WRITTEN QUESTION P-1247/02 by Anne Van Lancker (PSE) to the Commission. Availability of studies and reports produced with European funding.
Date: 2002-04-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, access to information, dissemination of information, report

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/197

(2002/C 229 E/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1243/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 April 2002)

Subject: Information campaign on risks involved in eating honey

In the United States and other countries information campaigns warn consumers of the albeit limited risks
to new-born babies which eating honey entails, on account of its botulin content.

The provision of proper consumer information would avoid the spreading of false rumours about the
dangerousness of honey by indicating that the problem only applies to a very limited number of cases and
that the risk levels are very low.

What is the Commission’s position on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2002)

The Commission has been informed about the national measures taken by some non-member countries,
and which some Member States plan to take, in order to prevent the risk of botulism in infants as a result
of eating honey.

The Commission shares the concerns of the Honourable Member regarding the protection of consumers,
particularly the most sensitive among them such as babies. This is why the Commission has asked the
Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures, in the context of public health, to assess this risk as well as
any other relevant microbiological risks relating to honey. As soon as this has been done, the Commission
will use the findings as the basis for proposing the most suitable measures, such as informing consumers
through appropriate product labelling.

in the context of

Furthermore,
its monitoring of health risks from food, the Commission receives
information on a daily basis, especially through the system of rapid alerts. If harmful effects are reported,
the Commission can then immediately take provisional risk-management measures in order to ensure or
maintain the high level of protection applying in the Community.

(2002/C 229 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1247/02

by Anne Van Lancker (PSE) to the Commission

(25 April 2002)

Subject: Availability of studies and reports produced with European funding

Through various action programmes the Commission provides funds to support European policy in the
Member States. In this way not only Member States but also other authorities and bodies receive European
public funds to produce studies and reports on their policy on such subjects as employment and the fight
against social exclusion. In many cases these studies are not available to the public.

Is the Commission prepared, when granting financial support to produce reports of this kind, to require
the beneficiaries to ensure that studies financed from European public funds must be made available to the
public?

C 229 E/198

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2002)

The Commission’s investigations into the Honourable Member’s question have revealed the complexity of
this subject, calling for several departments to become involved. The Honourable Member will be informed
of the results of the investigations when they have been concluded.

(2002/C 229 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1252/02

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 May 2002)

Subject: Rules of tendering with specific reference to the PowderJect vaccine contract in the UK

It has been widely reported in the UK that PowderJect Pharmaceuticals and a Danish partner have just been
awarded a £ 32 million contract to supply a smallpox vaccine contract.

Rival companies,
including Acambis, protested that they were not given a fair chance to bid for the
contract. The UK Health Minister has said that the contract was awarded to PowderJect because it was the
only company that was able to provide the Lister strain of the vaccine. Scientists, however, have cast doubt
on the need to base the vaccine on a particular strain, with Professor John Oxford of St. Bartholomew’s
and the Royal London School of Medicine quoted in the Sunday Telegraph (14.04.2002) as saying:
‘I
would have thought there is no medical reason for this. The Lister strain is the classic strain that has
always been used in this country (the UK) but it is only one of a number that were used in the global
eradication programmes in the 1970’s.’

Acambis itself has won a contract to supply the US Government with a different strain.

Can the Commission clarify the regulations governing the provision of tenders for large commercial
contracts, and indicate whether it believes that all Member States broadly comply with those regulations
and whether the British Government has complied with its obligations in this case?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2002)

The Commission is not fully aware of all the steps which the United Kingdom authorities may have taken
in the award of the contract referred to by the Honourable Member. In the absence of such information, it
is not possible to conclude with any certainty whether this particular contract falls within the scope of
Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14 June 1993, coordinating procedures for the award of public supply
contracts (1) and whether the award of the contract should have been subject to open competition. The
Commission will examine any supplementary information that the Honourable Member may provide in
this context.

It is understood that the smallpox vaccines were procured by the United Kingdom authorities to address
possible terrorist attacks in the light of 11 September atrocities and in particular the ensuing concerns
about bio-chemical terrorist attacks.