WRITTEN QUESTION E-1584/02 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Ambulance services.
Date: 2002-06-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, EU law - national law, European Committee for Standardisation, European standard, motor vehicle industry, transport of patients

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/229

The facts raised by the Honourable Member have been assessed by the Commission. As a result of this, the
Commission has addressed a letter to the Spanish Authorities in order to request further information
concerning this case. The Commission will ensure that the provisions of the above mentioned Council
Directive are taken into account by the Spanish Authorities.

As soon as the Commission adopts a decision on this case, the complainant will be duly informed.

(2002/C 277 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1584/02

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(4 June 2002)

Subject: Ambulance services

With regard to the European Committee for Standardisation’s new regulations such as ‘Medical Vehicles
and their equipment . Road Ambulances’ and ‘Specification for stretchers and other patient- handling
equipment used on road ambulances’, to be effective from 6 June 2002, and the extra money that will
have to be spent as a consequence to allow all ambulances to meet the Committee’s requirements: Does
the Commission agree that, in areas where manufacturers cannot produce fully CEN-compliant vehicles,
and local NHS Trusts can only purchase them from abroad at a considerably higher cost (£78k as opposed
to £62k), the process becomes unreasonably difficult, expensive and technical? Does it not also agree that
in the case of Britain, the NHS contract for supplying ambulances, the ‘National Contract for Vehicle and
Bodybuild Conversions’, which, although not compliant with the new regulations, ultimately improves
quality and safety levels, should be sufficient?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2002)

According to Council Directive 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993, on Medical Devices (1), manufacturers must
declare the compliance of their products with the essential requirements of this Directive, and not the
compliance with European standards. The use of standards is only one of the possible ways to comply
with the Directive’s requirements. The CEN standards referred to are implemented by all national standards
bodies, including in the United Kingdom, the British Standards Institute (BSI), that published them as BSI
standards: BS EN 1789:1999 (Medical vehicles and their equipment . Road ambulances) and BS EN
1865:1999 (Specifications for stretchers and other patient handling equipment used in road ambulances).

The Commission has no reason to believe that NHS contracts, even if it would be different from the
Standards referred to, do not comply with the 1994 Medical Devices Regulations transposing Directive
93/42/EEC.

(1) OJ L 169, 12.7.1993.

(2002/C 277 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1604/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(5 June 2002)

Subject: Akamas Peninsula, Cyprus

Can the Commission confirm that in the accession negotiations with the Government of the Republic of
Cyprus, which are expected to be concluded in time for the Copenhagen Council, it has continued to
stress, as Commissioner Wallström made clear in June 2000, that ALL new investments should comply
with the environmental acquis, and, in particular, that any measures which may lead to the deterioration
of areas, such as the Akamas peninsula, likely to be proposed for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network,
should be avoided?