WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/02 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Adoption of the HPV test in the European Union.
Date: 2002-07-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cancer, disease prevention, health policy, public health, scientific research, woman

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Official Journal of the European Union

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6.2.2003

for Veterinary Science, this funding was
According to an announcement by the Directorate-General
provided on condition that the above recipients displayed an interest in making appropriate arrangements
for dealing with stray dogs by setting up a dogs’ home, rounding up strays, medically examining,
registering and castrating them and taking all possible measures to promote respect
for animals
throughout Greece. There are fears, however, that the sum of EUR 2 350 000 may have been used to put
down animals, as was already the case at the ‘Noah’s Ark’ home in the town of Chania, Crete, which had
to close down in early 2002.

1.

Does the Commission know whether these funds come from EU appropriations?

If they do, will the Commission say who received the funds and what amount was involved, what the

2.
funds were used for and who monitors their use?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

As the Commission has already indicated in its reply to written question E-1658/02 by Mr Bakopoulos (1),
the Control of stray dogs is a matter within the sole competence of Member States. No Community
funding is available to Member States, their National or Local Authorities or Animal Welfare associations
for this purpose.

(1) OJ C 277 E, 14.11.2002.

(2003/C 28 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Adoption of the HPV test in the European Union

(9 July 2002)

It is well known that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer and that the HPV test, if
applied, could prevent the futile deaths of women who die each year because testing was not provided.

Six regions in Italy are currently involved in a research programme to determine the conditions necessary
for the test to be adopted in Italy. All women should be given access to the most advanced technology
available to ensure their health is protected. This is particularly important in the case of cervical cancer, a
slow-growing disease which is 100 % curable if treated in time.

Can the Commission therefore provide information on the number of women who die unnecessarily

1.
as a result of this disease?

2.
Given the scientifically proven advantages of the HPV test and the latest developments both in the
EU and the United States (the ESIDOG conference and the new guidelines provided by the US National
intends to include HPV testing as part of the
Cancer Institute), can the Commission indicate if
recommendations on cancer screening which it will be publishing shortly?

it

3.

If it does not intend to do so, can it say why?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2002)

1.
No, the Commission cannot provide the information on the number of women, who unnecessarily
die from cervical cancer due to not being screened for their cervical HPV status due to the fact that this
particular test has only been used in a restricted number of clinical studies. The European Cervical Cancer
Screening Network co-financed by the Europe against Cancer programme has followed these developments

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Official Journal of the European Union

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closely for many years and is expected to develop a consensus on European guidelines for quality
assurance in cervical cancer screening. The guidelines will address all aspects of cervical cancer screening
including HPV diagnostics. The publication of this document is scheduled for 2003 at the earliest.

The Draft Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening, presently in preparation within the
2. and 3.
Commission Services, is expected to refrain from very specific recommendations on particular screening
tests. The recommendation is expected to focus on comprehensively laying the ground for the most
important aspects of European best practice in early detection of cancer by screening. Any form of testing
to be adopted by Member States, including HPV testing would have to meet such standards to maximise its
contribution to a further reduction of the cervical cancer mortality of European women.

In addition, Directorate General Research are funding a project under the ‘Quality of Life’ programme
within the Fifth Framework Programme, which examines the relative merits of HPV cervical cancer
screening for the Member States. Results are expected in 2004.

(2003/C 28 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2033/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 July 2002)

Subject: Inconvenience suffered by long-distance train passengers as a result of the separation of ticket sales

and reservations

Can the Commission confirm that, while it has for a long time been possible to reserve seats,
1.
couchettes or sleeping-car places on trains travelling outside the country where the ticket is purchased,
there is nevertheless a great difference between the French and Spanish system of combined tickets and
reservations and the German and Dutch system,
in which no such combination exists, so that it is
sometimes difficult to make a reservation for a country (or for some parts of it) where the other system
applies? (For example, in France it is not possible to reserve a couchette or sleeping-car place on night
trains travelling to the territory situated to the east of France.)

Does the Commission know that while it is possible to make a reservation for trains going to many
2.
foreign destinations, tickets for the same destinations are not on sale, because the two systems are separate
and the computer used for ticket sales only offers a limited choice of (cid:1) large, nearby or frequently used (cid:1)
destinations. Also, if the journey is to be made between two countries not including that in which the
ticket is purchased and not bordering on it, it is possible to make a reservation but not to buy a ticket,
which means that passengers have to buy their tickets at the ticket office of a foreign station where the
train stops, or from a foreign guard. (For example, it is not possible to buy a ticket in the Netherlands for a
train going from Sweden to France via Germany, but it is possible to make a reservation for the same
journey.)

3.
Does the Commission also know that, as a result of computerisation, the traditional, more labour-
intensive method of making reservations by phone or fax is gradually disappearing, which means that no
reservations can be made for certain less technically developed countries and that the countries for which
reservations can be made are less numerous than they used to be? (For example, no electronic reservations
can be made for Serbia or Bulgaria, and as a result no reservations can be made either).

4.
Does the Commission agree that this insufficiently integrated system means that long-distance
passengers may find that their journeys do not go as planned, so that they may (cid:1) contrary to what is
recommended in the White Paper (cid:1) turn instead to less environmentally friendly means of transport, such
as planes, cars and coaches?

5. Will the Commission offer a solution to these problems in the proposal on the rights and obligations
of international rail passengers which it intends to present at the end of 2002?