSS web site (1).

The global increase of antimicrobial resistance has been recognised as a major public health problem
6.
throughout
the Community. The Commission’ Communication ‘On a Community strategy against
antimicrobial resistance (2)’ described a comprehensive strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance compre-
hensively in all sectors concerned. An important part of that strategy are actions on the prudent use of
antimicrobial agents in human therapy to be implemented by the Commission and Member States. Since
November 2001 the Commission has supported a European surveillance project on antimicrobial
consumption (ESAC) to develop a Community data base for action. At the same time the Council adopted
a Recommendation (3) addressing the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in human therapy on the basis of
a Commission proposal (4). The implementation of the action plans in the Communication and of the
suggestions in the Recommendation should contribute to the solution of this problem. In any event, the
Commission shall keep matters covered by the Recommendation under review, with a view to its revision
and updating, and submit regular reports to the Council on the basis of the reports submitted by the
Member States.

(1) www.earss.rivm.nl.
(2) COM(2001) , 333 final, Volume I.
(3) OJ L 34, 5.2.2002.
(4) COM(2001) , 333 final, Volume II.

(2002/C 229 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1089/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Illegal importing of dogs to Belgium

(18 April 2002)

A French television programme shown on 22 March 2002 included a report stating that dogs are being
illegally imported into Belgium from eastern countries. The dogs reach Belgium from countries such as
Slovakia and Ukraine and are then sold to certain shops for a price of between EUR 30 and 75. The shops
then take it upon themselves to issue pedigrees to the dogs, thus turning them into products for export to
the entire European Union, and sell them on at prices of up to EUR 400.

Aside from the illegality of this trafficking, the problem is that very often many dogs are ill, resulting in a
very high mortality rate.

Can the Commission say whether it is aware of this illegal trade, and whether it intends in the future to
ensure that both consumers and the dogs which undergo this trafficking are protected?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

The Commission is aware from the media that dogs from eastern countries are being imported illegally
into the Community and involved in trafficking, which is as harmful to consumers as to the animals
themselves. The Commission has been trying for several years to deal with this type of problem by
introducing binding measures to restrict the movement of animals across the EU both for commercial
purposes and as pets travelling with individuals.