WRITTEN QUESTION E-2101/02 by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission. Obesity.
Date: 2002-07-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, education policy, health policy, nutritional disease, smoking, sport

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/185

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 2002)

The Commission is very aware of the serious situations that could result from changes in our climate,
including the melting of the glaciers.

The Commission considers climate change as an environmental problem that requires a global solution to
which we are actively contributing. The Community and all its Member States are Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and they all ratified the Kyoto Protocol on
31 May 2002. The Kyoto Protocol requires that all the Member States develop and implement national
climate change strategies. They are being complemented by actions at Union level.

is the basis for a range of cost-effective emission
The European Climate Change Programme (ECCP)
reductions measures, including the Commission’s proposal on emissions trading and other measures in the
areas of energy, transport, industry and agriculture.

Other measures foreseen include legislation on fluorinated gases, on minimum efficiency requirements for
end-use equipment, on energy demand management, on the promotion of Combined Heat and Power
(CHP) and two ‘transport’ packages on shifting the balance between modes of transport and improvements
in transport infrastructure use and charging.

The Commission believes that the Union is showing leadership in the fight against climate change so as to
participate in the limitation of damages.

(2003/C 28 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2101/02

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 July 2002)

Subject: Obesity

Research carried out in a number of EU Member States, including the Netherlands, shows that the average
European eats, drinks and smokes too much and takes too little exercise, leading to excess weight. Heart
and vascular disease (including thrombosis) have become public enemy No 1. The increasing prominence
given to the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle is proving to have little effect. The various policy
initiatives adopted are often targeted at combating the symptoms of obesity and of being overweight,
instead of taking a structural approach to tackling the causes of the problem (namely too little sport and
not enough exercise). A good example is the European tobacco directive, which has been implemented in
part in the Netherlands, witness the new labelling on packets of cigarettes. Success in achieving the
intended effect, namely curbing smoking, is so far belied by the facts.

This is a worrying situation, bearing in mind that the spin-off from so-called Western diseases goes beyond
the implications for the health of European citizens. The high health costs associated with such diseases
the higher labour market participation rates considered
hold down economic growth and prevent
necessary with a view to achieving further growth. These trends consequently have the potential to
frustrate the Lisbon process.

Given that these problems are not confined to the Netherlands, it is appropriate to speak of a European
problem calling for a corresponding approach. European policy measures could promote sport and
exercise within society. This would mean tackling causes, rather than symptoms, on a Europe-wide basis,
leading to a structural solution.

1.

Is the Commission aware of the above trends?

2.
Does the Commission intend to take steps to propose a policy to promote sport and exercise in the
Member States and, where possible, to require, for example in connection with educational curricula or
employment, or wherever possible, that they be linked (cid:1) as a requirement (cid:1) to European financial
assistance?

C 28 E/186

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

The Commission is well aware of the trend of increasing obesity in the Member States. Although data
collected by Eurostat referring to 1989 and 1996 only show a limited increase in the prevalence of obesity
(measured by Body-Mass Index (cid:1) BMI), the Commission foresees that new comparable data for 2002,
which will be available next year, will confirm the upwards trend in obesity found in several national and
international studies.

The Commission has a restricted mandate in the area of education since the content of teaching and the
organisation of the education systems are totally Member States’ responsibility. Thus, the Commission
cannot link any such requirements to financial or other assistance in this area. However, the Commission
may contribute to the development of environments conducive health by bringing decision-makers and
scientists together, and by promoting examples of good practice, as is currently being done in the project
European Network of Health Promoting Schools, a joint Commission, Council of Europe and World Health
Organisation project.

In addition, in its recent report on the concrete future objectives of education systems, the Commission
identified specific cases where associating education and sport is particularly appropriate (1). Furthermore,
the Commission is aware that sport is a valuable tool for promoting relevant aims in education, such as
education in a multicultural framework, supporting disadvantaged pupils, countering school failure and
heading off social exclusion, which the Union supports in particular through the Comenius action for
school education.

The Commission has recently submitted a proposal for a decision of the Parliament and the Council
establishing the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 (2). Its aims are i. a. to encourage sport in
the school curriculum, to fight against the sedentary nature of the school population and thus contribute
to improve pupils’ physical wellbeing. The decision provides financial support for transnational, national,
regional or local
in particular for events designed to
disseminate the educational values of sport and to provide information and examples of good practice.

initiatives to promote the stated objectives,

The new Public Health Programme (2003-2008) includes activities relating to collection of health data as
well as actions on health determinants. Prevention of obesity will figure amongst the activities to be
undertaken.

The Commission is currently reflecting on how to develop a coherent Community strategy on obesity
within this programme, to tackle the unfortunate trend of increasing proportions of the population being
overweight or obese and physically inactive, which in turn leads to escalated costs and public health
problems at a large scale. Such a strategy will have to be based on measures for nutrition and physical
activity, in order to prevent and manage this global, epidemic-like development.

(1) COM(2001) 59 final, the concrete future objectives of education systems.
(2) OJ C 25 E, 29.1.2002.

(2003/C 28 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2104/02

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(10 July 2002)

Subject: Violations of the rule of law and democracy in Italy and Articles 6 and 7 of the TEU

Knowing that:

(cid:1) according to Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union the Commission may propose that the
Council ‘determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of principles
mentioned in Article 6(1)’, which states ‘The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are
common to the Member States’’;